Wednesday, July 12, 2023

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

A fabric sculpture of a figure who appears crouched over, hands on the floor with spikes of blue wood emerging from its back

“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.

 

Two images, similar textile works shaped as ovals made from patchwork fabrics with sculptural, anatomical forms emerging from the center. The work on the left is blue. The work on the right is green

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.

 

A detail of a hand holding a green bottle like a baby near a cluster of barrettes and a backdrop of blue patchwork

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

Two images, similar textile works shaped as ovals made from patchwork fabrics with sculptural, anatomical forms emerging from the center. The work on the left is pink. The work on the right is blue

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

A figurative sculpture made of blue patchwork appears to crouch down onto a bed of green patchwork textiles

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

Two images, similar textile works with square bases and rounded tops made from patchwork fabrics with sculptural, anatomical forms emerging from the center. The work on the left is orange. The work on the right is blue

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

An arm and hand emerge from a lumpy blue patchwork sculpture

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

A detail image of a sculpture covered in blue patchwork textiles

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

A sculptural figure in blue and green fabric sits on the gallery floor in the bottom right corner, with four textile works on the walls surrounding

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

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. The article From Infancy to Adulthood, Trevon Latin’s Genderless Figures Transform Through Patchwork Bodies appeared first on Colossal.



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