Billy Pillow
Pursuit of Solitude
acrylic on canvas
48 x 24

The image presented is my ideal view of a reflection. When we think of a reflection, we most likely think of an identical mirrored subject, so I did just that with a self portrait-style reflection piece but also added a bit of abstraction as well. Pursuit of Solitude is the title of this piece. Inspired by Man on the Moon: The End of Day, an album by Kid Cudi, I started to explore what comes to my mind listening to this album and how I could tell a story through an abstract self-portrait. Growing up I was a huge fan of Kid Cudi and was always interested in the space adventure/solitude sounds he would produce. A lot of his songs have stories behind them, and one major point he tries to get out is that he is a man just wanting to get along with everyone and being okay with being different from the normal. Therefore, I put myself in his position and thought about how my life is and how much I appreciate being fine with not being your average African American male but also being able to accept all my mistakes in life and owning up to them.

Inspiring Tracks by Kid Cudi:

· Man On the Moon
· In My Dreams
· Day ‘n’ Nite
· Solo Dolo
· Pursuit of Happiness