Photographs by Ken Brown

Ken Brown has been making art since the 1960s in a wide range of formats—in his words, “anything you can put images on”—including animations, documentaries, photography, postcards, cartoon drawing, images for Instagram, and short films made on cell phones. His career has included stints as an animated filmmaker at Sesame Street for PBS and at MTV. His passion for “people’s art” led him to publish works on postcards, and he produced hundreds of thousands of images on that affordable and accessible medium before the advent of digital culture.

For many years, Brown has spent a portion of every day walking and biking the streets of New York City, engaged in an ongoing project of “documenting our collective history.” His work has always reflected political values, dating back to his earlier antinuclear postcards and graphics.

When Black Lives Matter became a powerful force in the current landscape, his impulse was to show the kind of artwork that was being done in the streets. “I talked with some of the artists while the work was going up; it was exciting to feel the power of paint and to witness the motivations of the artists around these issues. Black Lives Matter has inspired a new iteration of deeply political street art. It was great seeing how the art deals with the message, and it was moving to see the many sides of the Black Lives Matter issue. It is necessary and welcome, and I am grateful I am here to catch it and share it.” To view more of Ken Brown’s work, visit kenbrownpixpop.com.