Ebony G. Patterson
...could, 2019
Hand-cut paper with hand-cut paper elements, plastic letters, and feathered butterflies
242.6 x 271.8 x 5.1 cm
95 1/2 x 107 x 2 in
Frame: 253.8 x 286.2 x 14.92 cm
99 15/16 x 112 11/16 in x 5-7/8
95 1/2 x 107 x 2 in
Frame: 253.8 x 286.2 x 14.92 cm
99 15/16 x 112 11/16 in x 5-7/8
Ebony G. Patterson (b. 1981 Kingston, Jamaica) studied a BFA in painting at Edna Manley College, Kingston, Jamaica (2004) before completing an MFA at Sam Fox College, Washington University in...
Ebony G. Patterson (b. 1981 Kingston, Jamaica) studied a BFA in painting at Edna Manley College, Kingston, Jamaica (2004) before completing an MFA at Sam Fox College, Washington University in St. Louis, MO (2006). She lives and works in Kingston, Jamaica and Chicago, IL, USA.
Patterson’s practice addresses visibility and invisibility, through explorations of gender, youth culture and acts of violence, in the context of postcolonial spaces. With the sensibility of a painter, Patterson works across multiple media – including tapestry, sculpture, drawing and installation – united by her consistent visual language and intention. Each work is intricately embellished and densely layered, in order to draw the viewer closer and to question how we engage in the act of looking.
Patterson states that she uses beauty to trap the viewer in a ‘physically, psychologically and emotionally’ in an intricate and seducing composition. Shrouding figures almost completely – there is a presence of bodies no longer there, raising pertinent questions about the those who are not visible. People become memorialized in Patterson’s gardens – each piece is a marker for bodies overlooked. Life fervently continues, and those who live in the garden persist in finding ways to survive.
In this new series of monumental collages, Patterson has moved into the undergrowth of a garden gone awry. Amidst the vegetation, objects are unearthed – discarded shoes and children’s toys create an uncanny feeling, whilst beneath the leaves are twinkling eyes and silhouetted limbs. With an eerie absence of a body, the scene slowly reveals itself as ominous.
Patterson revisits paper, refining her use of embellishment, while still seeking the ‘shine’ aspect of her work in order to draw attention to political concerns. The rich collages resonate with earlier tapestries - no longer restricted by a distinct frame, the works sprawl outwards. The open-ended quality of each piece is reflected in the poeticism of their titles, which come to Patterson while she is creating the work. Her use of ellipses references the nature of remembering, piecing together fragments of truth. Holes, cuts and tears puncture the surface of the paper, implying a violent act, reminiscent of gun shots fired. The ground is both image and skin, perforations and negotiating lines reveal an absence.
In …could (2019) Patterson has distilled her imagery – the symbolism has more subtlety, but the gravitas remains. Studio photography is combined with scanned images sourced from botanical tomes and animal anatomy books, as well as fake butterflies. Drawing on the tradition of vanitas and memento mori, there are biblical references to themes of betrayal and death.
Selected Bio:
Selected Solo Exhibitions
...when the cuts erupt...the garden rings...and the warning is a wailing..., CAM St. Louis (2020-21); toured to the San Jose ICA (2021)
…for those who come to bear/bare witness…, at Kunsthal Aarhus, Denmark (2020-21)
…to dig between the cuts, beneath the leaves, below the soil…Hales New York, NY (2019)
If We Must Die…, Rowan University Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ (2019)
…while the dew is still on the roses…, Pérez Art Museum, Miami, FL (2018); travelled to Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY (2019) and Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC (2020) …for little whispers…, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MA (2018)
of 72, Institute of the Humanities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (2018)
the were…, University Art Galleries, College of Fine Art, Illinois State University, Normal, IL (2018) If We Must Die…, curated by Melissa Messina, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA (2016)
…when they grow up…, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (2016)
Invisible Presence: Bling Memories, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA (2016)
Lux Art Institute, Encinitas, CA (2015)
Dead Treez, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI (2015); travelled to Museum of Arts and Design, New York (2016): Boston University Art Galleries, Boston, MA (2016); University of Buffalo Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY (2017)
Selected Collections
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
Brooklyn Museum, NY, USA
Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Museum of Arts and Design, NY, USA
Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC, USA
National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, PA, USA
Pérez Art Museum Miami, FL, USA
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY, USA
The Studio Museum in Harlem, NY, USA
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA, USA
Patterson’s practice addresses visibility and invisibility, through explorations of gender, youth culture and acts of violence, in the context of postcolonial spaces. With the sensibility of a painter, Patterson works across multiple media – including tapestry, sculpture, drawing and installation – united by her consistent visual language and intention. Each work is intricately embellished and densely layered, in order to draw the viewer closer and to question how we engage in the act of looking.
Patterson states that she uses beauty to trap the viewer in a ‘physically, psychologically and emotionally’ in an intricate and seducing composition. Shrouding figures almost completely – there is a presence of bodies no longer there, raising pertinent questions about the those who are not visible. People become memorialized in Patterson’s gardens – each piece is a marker for bodies overlooked. Life fervently continues, and those who live in the garden persist in finding ways to survive.
In this new series of monumental collages, Patterson has moved into the undergrowth of a garden gone awry. Amidst the vegetation, objects are unearthed – discarded shoes and children’s toys create an uncanny feeling, whilst beneath the leaves are twinkling eyes and silhouetted limbs. With an eerie absence of a body, the scene slowly reveals itself as ominous.
Patterson revisits paper, refining her use of embellishment, while still seeking the ‘shine’ aspect of her work in order to draw attention to political concerns. The rich collages resonate with earlier tapestries - no longer restricted by a distinct frame, the works sprawl outwards. The open-ended quality of each piece is reflected in the poeticism of their titles, which come to Patterson while she is creating the work. Her use of ellipses references the nature of remembering, piecing together fragments of truth. Holes, cuts and tears puncture the surface of the paper, implying a violent act, reminiscent of gun shots fired. The ground is both image and skin, perforations and negotiating lines reveal an absence.
In …could (2019) Patterson has distilled her imagery – the symbolism has more subtlety, but the gravitas remains. Studio photography is combined with scanned images sourced from botanical tomes and animal anatomy books, as well as fake butterflies. Drawing on the tradition of vanitas and memento mori, there are biblical references to themes of betrayal and death.
Selected Bio:
Selected Solo Exhibitions
...when the cuts erupt...the garden rings...and the warning is a wailing..., CAM St. Louis (2020-21); toured to the San Jose ICA (2021)
…for those who come to bear/bare witness…, at Kunsthal Aarhus, Denmark (2020-21)
…to dig between the cuts, beneath the leaves, below the soil…Hales New York, NY (2019)
If We Must Die…, Rowan University Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ (2019)
…while the dew is still on the roses…, Pérez Art Museum, Miami, FL (2018); travelled to Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY (2019) and Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC (2020) …for little whispers…, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MA (2018)
of 72, Institute of the Humanities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (2018)
the were…, University Art Galleries, College of Fine Art, Illinois State University, Normal, IL (2018) If We Must Die…, curated by Melissa Messina, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA (2016)
…when they grow up…, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (2016)
Invisible Presence: Bling Memories, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA (2016)
Lux Art Institute, Encinitas, CA (2015)
Dead Treez, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI (2015); travelled to Museum of Arts and Design, New York (2016): Boston University Art Galleries, Boston, MA (2016); University of Buffalo Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY (2017)
Selected Collections
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
Brooklyn Museum, NY, USA
Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Museum of Arts and Design, NY, USA
Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC, USA
National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, PA, USA
Pérez Art Museum Miami, FL, USA
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY, USA
The Studio Museum in Harlem, NY, USA
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA, USA