Elle Perry
Night Mother by Delita Martin
For the upcoming print edition of the Flyer I wrote about Eso Tolson’s “Spectacular Vernacular” exhibition now showing at the Memphis Slim House.
Another local art exhibition that incorporates text to tell a story about African-American life is “Night Women” by Huffman, Texas-based mixed-media artist Delita Martin.
From the exhibition’s statement: [Martin’s work] “deals with reconstructing the identity of Black women by piecing together the signs, symbols, and language found in what can be called everyday life…”
Elle Perry
Effie: She Sees The Truth by Delita Martin
Many of the portraits, inspired by vintage family photographs, feature the women superimposed over colorful, large graphical patterns, a nod to Martin’s printmaking background. Others include cursive text or safety pins and other household objects.
These objects are nondescript, but the subjects, these women, are not. From each set of frames, the women make eye contact with the viewer drawing them in to learn more about their stories, their histories.
At Annesdale Park Gallery through November 9th.
