- PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROBINSON
Untitled Dissection from the meat investigations.
Michael Robinson, Gleaner Writer
THAT'S PROBABLY why I wasn't surprised when she asked that we meet at Pizza Hut, half-way between shopping and shopping. And no, she wasn't out spending her fat cheque from the Mutual Life Gallery's Artist of the Year show. She earns her own money and claims she'd would have been out shopping even if she hadn't got the jury's nod in this year's under-40 competition.
She seemed particularly unsettled by the fact that the story wasn't supposed to be a review, but more of an eye-on-her type of thing.
"Have you seen the work?" The question seemed more and more incredulous each time she asked me. I don't know if she were upset about the fact that I didn't want to see the language she had spent the better part of the last two years crafting, or just shy to be interviewed. Most people spend more time getting upset or enthralled with her pieces which range from drawings to sculptural forms including anything from tampons to meat.
Yes meat.
THE REAL MCKOY
The use of meat as a point of exploration started out in delicate ink drawings as she played with ambiguities of form. At the time, Patterson said she was investigating issues of self and the body and self image. Then in December 2004, she said, "I decided to challenge myself. I wanted to talk about the body without relying on the figure." So she used objects that made reference to the female body instead. Tampons, sanitary napkins used and unused (and yes, there were people eating beside us, so I hope they weren't eavesdropping) and meat.
Ebony said she coated first meat piece with an ammonic substance that didn't prevent one section to get infected and start spouting maggots. My immediate revulsion is framed by Ebony's bubbly laugh. "It was great though," she remembers. "I thought it was an exciting change that was happening."
For her, the maggots underscored the delicate nature of the female body.
As we talk a little more about methods of preserving meat and avoiding freezer burn, it dawns on me that this artist is actually the real mckoy. She loves doing what she's doing and she's earnest and honest in her constant search for self expression - rare qualities in one so young these days. Currently attending Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, the Edna Manley College graduate has her sights set on the prestigious Whitley Awards after finishing up her MFA in printmaking.
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE ARTIST
There's something about Ebony that draws people to her. It makes them smile in spite of themselves. Don't get me wrong, she's not all smiles, as I found out when our waiter had trouble coping with the lunchtime crowd (let's give him the benefit of the doubt here). Trust me, the disarmingly charming smile isn't always there. She can rumble with the best of them. But I digress.
Having decided to give the story a decidedly biographical slant, I thought it might be better to focus on the person that is Ebony Patterson. As a result I thought I should stay away from viewing the work at least until after I'd been able to compose a profile of the woman herself.
It could have been spurred by the e-mail sent out by the Mutual Life Gallery announcing Patterson as the winner of the juried prize and Tiffany Recas as the People's Choice winner.
In it, Ebony's head is rakishly tilted as she clowns for the camera. The photo is reminiscent of the kind of utter abandon borne out of the solitude of automatic picture booths. It's classic Ebony, or 'Bonny' as she signs her pieces.
I recently had the chance to work alongside Patterson on a large project and got to observe her work ethic up close. She is as tireless as she is a perfectionist. Her artistic eye and boundless energy are a big plus on any team. She is also a humble and supportive "people person" who gets along with everybody - quickly. But Ebony is no pushover and has her head squarely on her shoulders and her dreams set in her sights.
Wearing the mantle of Under-40 Artist of the Year places Ebony Patterson in the spotlight. She has to rep for her peers - the women, the young artists and all the one-year expatriates with 12-year 'twangs'. She has to rise to the standard of international excellence to achieve her goals. But she remains unfazed.
"If the Whitley doesn't work out, there are other avenues," she said with the air of one who's thought about contingencies, but really still has only one wish. One way or the other, the journey ahead certainly won't be dull. And I don't think Ebony would have it any other way.
