Afropunk Takes The Stage With Afropop On Public Television

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NEW YORK (January 28, 2015)—AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, the innovative series about contemporary Black life, art and culture currently airing on public television stations across the country, continues with AFROPUNK presents The Triptych. The film, produced by Matthew Morgan and Jocelyn Cooper of AFROPUNK, will air as the fourth episode of the series, which this year is hosted by actress Yaya DaCosta. The program premieres on WORLD Channel on Monday, February 9, at 8 pm ET/10pm PT. AfroPoP is executive-produced by National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and distributed by American Public Television (APT).

AFROPUNK started in 2003 as a documentary about Black youth involved in the punk music scene but has grown into a major force to be reckoned with in youth culture. From its not-to-be-missed alternative music festival in Brooklyn, to its popular website www.afropunk.com, to marketing and launching recording artist D’Angelo’s long-anticipated album Black Messiah, AFROPUNK brings together creative, expressive people seeking cutting-edge culture.

The film immerses the edgy AFROPUNK in the world of fine art. A triptych is a series of three connected works of an artistic, literary or musical nature, and the film is itself an artful portrayal of a trio of today’s most celebrated visual artists: contemporaries Sanford Biggers, Wangechi Mutu and Barron Claiborne. Biggers, an interdisciplinary artist, is known for his dramatic works fusing film, video, installation, sculpture, drawing, original music and performance, offering new perspectives on established cultural symbols. Wangechi Mutu, an international multimedia artist and sculptor, is perhaps best known for her fantastical collages melding the female form with machine, animal and unexpected parts. Claiborne is a renowned photographer whose works explore the historical, mythological and imaginary; they have been published in outlets such as Newsweek, New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone and Interview, among others. AFROPUNK presents The Triptych is directed by Terence Nance and Barron Claiborne.

“AfroPoP strives to showcase Black artists from around the world and with AFROPUNK presents The Triptych we are fortunate to have not one but three artists we can help expose to new audiences,” said NBPC Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. “Together they demonstrate the wonderful diversity of people of African descent internationally.”

“Sanford, Wangechi and Barron are among our most important contemporary artists, each fully embodying the rebellious spirit of AFROPUNK,” said Nance. “As such, they are perfect subjects for what we hope will be the first of many Triptych films celebrating our visual artists and engaging young people in this wonderful art form.”

The Sanford Biggers and Wangechi Mutu segments will air on public television as a one-hour episode. The third segment, highlighting Barron Claiborne, will be available online for thirty days starting February 10 at WORLDChannel.org, local public station websites and blackpublicmedia.org.