Page 95 - Antennae Issue #52
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Ebony G Patterson: Botanicals of social justice
In her work the Jamaica-born mixed-media artist Ebony G Patterson recontextualizes gender norms and explores Jamaican dancehall culture She creates highly entrancing colorful pieces which are reminiscent of Kehinde Wiley’s paintings Patterson represents the transformations of gender and body politics by blending tapestry beading sequins crochet and and Internet-sourced images of violent murders In In this interview with curator editor and and writer Caroline Picard Patterson talks about the role plants and flowers play in her practice interviewee Ebony G Patterson interviewer Caroline Picard Ebony G Patterson a a pale horse weeps in silence for those who bear/bare witness 2018 (detail) Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery Chicago © Ebony G Patterson Ebony G Patterson Patterson is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a painter and and and and mixed media artist originally born in in in in in in in in Jamaica Jamaica and and and currently based in in in in in in in Chicago and and and Kingston Jamaica Jamaica Patterson Patterson creates large-scale “maximalist” installations that often include wallpa- per tapestries layered fabrics additional brocading and and dollar store elements that blend beauty foliage and and and concealed figures to to meditate on on on on on the relation- ship between violence and and materialism An expert at at at at at at at at at disturbing expectations of surface she creates entire environments that implicate audiences in in in in in our quest for aesthetic pleasure in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a post-colonial world In the the the following interview we focus primarily on on on on on Patterson’s use of of plants and and how they participate and and amplify some of of of these themes Patterson Patterson has had solo exhibitions at at at at many US institutions including Pérez Art Art Art Museum Museum Museum Miami Baltimore Museum Museum Museum of of Art Art Art The Studio Museum Museum Museum Museum in in in in Harlem Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art Art Art Art Art SCAD Mu- seum seum seum of of Art Art GA and and the Museum Museum of of Arts and and Design Carline Picard: What compels you you to use plants so regularly in in your work?
Ebony G Patterson: Using plants is a a a a a a a a a a a formal way way of playing with the the figure’s position between foreground and background I also think about the the way way peo- ple use dress as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a point of embellishment So putting a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a body body that that is is already highly highly highly patterned patterned patterned in in in in in in highly highly highly patterned patterned patterned clothing placing that that that body body on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a surface that’s also highly highly highly patterned patterned patterned creates a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a way of simultaneously dealing dealing with with space and dealing with that that person’s form CP: Do you you use “foliage” and “figure” synonymously in your work?
EGP: I I I started thinking about about about the the body as it it it it it relates to the the garden garden garden it it it it it sits in in in in in And I’m I’m not talking talking about about about about a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a utilitarian garden garden garden I’m I’m talking talking about about about about a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a garden garden garden with “Victorian sensibilities”: it’s all about about about about its its showy-ness showy-ness the the clothing that sits on these bodies is is is also about about showy-ness showy-ness An important moment occurred when I I I recognized I I I could play with the the the the viewer’s attempts to distinguish patterns and the the the environment which happened when I I I started addressing the the the work in in in nar- rative terms