- “See Me For Who I Am,” by Corey Barksdale
As a curious Belle in the City, I love to indulge myself in a life filled with art. In fact, I recently added lifestyle + art, to my social media bios! In short, my life is my art. I am so inspired by new forms of art, whether it be music, books, poetry, dance, film, or fine art! Art, in its purest form, is what makes my world go around. Here on Giselle Ave., our lifestyle brand tends to attract some of the most talented artists the city has to offer.
From the new “Outkast Mural” in Little Five Points, to the “Hey Brown Girl, You’re Beautiful,” mural in Castleberry Hill, Atlanta is a city that truly puts forth an orchestrated effort to shed light on the creative class of artists that call Atlanta home.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to Atlanta Fine Artist & Muralist, Corey Barksdale
- “Forward with a Broken Heart,” by Corey Barksdale
Corey Barksdale grew up in Nashville, where his mother’s fastidious attention to detail and his grandmother’s quilts inspired him to choose art.
“I used to watch her create quite a bit,” he says of his grandmother, “and she was really inspiring with the images she created.”
Barksdale graduated with a B.F.A. from the Atlanta College of Art in the 90s. There, he was inspired by the abstract expressionists — William de Kooning, Jasper Johns and Clifford Still. His commitment to his heritage came from such African-American masters as Romare Bearden, John Biggers, Aaron Douglas and William Tolliver.
“A lot of my images,” he says, “are representative of the experiences that I have had and how I identify myself.”
Barksdale’s Atlanta murals are characterized by bright colors and strong ties to community and identity.
- “Caged Bird,” by Corey Barksdale
“At one point I thought I wanted to do architecture,” he says, “but I think that was just different people encouraging me to do architecture because they thought it would be more lucrative. I’ve always enjoyed people and painting and figures, so when I was about 10 years old, I had an idea that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
A Statement from Corey Barksdale
As told to me, by Corey Barksdale
A lot of my images are representative of the experiences that I have had and how I identify myself. These subjects reflect my community. Equity, diversity, and inclusion in my art are more than important subjects. I believe it’s important to see the common traits that connect us all and respect the differences that make us unique.
Atlanta embraces life and culture and I hope to create murals that reflect the love of inclusion and diversity. My love of colors – generously expressed with bold strokes throughout my work represents the richness and vivid expressions of all cultures. Life would be pretty plain without color.
The butterfly meaning in my art represents spiritual rebirth, transformation, creativity, endless potential, vibrant joy, change, ascension, and an ability to experience the wonder of life.
Among some of his latest works include:
- ELEVATE, City of Atlanta, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs mural painting
- Hyundai Motor Company Atlanta Super Bowl, live painting at Centennial Olympic Park Super Bowl Event
- Mars Wrigley Confectionery Atlanta Super Bowl, live large-scale painting at the Georgia Aquarium
- CRE8IV, mural commission from the city of Rockford, Illinois, inaugural transformational art mural festival commission
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, DC art displayed in digital exhibition
- Mellow Mushroom, mural art commission at various locations in Atlanta, Athens, South Carolina, Virginia
- Amazing Stories Steven Spielberg 2019, large-scale 15’x150’ mural created for Atlanta based television episode
- Superfly Movie, numerous large scale paintings created and exhibited in the movie featured art gallery scene
- Get Out Movie, 5’x10’ painting created for Jordan Peele’s movie pre-promotion exhibited at the movie premiere screen and in promotional materials
- Baby Driver Movie, jazz and music based paintings created for scene in movie
- The Chi Television Show, art included in the American drama series episode
and more!
For more information, visit Corey’s website at CoreyBarksdale.com
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Featured Image, “See Me For Who I Am,” by Corey Barksdale
Giselle Avenue 
Interesting article! I live near Atlanta and not familiar with the art scene. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for reading!!