Fred Brathwaite, famously known as Fab 5 Freddy, transcends the boundaries of a typical artist. From his roots as a graffiti innovator to his multifaceted roles as a filmmaker, producer, and curator, Freddy has consistently bridged cultural divides. His journey from the vibrant streets of downtown and uptown New York in the 80s, connecting the punk scene with hip-hop icons, to collaborating with luminaries like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nas, Blondie, and The Clash, showcases his unparalleled versatility. Now, he takes on a new role, exploring the intricate tapestry of Italian Renaissance art in the BBC documentary, A Fresh Guide to Florence with Fab 5 Freddy.
From Kangol to Fedora: Fab 5 Freddy’s Renaissance Journey
Trading his signature Kangol for a fedora and oval shades for distinguished reading glasses, Fab 5 Freddy now exudes the gravitas of a cultural elder statesman. In A Fresh Guide to Florence with Fab 5 Freddy, he embarks on a compelling exploration of black figures in Italian Renaissance art, echoing the style of Alan Yentob. The show opens with a striking image of Freddy on horseback outside the Uffizi, immediately capturing the viewer’s attention. While other hip-hop figures have embraced diverse cultural touchstones, Freddy delves into the academic realm, revealing a surprising depth of knowledge and passion.
Freddy’s Hip-Hop Lens on Art History
Brathwaite’s unique perspective shines as he infuses art history with hip-hop sensibilities. Machiavelli becomes “Tupac’s guy,” Michelangelo transforms into “the Michael Jackson of the Renaissance,” lauded for his “street artist” approach in the Medici tombs. He fearlessly addresses the controversy surrounding Titian’s Venus of Urbino, a piece that nearly resulted in the artist’s excommunication due to its erotic nature.
His early fascination with art was nurtured during his childhood. “When I was a kid,” he recalls, “I would cut school to travel around Manhattan museums.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with its accessible entry policy, became his sanctuary. “I would show up and toss a nickel in the admissions box then spend a day in fantasy land, going from English armour to Renaissance paintings, pop art to expressionism.”
This unconventional interest set him apart from his peers but ignited his career as a subway graffiti artist and fostered a lasting friendship with Jean-Michel Basquiat. “He would spend a lot of his childhood at the Brooklyn Museum just as I did at the Met,” Freddy explains. “Finally, there was someone I could talk to about Caravaggio and Rothko. We were both so impressed with the radical nature of modernist manifestos like futurism. They gave us – two young, black kids – the capacity to articulate what we wanted to say.”
Remembering Basquiat in Florence
Throughout the making of A Fresh Guide to Florence with Fab 5 Freddy, Brathwaite often reflected on Basquiat. “I don’t know if he ever went to Florence but he would have absolutely loved it. The fact that the works are shown where they’re intended to be, in their basilicas, would have been very important to him. He cared a lot about how his work was shown.”
Navigating Racial Restraints and Artistic Expression
The need to control the narrative surrounding creativity stemmed from the racial prejudices prevalent in the 80s, impacting Braithwaite directly. “Gallery people would be shocked that I knew who people like Ad Reinhardt were,” he remembers, laughing. “They wouldn’t expect a black kid from Brooklyn to be into these things. Nobody was writing or saying anything positive about the graffiti we were doing. They just thought we were grimy criminal kids. So that’s why I made Wild Style.”
Wild Style, his 1982 film directed by Charlie Ahearn about a fictional graffiti artist from the Bronx, captured the energy of the hip-hop movement. It showcased record-scratching, MCs, graffiti art, and breakdancing, featuring influential figures like Lee Quiñones, DJ Grandmaster Flash, and Brathwaite himself. “Hip-hop falls in the lineage of the great artistic revolutions of history,” he asserts, “but we didn’t have any patronage or financial backing. From the Harlem Renaissance to our scene, we just went out and did it.”
Hip-Hop’s Global Ascent and Overcoming Barriers
Despite its cultural significance, hip-hop’s global recognition was delayed. It wasn’t until the early 90s with the rise of NWA, Tupac, and the Notorious BIG that hip-hop truly exploded. “Again, it’s race that held us back,” Brathwaite explains. “There was a movement of radical creatives in New York and they were all outsiders. But we were so outside we were almost locked out.”
Exploring Multiculturalism in the Renaissance
In A Fresh Guide to Florence with Fab 5 Freddy, Brathwaite explores the Italian Renaissance, a period he believes was less burdened by racial stereotypes. He cites Carpaccio’s Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge, which features a black gondolier, as evidence of Italian metropolitan multiculturalism. “What was interesting was that before the African slave trade began, the concept of race didn’t really exist,” he explains. “The depictions of African people weren’t stereotyped. They were presented faithfully and they were just seen as part of life. Then you skip to the 1980s, when you think we would have come much further, and you have critics and gallerists calling Jean-Michel’s work ‘tribal’. I remember thinking, ‘You’re an ignorant racist if you think he’s some wild man that they pulled off the streets and locked up in the basement and gave some paints to.’”
The Turning Point: Representing Marginalized Figures
Brathwaite identifies the mid-17th century tomb of Doge Giovanni Pesaro, supported by sculpted figures of enslaved people, as a pivotal moment. “That made me sick to my stomach,” he says. “It was visceral to see how these black figures were carved and then to know that this is how black people would continue to be represented after the African slave trade started. Before it began, slavery wasn’t as brutal – it would be conquered people following their conqueror’s religion and language. It was a milder form of slavery, not the barbaric, for-profit trade that then developed.”
He highlights early Renaissance depictions of Africans in works like Mantegna’s Scenes from the Life of Christ and Giotto’s Trial by Fire, showcasing more humanistic portrayals. “Unfortunately, black people are still misrepresented in the media and art world,” he laments. “There need to be more people of colour in positions of responsibility, otherwise black people will remain invisible in plain sight as they are in these paintings. Everyone needs to be represented equally.”
Remembering Forgotten Pioneers
Brathwaite emphasizes the importance of remembering those who have been forgotten, referencing Grandmaster Flowers, a prominent DJ from his youth who later faced homelessness and addiction. “They say the first through the door gets all the bullets,” he reflects. “I just managed to dodge some. So it’s my role to talk about these people like Flowers, who left without a trace.”
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
Fab 5 Freddy has undoubtedly left his mark. His hip-hop archive’s donation to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture signifies his transformation from a radical outsider to a respected cultural figure. “Being honoured after your death is the struggle that revolutionary art movements have,” he says. “You’ll always run up against ignorant people and you have to tear through those boundaries, whether you like it or not. That’s why I was so taken by the technical innovations of Renaissance art and even by what the punks were doing in the 80s because they were all challenging people. I’m lucky I’m still here and I’ll keep on pushing those boundaries. There’s still so much to discover.”
A Fresh Guide to Florence with Fab 5 Freddy offers a unique lens through which to view Renaissance art, connecting the past with the present and highlighting the ongoing need for representation and cultural understanding. This documentary is a testament to Freddy’s enduring influence and his commitment to pushing boundaries.
