Roger Allan Cleaves: Space Cowboys

Roger Allan Cleaves' "After Life Culture" and "Critical Mass Awareness" are two compelling works from his "Space Cowboys" series, each measuring 40.5” x 40.5” and created with acrylic, charcoal, graphite, and spray paint in 2022. These pieces exemplify Cleaves’ signature style, blending Afrofuturist themes with layered storytelling.

"After Life Culture" explores identity and transformation, presenting a central figure caught between worlds. Striking, bright colors pulse through the composition, heightening the emotional intensity and sense of movement. Intricate textures add depth, while recurring motifs reference migration, memory, and resilience. The use of spray paint and gestural marks creates an energetic, almost cosmic quality, further enhancing the dreamlike atmosphere.

"Critical Mass Awareness" continues this narrative, depicting another enigmatic figure navigating a chaotic yet ethereal environment. The painting’s vivid palette and expressive brushwork evoke a heightened emotional state, emphasizing the tension between self-awareness and societal structures. The interplay of abstraction and figuration allows viewers to feel the weight of history and personal agency in the figure’s journey.

Together, these works form a striking duo, unified by their bold use of color, conceptual depth, and dynamic execution. Cleaves’ ability to merge social commentary with speculative fiction makes these paintings essential for collectors interested in boundary-pushing contemporary art. Whether displayed separately or together, they invite viewers into the evolving world of Forget Me Nots Land, where past, present, and future collide in an explosion of color and emotion.