Talking Chocolate with April Banks

In 2007, Bay Area artist April Banks unveiled her multimedia series Free Chocolate in a solo exhibition at Intersection for the Arts. A visual expose of cocoa's global journey from farmer, to trader, to chocolate lover, this ongoing body of work is the result of Banks’s extensive research into the chocolate industry. She has traveled to the New York Board of Trade, to cacao farms in Ghana and Cuba, and unsuccessfully applied to work on a chocolate factory line. Today, she's conducting her chocolate and cacao research in Brazil. It almost goes without saying that chocolate is the artist's favorite confection. Though she says, "I don’t eat very much of it and even less so since [I began] Free Chocolate."

The following interview with Banks, conducted last year for this blog, was the catalyst for the current article in Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. The piece discusses two digital prints in the Free Chocolate series including the image above, titled Chocolate Lover (detail).

Banks recently partnered with Cacao Anasa to make a new line of chocolate bars called "Afrodisiac." These organic and vegan bars are made with ethically sourced dark and come in a variety of flavors such as cayenne, pistachio, and persimmon. In June, her photographs will be included in the exhibition Double Exposure at the Museum of the African Diaspora.
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Contemporary Confections: Describe the concept behind your recent exhibition Free Chocolate.

April Banks: The topic is huge, but I narrowed it down to the relationship between the cocoa farmer, the commodities trader, and the chocolate lover/consumer. I think these are three key entities in the huge trade of chocolate that can illustrate the affects of desire, greed and manipulation. This from the curatorial statement for the exhibition:

"In this brand new installation, Banks contemplates our need for beauty,
sweetness, indulgence, and intoxication and the greed and manipulation that
results in securing it. Grappling with issues of colonization and slavery, fair
trade and sustainability, and the complex relationship between guilt and desire,
the work in the exhibition sheds light on the intricate human web of the
world of chocolate."

CC: I assume that “free” connotes “slavery free?” Is this synonymous with “fair trade?”

AB: Well, I meant it in a few ways. For the exhibition it made a catchy title, but [I've also given] chocolates away on the street with a hidden camera. More importantly, I meant it as a verb--to liberate. Chocolate is complicated and fraught with many inequalities. Slavery free and fair trade are related. For a product to be certified fair trade it must not involve slave labor.

CC: Give me a brief sketch of your creative process.

AB: Most of my work involves quite a bit of research and lately, like with Free Chocolate, it has been immersive. There is really no precise process [beyond that], as it often begins with an idea based on random "what if..." discussions with friends. It may not be (and usually isn’t) a discussion about art or a particular body of work, but the discussion itself leads me to a process through which I visualize an answer.

CC: How did the Micro Chocolate Shop materialize and do you see collaboration as a regular part of your practice?

AB: I love to collaborate with other people and not just artists; I think everything becomes so much richer. The desire for the Micro Shop two-fold. [First,] I wanted to make some money! Installations don’t sell everyday, so I was thinking about ways that will further my desire to be a full-time artist. Plus I’m surrounded by all these people who make great things and who also love chocolate. I knew it would potentially raise some questions since much of the exhibition was focused on consumerism, so I used the [Micro Shop] as an opportunity to make additional statements about my personal conflict between my love of chocolate and the realities that surround its production.

CC: Talk a bit more about the role and representation of the commodities trader in the exhibition? How would viewers see the commodities trader visually and within the larger chocolate industry?

AB: The commodities trader, the actual person on the trading floor, is really just a representative of the larger corporations whose goal is to control all risks and secure low prices. I chose to represent the trader [as opposed to other key players] because his role is visually demonstrative and the excitement, aggression and chaos in the pit was easier to translate in a conceptual way. The cocoa farmer, the consumer, and the trader are intertwined in a supply and demand tug of war. The consumer is oblivious to any of this unless there is a spike in price due to drought or disease. And even then we remain unaware of the reasons why. The farmer is at the mercy of the prices the trader secures--with the exception of fair trade--where they are guaranteed a minimum price. So I showed the trader pretty true to form--aggressive, confrontational, and animated. I did however remove him from the trading environment, showing him on a white background in isolation. I felt showing that him out of context would emphasis the attitude.

CC: Since it’s such a large issue and the series is ongoing, might you speak to the other significant players in the chocolate industry going forward?

AB: I will definitely address other aspects of chocolate as I continue researching and exploring. I didn’t have much success accessing the ports and the shipping industry and I’d love to learn more about the import/export side. I’m interested in how marketing trends for gifts affect the whole industry such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween.
I have also been collecting vintage chocolate ads, which are mostly European, and loaded with social and class connotations. I would like to imagine how a present-day version of those ads might look. I’ve been working on some “protest” images too and exploring different iterations of images from the first exhibit at Intersection for the Arts.

CC: Was there video work or documentation in the Free Chocolate exhibition? OR did you take any type of audio/visual recording device with you to West Africa?

AB: There is video footage from the street scenes where I gave away chocolate. There was also documentary photography from my travels at the entry of the exhibition to give some point of reference to the more conceptual work. I did record video while traveling in Africa, but I haven’t edited any of it! Not much of it is from the cocoa regions, as I was so overwhelmed by being there and I couldn’t shoot both video and photography.

CC: Looking through other work and projects on your website and considering the ideas behind Free Chocolate, you seem to have a particular interested in access and economy (of course, among other ideas). Is that an accurate assessment?

AB: I guess if I look back on the body of work I’ve made so far there is definitely a thread of access in there. I don’t think I’m consciously focusing on it, but I can’t deny it’s there. The process for Free Chocolate began many years ago, as my obsession with chocolate matured, and I became more aware of the social and economic issues [around it]. At the time, I just collected information and went to lectures and cacao farms in Ghana, all the while having no particular concept or end result in mind. Truthfully, I don’t want to weave a theme or thread through my art. [Though] I suppose that’s not realistic in the art world as we know it. I just want to make work about whatever is on my mind at the time and not have worry about how it fits into my bio.

CC: How long have you worked in architecture and design? Do you see a separation between those practices and what you’ve done with Free Chocolate?

AB: I’ve been in the design world since 1996. I started making my first transition from architecture [to fine art] while in graduate school at Art Center College of Design. My class was full of architects looking for a way out! It was there that I did my first installations, but professionally I made the shift to exhibition design. I designed permanent exhibitions for museums for 5 years before making the finally transition to “full-time artist.” So my design background is a huge part of how I approach an installation and fortunately, with my many years of schooling, I can pretty much do it all—the graphics, photography, video, drawings for the installations. And the best part of all is that [I can create] any concept I chose.

CC: Five major influences and/or inspirations?

AB: 1. International travel for change of perspective and comfort zone.
2. Diller+Scofidio (now Diller Scofidio Renfro)—architects who were making architectural spaces in non-traditional ways. (I became aware of their work at a time when I was becoming restless with architecture.)
3. Carrie Mae Weems and Lorna Simpson for their narratives and visual criticism through photography.
4. Film (movies) for it’s ability to transport me into deeply creative territory.
5. Human nature, because it is never boring and for all of the good and bad it will always be the best source for creative material.

CC: In your opinion, how far removed are Americans from the truth about chocolate?

AB: Well I just gave a presentation last weekend at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon and if you could have seen the look on people’s faces you’d see how completely removed we are from any and all truths about chocolate. There seems to be more awareness around other food products like coffee and tea, but for some reason the truth about chocolate is lagging behind.
CC: I’ve stumbled upon a bunch of books about chocolate, but few appear to consider chocolate today, as opposed to historically. Hence, I’m really intrigued by your chocolate research in the here and now and what it can teach us as consumers. Was your research mostly fieldwork or were there specific books that you read? Specific lectures that had an impact on you perhaps? Materials or websites that you might recommend for those who want to learn more?

AB: I’ve read a range of books from an in depth look at how cocoa has affected economies, lineage, and land rights, to a general history and the role of large manufacturers. There’s the business side, the socially responsible side and the agricultural side. Here’s a short list of books:
Cocoa and Chaos in Ghana by Gwendolyn Mikell
Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light by Mort Rosenblum
Harvest of Hope by Phil Grout
The True History of Chocolate by S.D. and M. D. Coe
The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes by Maricel Presilla
Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars by Joel Glenn Brenner

And a few coffee table books that are more palatable for the everyday chocolate lover and combine some history with recipes and beautiful photos. These are mostly produced by gourmet chocolatiers:
Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor by Michael Recchiuti
Chocolat Mon Amour by Michel Richart and Marc Peverelli

Another by a world renowned chocolate taster/critic:
Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone with a Passion for Chocolate by Chloe Doutre-Roussel

I’ve also done online research, gone on tours of processing plants, chocolate tastings, lectures and panel discussions. I’ve also worked with a small chocolatier here in San Francisco to make chocolate. Here are some websites:
Fair Trade: www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade
Empowering Cocoa Communities: http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/
Cooperative Owned Company: http://www.divinechocolate.com/
Oxfam Campaign: www.maketradefair.com/en/index.php?file=dumped_thom.htm
The Field Museum: www.fieldmuseum.org/chocolate/exhibits.html

And I visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana where they have a small cacao farm and a campus of laboratories that study everything from pod diseases to producing hybrid pods to cacao byproducts: http://www.cocobod.gh/

CC: What other types of projects are you working on or dreaming about?

AB: I see lots of M&Ms! If I get any of the many grants I’ve applied for, I’ll be doing more research in Africa and South America.

Sumthin' Like a FAHAMENON

Read my interview with artist Fahamu Pecou below. Commissioned by Open Door Contemporary Art Projects, this piece first appeared on ODCAP.com, a developing web portal for contemporary art of the Black and African diasporas.

Check out these recipes for Pineapple Upside Down Cake--Pecou's favorite sweet foodstuff. He says "My momma used to make it and nobody baked like Betty Ann!"

20 Questions: Fahamu Pecou

Nicole J. Caruth: How did The Shit series begin and when?

Fahamu Pecou: Fahamu Pecou Is The Shit started around 2002. I had an epiphany in my struggle to get in some galleries, get a review or any type of recognition as an artist. Why not use the tricks-of-the-trade from my life as a graphic designer? At the time, I was designing a lot of the promotional collateral for hip hop artists, and clubs, etc. I created a branding campaign that would ultimately lead people back to my art.

NC: Is it appropriate to refer to this body of work as a “series”? That is, do you see yourself shifting gears in the future?

FP: It is in fact a series, and however the gears shift, in the future, I think you will always see touches of this body of work, mixed in somehow. The ideas I am addressing here pre-date this current body, so I don’t think I will ever truly abandon them.NC: How do you decide which magazine cover(s) to render? Does your decision have anything to do with the actual content of the zine at the time you begin the piece?

FP: I am an avid magazine collector. But as I’ve begun this series, I seek out art and culture magazines that you don’t necessarily see in the checkout lines at the grocery store. Once I have them, the choice of which to use becomes more of a ‘what am I feeling this time’ rather than a specific pairing between the photo and cover.

NC: The number of magazines in the world seems infinite, but zines of the art and design sort are, to some degree, limited. As you continue, do you think that multiples will become part of your practice?

FP: Magazines are a crazy business. There are more than I can keep up with. Any doubles I do would be reflective of a magazine’s changing of its masthead.

NC: Describe your working process.

FC: It’s kind of random. It depends on where my mind is. If I am really in love with the piece or feeling the pressure of a looming deadline it can be anywhere from a couple hours to a couple of days. For the most part I paint pretty fast, but lately I’ve forced myself to work slower, savor the details.

NC: How long do you typically spend conceptualizing and completing a ‘cover shoot’ vs. the painting?

FP: As far as the concepts go, I keep a journal and I just jot down concepts as they hit me. If I’m driving, I’ll type it in my blackberry (don’t tell GA Dept of Transportation). But I read somewhere a while back about how Andre 3000 keeps a little book in which he writes down random words, sayings, phrases etc and then refers back to it when he is writing his verses. I borrowed that idea and I refer to my notebooks as I’m working.

NC: What becomes of the photograph, computer renderings, and other remains of your process? Do (or will) you sell them?

FP: I have not sold any of them. I do have plans to one day do a show of the digital images.

NC: You directly refer to boxing in many of your paintings. Is this meant to suggest a similar egotism between the sport and the “fine art” arena?

FP: Well the sport, but more directly, Muhammed Ali and Jack Johnson as celebrities who owned the spotlight, not the other way around. Ali and Johnson were both revolutionaries in the way they handled the platform that celebrity gave them. They maintained their own individual politics, regardless of what the media and society at large wanted of them. So, it’s a nod to those warriors (on much more than a physical plane), my battle stance against the okey-doke… my visual rope-a-dope.

NC: There are obvious references to Basquiat in your work too: crowns, barcodes, smeared prose, etc. Are there other painters or artists that have influenced you?

FP: I really like Basquiat, and again like Ali and Johnson, as a symbol of my position within the world of art. I also am a fan of William H. Johnson, John Biggers, Chuck Close, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Duchamp, David Hammons, Ernie Barnes, and many, many others.

NC: Can you speak more about the barcode symbol and how this emblem otherwise resonates in your work?

FP: The barcode is a funny place to visit as I paint the covers. We are programmed by them to think about sales. As artists, our worth is often determined by how that barcode scans. Often I leave it blank, paint over it or insert affirmations reminding me to not get locked behind those bars.

NC: Some of the areas in your work are left unpainted, which seems to suggest a ‘work-in-progress’?

FP: It is more about pulling back the curtain on fame and celebrity, suggesting that there is more behind the scenes. Mostly, I like the look, the aesthetic quality of the raw canvas next to a painted area. I am most attracted to paintings that have a lot of contrast in the materials as well as texture and content.

NC: What other forms of material and visual culture are significant for you?

FP: I’m inspired by the E! Channel. It’s funny we live in a world where we have a network dedicated to being star-struck. I am also inspired by the fact that the success of the E! Channel has shifted the perspectives, missions, manifestos and content of previously legitimate and respected networks to follow suit.

NC: Was Instant Celebrity: Rise of an Urban Legend, which was recently shown at Lyons Weiner Gallery your first work with video?


FP: Yes, this piece was the brainchild of me and a good friend and filmmaker Johnalynn Holland.

NC: In Instant Celeb there’s this amusing bit about Marla Gibbs being your mom. Do you have an actual relationship with Gibbs or a particular tie to The Jeffersons? Or perhaps that period of black representation in popular culture?

FP: There is no relationship. When filming Instant Celebrity, everyone we interviewed was just told it was a mockumentary about my rise to fame, [and usually just] at the time of the taping. So when the camera came on, they just said whatever came to mind. Rex Ray, a fantastic artist out of San Francisco, told the Marla Gibbs story. He made up this story about how we met and Marla Gibbs being my mother. His interview alone should be a piece. He’s hilarious. Rex was the first person we ever interviewed and it completely changed our vision for the piece. Afterwards when we interviewed other people we sometimes referred to Rex’s story to give them an idea of what was expected.

I grew up on late 70’s and early 80’s TV. Particularly shows like Good Times and Diff’rent Strokes. In fact, my first attraction to being an artist was the character J.J. Evans. Though they were the paintings of Ernie Barnes, I grew up as a child artist trying to draw like J.J. I think those shows, that era of television in general is very instrumental in our society’s current psyche. Most of the kids and teens of the 70s and 80s are now top-level execs and professionals in their fields. In the 70s and 80s television was really just becoming a fixture in American homes. There was a boom in development of major networks so people had a lot more programming choices. We also see a shift in how media and advertising messages get disseminated. A lot of what people do today is designed to look good on TV. Many of us live our lives based on opinions formed of the world through our relationship with television. TV plays a big part in this idea of “Neopop.” It’s not just images of pop culture in print that I am reacting to, but also how it plays out in moving images and sound.

NC: Did [your design business] Diamond Creative Lounge begin prior to your career in painting?

FP: I started Diamond Lounge pretty much right out of college. I figured I would need a job to pay for paints and I found that I couldn’t really work for anyone. I was always fantasizing about what else I could be doing. As a child, I always planned to own my own business. Design was a tool I picked up looking over my friends shoulders that majored in design and illustration.

NC: Do you think of your work as collaborative?

FP: Most definitely. I have a really dope crew of creatives who, whether I want to hear or not, share their opinions with me.

NC: The end of your artist statement reads, “PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE FAHAMU PECOU OFFICIALLY THE SHIT.” Is this committee fictional or does it consist of real people?

FP: The committee is really my friends and family who are always at my side. I have friends who help me push my concepts, crack the whip on my painting skills, ride in a truck yelling encouraging words to me through a bullhorn as I train. Though they don’t have a downtown headquarters, they do exist and are very active in what I do.

NC: Your Wikipedia entry seems very thorough. Did you have something to do with that?**

FP: Actually, I was surprised to know I had a Wikipedia entry; it was written by the author of an article about me earlier this year.

NC: So what role does the Web, and more specifically social networking sites like Wikipedia and MySpace, play for you as an artist working today?

FP: [The Web] has become a digital canvas for me. I have several characters and personas floating around cyberspace. I see my work as sort of scientific experiments. One control is the gallery world/fine art scene. Another is MySpace and YouTube. In all of these places I’m able to seed ideas and run tests of people’s reactions to my work. Which I’m sure will ultimately manifest in my physical works.

NC: What’s next for you? Any more performative work?

FP: Yes, I am currently working with another friend on some guerrilla street art performances; they will be more theatrical. I’m working on a digital music project using a different persona of mine. I [also] have a new art movement called FAHAMENON—folks should check my site for details!

More Pecou @:
Fahamu Pecou
Diamond Creative Lounge
MySpace
YouTube
Lyons Weiner Gallery
Wikipedia ** Pecou's Wikipedia entry has changed significantly since this interview.