Karl A. McIntosh is a self taught artist who works in pastel, watercolor, acrylic, collage, stone, wood and metal and is a wizard at transforming found objects into works of art. Born in Kingston, Jamaica McIntosh moved to the United States at an early age and later took up art. Among his mentors are artist Otto Neals with whom he worked at the Bob Blackburn Printmaking workshop and artist Marian Griffin. McIntosh is also a Poet, drummer and dancer who draws his creative inspiration and expression from his study of African art and culture.
McIntosh’s bold, bright colors dance off the page and tantalize the senses. His work is profound in its statement and often deliciously whimsical. His work is an honest portrayal of everyday life and the people who live it but on occasion, takes on public figures and world events most often employing satire as the layers of paint or paper he uses to depict them.
In June 2020, A piece by Karl was featured on Beyonce’s Black Parade Route website and shared across her social media platforms like Instagram. McIntosh’s work has been exhibited at numerous venues across the country including Dorsey’s Art Gallery, The Skylight Gallery.
MOCADA (the Museum of Contemporary Diasporan Art), 843 Gallery, The National Black Fine Art Show, Color: The Chicago Black Fine Art Exhibition, The Fulton Art Fair, The George Washington Carver Gallery, The Red Piano Too in St. Helena, South Carolina and in April 2004, McIntosh was proud to add the Brooklyn Museum to his Impressive list. He was mentioned in the April 16, 2004 edition of the article in connection with “Open,” the Brooklyn Museum exhibition. His work can be found in many prominent collections throughout the country,
McIntosh a members of The National Conference of Artists and The Weusi Artists Collective has shown at the Brooklyn Museum “Open House Exhibition” and a number of other Museum and Galleries including The African American Museum in Hempstead, NY, Kenkeleba Gallery of N.Y., Acban Art Gallery of Mt. Vernon, New York.
“I get much of my inspiration comes from my ancestor and the study of West Africa Culture. My association with other artists that frequented The Dorsey Art Gallery has greatly helped me in my desire to be an artist. These include Leroy Clarke, James Denmark, Ernie Crichlow, Tom Feelings, James Brown, Marion Griffin and a host of others”
Some call McIntosh a folk artist, others call him primitive, some say he’s an outside the mainstream artist, but regardless of the title, most would probably agree that an apt description of McIntosh would simply be genius.