At 84, funk pioneer George Clinton continues to reinvent himself, bringing his signature Afrofuturist vision from the stage to the canvas. The Parliament-Funkadelic founder opens a vibrant new art show in Paris, merging music, color, and cosmic creativity.
At 84, George Clinton is a funk legend, ubiquitous hip-hop sample source, father of psychedelic Afrofuturism — and now, a painter with a show opening in Paris.
Through it all, the self-taught American artist, the force behind the celebrated groups Parliament and Funkadelic, has hewed to his signature vision: “Gotta have that funk.”
A life in funk and freedom
Clinton exploded on the scene in the 1960s, making his debut in Motown before gathering a talented crew of artists to create P-Funk, a new, fusion-driven musical style that would deeply influence the likes of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, D’Angelo and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“We came out of the psychedelic era and everything was permissible,” Clinton told AFP.
“I could free my mind, I could do whatever the music turned out to be.”
Blending soul, funk, rock and disco, Clinton tapped into the zeitgeist of an era of whirlwind change, crafting lines that captured the sexual liberation of the 1960s and 70s — “Free your mind and your ass will follow” — and delivering epic four-hour concerts in platform boots and alien-inspired suits.
Today, the one-time New Jersey barber, who won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Grammys, has moved on from multicolored dreadlocks and mind-altering drugs.
He struggles some to get around, but remains an artistic force, keenly tuned in to the sounds of our times.
“As soon as I hear kids making new music that gets on my nerves, that’s the music I want, because that’s usually telling me, ‘This is the new shit,’” he said.
Funk has always been his “secret weapon,” he added.
“Funk protects you... from getting old... It’s that same attitude that frees your mind.
It’s like Star Wars. ‘Use the force, Luke.’ Use the funk, Luke.”
From grooves to canvas
Clinton got his start in the graphic arts by signing autographs stylized as dog heads.
During the Covid pandemic, he grew into a more serious artist, taking up acrylic and spray painting.
He made his art debut with a series of shows in the United States.
Now, he has brought his work to Paris and the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, a stone’s throw from the French presidential palace, where his paintings will be on display through mid-December.
The show features Clinton’s abstract paintings and a sculpture representing the “Mothership” — from his influential 1975 concept album Mothership Connection.
Opening a show in the world art capital, “I feel like I’m somebody,” he said.
His signature style pervades his work.
“I paint the way I do music,” he said.
“I did a lot of paintings that came out really good, but I had no idea what they were when I first started, and I don’t want to intellectualize it. It’s just whatever it is — it’s all about the vibe.”
A funk spirit in turbulent times
But all is not carefree in Clinton’s world.
He has been locked in various legal battles for years over copyrights for his musical catalog.
His eternal optimism is also being tested by the deeply polarized political climate in the United States, says Clinton, no fan of former President Donald Trump.
“No matter how good it gets, there’s always something that comes along trying to spoil the party,” he said, calling Trump “like a cartoon — not even a good cartoon.”
In his album Chocolate City, released 50 years ago, Clinton and Parliament imagined a White House under the sway of funk, with Aretha Franklin as first lady and Stevie Wonder as secretary of fine arts.
That dream looks distant today, but he still believes in a better tomorrow, Clinton said.
On one condition: “We have to keep up the funk.”
By Jérémy TORDJMAN
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