Ebony Again...

Submitted byJeeraik009 onMon, 02/07/2011 - 10:12

After the success of her Gully Godz in Conversation (2010) wall display at Monique Meloche's gallery in Chicago, Ebony G. Patterson's work is on exhibition again. This time it's a one-man show (her third in the USA) and an indication that Monique Meloche who has a reputation for showcasing up and coming artists, recognises that Ebony is an artist to watch. The solo show is likely to draw even more attention since it is concerned with the extradition of Jamaican drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke. In Ebony's new series 0f 72 (2011) the men claimed dead during the State of Emergency that took place at the time of Coke's arrest become masked martyrs. There is a sense of the fancy dress ball about these pictures but through her glitzy yet sacred portraits, Patterson questions the death of these 'innocents' while exploring the ways in which dance hall dons and what she calls 'disciplez' have gained celebrity status within popular culture. We think this is an exciting rejoinder for Patterson that shows her readiness to deal with hot issues in ways that make us reflect rather than sensationalize. We need more artists prepared to work in this critically bold way without fearing recrimination.