FunkBasel : Soho Beach House Art Exhibition

George Clinton: Funkbasel
Artist talk: December 3, 2021  11:AM 
Soho Beach House and Spring McManus Art Advisory (SMAA) are pleased to announce George Clinton: Funkbasel, featuring paintings and drawings by the legendary artist and musician George Clinton. The exhibition will coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach and the artist’s 80th birthday.

In the 1970s and 80s, George Clinton revolutionized music and performance through the pioneering work of Parliament-Funkadelic. His original sounds and visual sensibilities are part of the founding DNA of electronic funk, gangsta-funk, and hip-hop. Clinton continues to have an extraordinary influence over popular music and culture and has inspired the works of countless musicians including Snoop Dog, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, among many others. 

Clinton’s paintings riff on themes from his music, including images of his iconic “Atomic Dog” and “Mothership”. As a visual artist, Clinton’s body of work is as adventurous and eclectic as his music. His rhythm and energy translate into lyrical compositions with sweeping forms. The works are an extension of his performances that bring the stage and listening experience to the two-dimensional.

When his “Farewell Tour” was cancelled due to the pandemic, Clinton spent the quarantine in his studio in Florida, creating new paintings as well as a series of painted birdhouses. A selection of these works will also be on view. 

Clinton’s body of work is experiencing a resurgence in national and international prominence. A replica of his “Mothership”, considered the most iconic stage prop in African-American musical history, is now on view as part of Mothership: Voyage into Afrofuturism, a group exhibition at the Oakland Museum of Art. Clinton’s work inspired the Afrofuturist movement, and appears alongside artists Wangechi Mutu, Dora Milaje, and William Cordova, among others.

A percentage of proceeds from the sales of Funkbasel will be donated to Mr. Clinton’s Foundation, Protecting Our Legacy, which supports musicians and their families to acquire and maintain the rights to their works.

To celebrate this exhibition as well as Art Basel Miami Beach, George Clinton will be in conversation about his artistic practice at the Soho Beach House tent, 4385 Collins Ave. Miami Beach FL 33140 on December 3rd. He will be in conversation with House member and art advisor, Spring McManus, who is Mr. Clinton’s art manager.

Soho House is a members only private club.

Appointments are mandatory. If you are not a member of soho house and would like to schedule a time to see the work, please click here to RSVP on Eventbrite.