Art

#fabric
#gender
#sculpture
#Trevon Latin

From Infancy to Adulthood, Trevon Latin’s Genderless Figures Transform Through Patchwork Bodies

July 12, 2023

Grace Ebert

“Big blu” (2023), fabric, sequins, wood, 54 x 48 x 84 inches. All photos by Guillaume Ziccarelli, courtesy of the artist and Perrotin, shared with permission

Large, life-sized doorways and entrances line Perrotin’s New York gallery. Reaching up to seven feet tall, these patchwork planes are made from patterned, sequined, and solid-colored fabrics that evoke the stained glass windows of Christian cathedrals, their curved architectural shapes mimicking the windows and archways of the religious sanctuaries.

The work of artist Trevon Latin (previously), these reliefs can also be seen as portals. Latin is visionary and corrective, using quilted, mixed-media forms to amend historical narratives and envision new realities. Part of their solo show TOYMAKER: Big Blu & the Weeping Walls!! ?️??, these works reflect a world that welcomes the fluidity of gender and sexuality and where queer love and joy reign.

 

Left: “I wish I could have listened to my conscience …..And not drunk a drip. I wouldn’t be here in so many pieces….. I shouldn’t have drank a sip” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched on panel, barrettes, beads, phone, bottle, 72 × 51 × 11 inches. Right: “Soul-flower take me flying with you” (2023), fabric stretched on panel, 72 x 51 x 10 inches

Sewn with distinct, vibrant color palettes, the reliefs consider the process of self-discovery and stages of development from infancy to adulthood. A genderless figure emerges through the works, in “I wish I could have listened to my conscience …..And not drunk a drip. I wouldn’t be here in so many pieces….. I shouldn’t have drank a sip” appearing as a barrette-enveloped baby grasping for a bottle. Similar, stylized subjects continue to appear in each of the pieces, an arm extending from the mishmash or embracing another as in “Our daily bred | Blue-berries n’ cream.”

The artist’s childhood in a Southern Black Pentecostal community undergirds the body of work and offers an entry point into exploring how the strictures and rigidity of the church affect the formation of an identity. Although experiencing dysmorphia and confined by these religious doctrines, Latin’s figures continually transform and find greater freedom as they break from their structural bases. The freestanding sculpture “Big Blu” is the final form in the series, its fists pressing into the green, earthen base and hunched back appearing ready to rise and move forward.

TOYMAKER is on view through July 28, and you can find more from Latin on Perrotin.

 

Detail of “I wish I could have listened to my conscience …..And not drunk a drip. I wouldn’t be here in so many pieces….. I shouldn’t have drank a sip” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched on panel, barrettes, beads, phone, bottle, 72 × 51 × 11 inches

Left: “Thumbsucker (Pink)” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched on panel, barrettes, beads, wood, 84 x 47 1/2 x 6 inches. Right: “Thumbsucker (Blue)” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched on panel, barrettes, beads, wood, 84 x 47 1/2 x 6 inches

“Big blu” (2023), fabric, sequins, wood, 54 x 48 x 84 inches

Left: “Lean with the left-lean with the left | Llelow” (2023), fabric stretched on panel, barrettes, beads, boxing gloves, wood, 84 x 50 x 16 inches. Right: “Our daily bred | Blue-berries n’ cream” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched on panel, beads, 84 x 50 x 18 inches

Detail of “Our daily bred | Blue-berries n’ cream” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched on panel, beads. 84 x 50 x 18 inches

Detail of “Big blu” (2023), fabric, sequins, wood, 54 x 48 x 84 inches

Installation view of ‘TOYMAKER: Big Blu & the Weeping Walls!!’

#fabric
#gender
#sculpture
#Trevon Latin

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!

 

 

Also on Colossal

Related posts on Colossal about fabric gender sculpture Trevon Latin

Ceremonial Dragons and Colorful Cactus Gardens Formed from Intricately Worked Ribbon
A Menagerie of Contemplative Animals by Mila Zemliakova Weave Textile Traditions and Nature
Interview: Trevon Latin Questions His Impulse to Solve Problems, Navigating Loneliness, and the Idea That Everything is Drag
Lifelike Sculptures by Diana Beltrán Herrera Recreate Flora and Fauna in Intricately Cut Paper
Textured Patchworks of Sequins, Plastic Beads, and Oil Paint Comprise Trevon Latin’s Dazzling Portraits

This article comes from the Internet:From Infancy to Adulthood, Trevon Latin’s Genderless Figures Transform Through Patchwork Bodies