Art is widely accepted as a form of expression, and for Antonio Burton it's also a language. It's how he translates his emotions — rage, excitement, and everything else.
He developed his own form of communication. On Saturday, he plans to share it with Bloomington-Normal at the McLean County Arts Center.
Burton, who goes by the artist name Toni Picasso, will discuss his work as it relates to the criminal justice system and youth. There also will be a workshop, with several Bloomington-Normal arts organizations co-hosting.
The event, titled "Mass Incarceration: Healing through Community and Art with Toni Picasso" starts at 3 p.m. It's free to attend and open to all ages, though registration is required.
WGLT's Melissa Ellin spoke to Burton about his work and his plans for Saturday — also, his name.
Interview edited for clarity.
WGLT: Tell me about yourself.
Burton: I practice in a lot of medias. One in particular that got the name buzzing is, of course, the fine art of painting. Then I do music and then also do video as well.
Where does the name Toni Picasso come from?
Burton: Toni Picasso actually came from one of my fellow musicians. We had just got done performing, and I told him like, 'Yo, I don't want to be a rapper anymore. I think I'm gonna go full time art.' And he was like, 'Well, you were already Picasso anyway with the words, so now you could just be Toni Picasso.'
You're from Decatur, but you are here and chatting with me because you do have a connection, at least to McLean County, which is that you're going to be doing 'Mass Incarceration: Healing Through Community and Art.' Tell me about that. What's it going to be like?
Burton: Growing up, I had a background with relatives, just in and out of jail, and there came an opportunity about three, four years ago where Illinois Humanities had a grant. And I applied for the grant, and it was one of those things where I can use all my gifts and one.
With the topic of mass incarceration being something that I've always been an advocate for, it created this platform that we are visiting now. With that was birthed the creation of "Bars and Gates: Copy + Paste + Delete," and it's me telling the side of the youth— and nobody ever talks about how mass incarceration affects the youth. And then, how do we interact with the youth? Do we condemn that kid because of a loved one's experience? Or do we kind of take into consideration what this kid is dealing with, and be one of those people that see that kid in a different light, so they can be a benefit to society? Whether it's deeming them as a throw away, or something like that. It's just me putting in perspective what it's like to be that kid, but what it's like to be that kid with positive affirmations as well.
I'd love to hear from you about how you use art therapy, how you define it.
Burton: Let's start with a definition first. So for the definition for me, and this is the Toni Picasso definition of art therapy, is just you imitating your emotions, right? So a lot of times as an angry kid, I would act out in a physical manner. Well, that physical manner, instead of it being aggression, I turned and translated that aggression in art. The best way to put this is: Art became my way to create this world. Whereas somebody do something to you, and you can't lash out right away. Well, when I would go get in timeout or get that isolated time, that's where I got to create this world where I could work out those problems.
So, if I'm aggressive, I'll scribble. If it's calm, I'll make water. If I'm happy, then I'll choose a color that I associate with happy like yellow, or red. And by identifying those things for me, now, I've created this language that I can use to communicate in a visual way versus a verbal way.
Now, with the art therapy component in what I do with going and talking to kids and things like that, I let them create their own glossary. So, if they wanted to use red for this emotion, or blue for this emotion, or a straight line or a jagged layer for those emotion — we take those elements and related to an emotion. And this kid now has a way to articulate themselves in an artistic way.
Is that what is going to be the topic of conversation at this event? What is that going to look like?
Burton: A little bit, and the reason I'm saying a little bit because it's more of a collaboration, I'll be coming there giving my spiel and then sharing my story. Then, using some of the art that I created for that content, to show that. Then we'll break out into small workshops with different community partners who are actually practicing art therapy. So this time, I don't have to do it all by myself.
Was there anything else at all that you wanted to add?
Burton: I would just say this: Being a person that is from Decatur, Illinois, having the opportunity when I was a young kid coming to Illinois State University, being a part a [youth program, where] in middle school, I got to come here, have a college experience on the campus grounds, then the dorms and do STEM programs. Now, full circle, seeing me as an adult come back and then having this actual experience that we're going to do at the Arts Council here — it's like full circle. So, I'm happy to be back in this community, happy to be back in the Midwest, and I'm just happy for the opportunity God has given me.
Burton's artwork can be viewed on his website and in person at the Decatur Area Arts Council.
