An Interview with Joonbug Lenworth McIntosh
If you’ve visited the main lobby of The Skylyne at Temescal, then you’ve likely noticed a whimsical mural to the right.
In this month’s #TogetherWeRise post, we’re featuring local Oakland artists in our community. We interviewed the local, multidisciplinary artist behind the masterpiece, Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh, to get a better sense of the piece and how it ties into the history and culture of Oakland. Check out what he had to say about his artistic process, art in Oakland, and where he finds inspiration around the Bay Area.
The Skylyne: To start off, could you explain what you do?
Joonbug: I'm a multidisciplinary artist, working mainly in illustration, but I tend to add multiple mediums to those illustrations. I also use oil paint, whatever it is that needs to get the narrative across. I also shoot photography, mainly analog film photography. I currently live in Oakland, and am from Jamaica originally. My style kind of takes on an aesthetic from the 60s/70s Black Diaspora. I create a lot of funk and silhouettes now. I love colors, more of the harmonic style where all the colors need to spread out over the canvas and work well with each other. As well as line work. I like semi-bold lines. I love curves. I like when everything kind of flows into each other and has a very fluid feel, and it doesn't feel like it's disrupting the space. Kind of moving like water in a way. A lot of my characters that I chose for The Skylyne mural are the characters that I'm most prominently using, called The Birds. They stem from a lot of the imagery that I've seen over the course of my life. A lot of the feelings I've felt in the diaspora, just growing up in the Dancehall culture in Jamaica and coming here and seeing a lot of 50s, 60s, and 70s kind of vibe like Good Times or Ernie Barnes’ work. There are a lot of influences from the Black experience that I'm pulling from in my work.
Interviewer: What’s the name of the piece that you created for The Skylyne, and what inspired you to create it?
Joonbug: I honestly don't know that this piece has a name. I want it to convey a certain feeling that would transport you outside into the world of the surrounding area. I've been in Oakland since 2015, and I believe in walking around, especially with my camera. I sometimes feel like I tend to see the spots that aren't always in the limelight but are part of the fabric that makes Oakland...Oakland. This piece is like a photo walk in a way that feels like I'm just walking with my camera and painting what I see in the scene with the brush.
What I wanted to convey is someone walking in my shoes on a typical day in Temescal, or just Oakland in general. I chose the color and different things that had a way of tying in nature as well to capture the vibrancy of the scene and people's energies. I have a dog skateboarding and showing the freedom of being on a skateboard made sense to make that the character versus an actual person. Then you have this Black woman coming from the farmer's market, symbolizing this healthy, community vibe. We have someone holding up a plant, which ties into my collecting of plants. It's nice to have something that's growing slowly and changes over time, and you come to find out that you've also grown. There's a certain sense of relaxation with plants that I love to put in my work. You can also see the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge in the distance.
Interviewer: Nice, gotta love photo walks and plant parenting during quarantine. What was the creative process for completing this piece?
Joonbug: I think the only thing I stressed about had nothing to do with the creative process but more so gathering the supplies. I spent a day in a car running around trying to get the right materials. I finally found a spot in Berkeley that had the right canvas size, then I had to stretch it. So, my studio mates helped me stretch it and then I had to get the frame shipped from the Netherlands. So, it was just like a whole circus getting me to the point where I could actually paint on the surface. But once we got there, it worked from two drafts. The first draft was very loose, and the second draft has a bit more detail that would showcase what my idea was. Once I had that sketch down, [The Skylyne] approved it. Then I went to the canvas, and I started to freestyle.
Interviewer: Nice. Okay, last question. What Oakland restaurants, artists, or public spaces inspire you?
Joonbug: Okay, so there's a few places. Anula’s Cafe is this hidden gem on 14th Street and Franklin in downtown Oakland, and it's run by this Sri Lankan woman named Anula. She's a grandma. She’s very sweet and has this fusion of Caribbean and Sri Lankan food. Her food just makes you feel like a good home cooked meal. I love her food. I love going there. Then Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine on 14th and Webster. I had never had Afghani food until I moved here, and I tried it out for the first time here and just fell in love with it. It's one of those places where you just open the menu up and everything's good. There's also the Minto Jamaican Market at Broadway and 41st. I go there to get all my Jamaican food, groceries, and always like the Jamaican beef patties and chicken patties and everything that reminds me of home.
I also like the coffee shop scene. Oeste had a very good vibe. I like Coloso Coffee whenever they’re open. Farley's on occasion. Part 2 Gallery has a lot of good shows that are always happening. I do like going to Lake Merritt, and walking around there and Chinatown. My friend, Janell, owns Pietisserie, and I still love getting pies from her.
I love to go to The Hatch because it is a nice little bar, very chill.
Interviewer: Cool. Any last words before we close out?
Joonbug: I want to thank specifically Oakland. I used to live in [San Francisco] and that was the first place in the Bay Area where I lived. When I moved to Oakland, like almost instantly, I felt this certain sense of just belonging. I can't really describe exactly how it was, but as soon as I walked around Lake Merritt for the first time, I just felt like this certain breeze that made me feel seen, you know? I just want to thank Oakland for gracing me with that feeling. I've learned so much from being here about community and what it takes to work with others, to support others in all walks of life, to see the passion that people exude for one another and put art above all else.
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Our truth is the idea we want to own in people’s minds in relation to our competition. It is not a tagline. It is our rallying cry that declares who we are and what we stand for.
Together we rise. Together we thrive.
The Skylyne at Temescal was designed to foster and support the local community. We've made major investments into the neighborhood for improved lighting, bike trails, and a new rec center (our structure was literally built by Oakland residents), and we're dedicating almost all of our retail space exclusively to local businesses and community-serving storefronts because we know that when Oakland thrives, we all thrive.
Together We Rise: An Interview with Joonbug Lenworth McIntosh
In this month’s #TogetherWeRise post, we’re featuring local Oakland artists in our community. We interviewed the local, multidisciplinary artist behind the masterpiece, Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh, to get a better sense of the piece and how it ties into the history and culture of Oakland. Check out what he had to say about his artistic process, art in Oakland, and where he finds inspiration around the Bay Area.
