Collection: SubDudes series

The SubDudes are an assembly of Jazz & Funk musicians and their very fluid band ensemble. These chill players bring good vibes and are home to the Saint Louis underground speak-easy scene.

In 2022, they were joined by the Natty Swank Club, a society of illustrious fine women with style and class. They’re known in such circles as the SubDudes, playing gigs together frequently, and developing special friendships and lifelong bonds. In perfect unison, they generate a chill, effortless vibe filled with bold contrasts.

 Each of these two character series, by artist, Tif Choate, were born out of the historic global pandemic of 2020. A.K.A. 'Rona. What  a wild start of the 20s! As streets quieted from stay-at-home orders across the nation, a subduing of epic proportions blanketed both ground and sky, all over the world. Feeling this heavy mood, Tif also took a major pivot in her practice. She began painting canvases with swaths of black, white and blocks of hues, mixed colors, two and three. Starting with ‘JoJoe’, these mesmeric characters revealed themselves, one-by-one as her brush spoke them into being. With their hypnotic, sleepy eyes and full, luscious lips, they claimed spaces within shapes; and lines of black and white, of contoured cheeks and brows on the canvas, they began to speak their stories.  Tif's family full of musicians, and history growing up in the rich musical cities of St. Louis and Memphis, catapulted these players into their rhythmic roles.  The Natty Swank Club joined the saga in early '22.