Dug Up from Kitchen Weeds

Dug Up from Kitchen Weeds

2014

Jamaican, born 1981

A hidden presence lurks in these ornate weeds. Look twice at the stripes to uncover the presence of a person lying facedown. Ebony Patterson says this scene refers to bling funerals, an increasingly popular occurrence in Kingston, Jamaica. There, she says, “the glitter and bling shines light on things,” referring to the attitude of “You may not have noticed me when I was alive, but you will damn well see me before I leave.” The agonies of unsung deaths are a mainstay in her vision. Throughout her career, Patterson has staged performances and involved communities in parades and observances of what she calls the “invisible presence” of those living in the margins.

Mixed media photo collage on paper

62 1/2 x 91 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (158.8 x 232.4 x 6.4 cm)

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Art Acquisition Fund

2016.6

Provenance: The artist; [Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago, Illinois]

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Not currently on view

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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