Ebony G. Patterson’s Latest Exhibition Explores Gardens and Grief at The Armory Show
For over ten years, Ebony G. Patterson has been delving into the history, symbolism, and science of gardens in her artwork. Her recent installation, “…things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…” at the New York Botanical Garden, served as an introduction to her series titled “Studies for a vocabulary of loss.”
Now, at this weekend’s prestigious Armory Show, Patterson is showcasing 24 new pieces from this series in a solo presentation that explores the deep symbolism of gardens and the theme of grief.
Patterson sees the garden as a powerful metaphor for the human body, often addressing themes of visibility, invisibility, and the complexities of gender, class, and race within a postcolonial context. Her intricate paper assemblages feature a combination of cutouts of foliage, butterflies, blossoms, plastic insects, and mourning rosettes.
Each piece in the series evokes the imagery of memorial wreaths, but with text that diverges from traditional funeral associations. Patterson challenges viewers to confront the complexities of loss, incorporating words like calamity, forgetting, perdition, misery, wound, lack, failure, blot out, debt, hurt, undoing, and havoc into her work.
In the context of the garden, Patterson reflects on the natural cycle of loss and renewal that is inherent in life. Through vibrant and detailed reliefs, she invites viewers to contemplate the cycle of grief and the possibilities for new beginnings.
If you happen to be in New York, you can catch Patterson’s solo booth at the Javits Center from September 6 to 8. For more information on the artist and her work, visit her website.
Image Source: This Is Colossal
