In Historic Leimert Park, Art + Practice collaborates with The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA). Curated by Cecilia Wichmann, on exhibition at Art + Practice are two artists from opposite sides of the country who synchronously reimagine injustices through quilting.
Hailing from Baltimore and Leimert Park respectively, Towns and Ramsess chose quilting as their medium. While Towns is self-taught, Ramsess has been quilting for years. Both artists feature unique styles which complement their concurrent themes. Truly it appears that both artists were tapped for a group show, but it was happenstance of imagination which brought the two together.
Towns quite literally shows us the fabric of the United States – but through his quilting he opens up the seams to show us the erasures of historical writings. Wet nurses are one such example of this erasure of an historical body which wove together American families and isn’t oft thought of when we consider crucial players in advancing U.S. Society.
Ramsess brings together reimagining of both classic art and historical iconographic photography. Emphasis is placed on stories of those who are passed by because of politics of race, age, and gender. The span of Ramsess content covers ground from a reimagined Last Supper to a mug shot of George Stinney Jr, the 14-year-old child executed in the electric chair in 1944.
Conjointly, Towns and Ramsess created separate exhibitions which feature transgressions against (and erasures of) individuals who sought nothing more than to operate in shared spaces.
These brutal violations are depicted in an art form quietly pieced together, and in a medium which symbolizes everyday use: quilting. Quilting itself is an icon of heritage, but with everyday use. And how easy it is to forget heritage when we handle it every day.
Postscript: At the back of Art + Practice is an interactive mural imagined by Ramses. Ramsess sketched an outline of American rapper, entrepreneur, and community activist Nipsey Hussle. Gallery-goers can select a fabric swatch, or cut their own, and affix it to the mural which will later be touched up by Ramsess.
Art + Practice: https://www.artandpractice.org/
Artists:
Stephen Towns
Ramses
Exhibition Dates:
October 12, 2019 – January 25, 2020
Hours:
Mon – Sat 12pm-6:00pm
Price:
Free
Location:
3401 W, 43rd Place.
Los Angeles, CA 90008