Ebony G. Patterson solo show ‘Dead Treez’ in John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI, until September 13, 2015.
Swag Swag Krew, 2011-2014.
About:
‘Dead Treez’ explores social and political issues within the gender-bending subculture of Jamaica’s dancehall community. Combining the rhythms of reggae, digital sounds, and rapid-fire DJ lyrics, dancehall music was popularized in Jamaica during the 1970s. Generally viewed as a celebration of the disenfranchised in postcolonial Jamaica, dancehall culture emerged from the marginalized youth culture of Kingston’s ghettos.
Bad Pickiney, 2014
Brella Krew, 2014 (installation)
In this exhibition, Jamaican-born Ebony G. Patterson (Jamaica and KY) examines the pageantry of the dancehall culture and reveals it to be much more than spectacle; it is also a window onto working-class Jamaican society. The exhibition includes six new eye-popping tapestries adorned with glitter, silk flowers, rhinestones, and other dancehall references, plus a life-size figural tableau of ten male mannequins, dressed in a kaleidoscopic mix of floral fabrics. (press release)
Entourage, 2011.
“In the camp and pageantry of her country’s dancehall culture, Jamaican-born artist Ebony Patterson sees much more than spectacle. For Patterson, dancehall is both a window onto working-class Jamaican society and a crucible of vexing social issues and problems.
Gangsters and politicians, macho violence and homophobia, poverty and sexism all occupy a place in these outdoor mass music and dance events. Yet they also serve as a source of empowerment and identity — not to mention a showcase of style — for Jamaica’s economically disadvantaged urban youth.
“Dancehall is ultimately a celebration of the disenfranchised selves in post-colonial Jamaica,” writes leading dancehall scholar Sonjah Stanley-Niaah.
“Young lives in the Caribbean remain under siege, deprived, devalued and even expendable,” Trinidad-based artist Christopher Cozier writes in an essay about Patterson’s work.”
See more at: http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2014/05/the-kansas-city-star-shares-a-review-of-dynasty-ebony-g-patterson/#sthash.mfwXPNl5.dpuf
