Roger Mapes

Roger Anthony (Tony) Mapes; painter and performance artist was born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama - "The Hit Recording Capital of the World" and the birthplaces of Helen Keller and W.C. Handy. The Muscle Shoals area was populated by an abundance of musicians and visual artists/painters. I began studying painting and drawing at a young age with local artists and was encouraged to develop my own unique vision. I was and still am inspired by the works of Picasso, Dali, Bacon, 60's POP artists, and old black& white horror movies..................................................................

Roger Anthony (Tony) Mapes; painter and performance artist was born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama - "The Hit Recording Capital of the World" and the birthplaces of Helen Keller and W.C. Handy. The Muscle Shoals area was populated by an abundance of musicians and visual artists/painters. I began studying painting and drawing at a young age with local artists and was encouraged to develop my own unique vision. I was and still am inspired by the works of Picasso, Dali, Bacon, 60's POP artists, and old black& white horror movies..........................................................................................................................
As an adult, my vision grew to become an abstract expressionist/surrealistic/sci-fi way of painting dreamscapes on canvas using acrylic paint, house paint, found objects, and assorted other media.
I interpret energies from spiritual, supernatural, and otherworldly forces. I read a lot of sci-fi authors such as Frank Herbert, Octavia Butler, and Vernor Vinge. I am also very interested in the channeled writings of SETH. These ideas and characters from novels and readings show up in my paintings as powerful and sometimes disturbing images in saturated, mostly primary, colors............

I consider myself an Outsider Artist...........................................................................

Roger Anthony Mapes
RESUME:
MFA Performance Art, Vermont College, Montpelier, Vermont,1996
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, New York, New York,1986
MA Theatre, The University of Memphis, Memphis,Tennessee,1983
BA Painting and Drawing, The University of North Alabama, Florence, ALabama,1980.........................................................................................................

From 1997-2004 Roger Anthony Mapes performed as YOLANDA singer/songwriter/gender warrior with his/her band "Yolanda and the Plastic Family". Roger created the character "Yolanda”, wrote the music, created the costumes, toured and recorded with his/her band. For more information go to: www.yolanda.net