From Childhood to Adulthood, Trevon Latin’s Genderless Figures Transform Through Patchwork Bodies — Colossal

From Childhood to Adulthood Trevon Latins Genderless Figures Transform Through | RetinaComics



Art

#fabric #genre #sculpture #Trevon Latin

July 12, 2023

Grace Ebert

“Big blu” (2023), fabric, sequins, wood, 140 x 120 x 200 cm. All photos by Guillaume Ziccarelli, courtesy of the artist and Perrotin, shared with permission

Great line of doors and full size entrances Perrotinof the New York gallery. Up to seven feet tall, these patchwork tops are made with patterned, sequined, and solid-color fabrics that evoke the stained glass windows of Christian cathedrals, their curved architectural forms mimicking the windows and archways of religious shrines.

The artist’s work Trevon Latin (formerly), these reliefs can also be seen as portals. Latin is visionary and corrective, using quilted and blended forms to modify historical narratives and imagine new realities. Part of their solo exhibition TOYMAKER: Big Blu and 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 in the shape of ovals made with patchwork fabrics with sculptural and anatomical shapes emerging from the centre.  The work on the left is blue.  The work on the right is green

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

Laced with distinct and vibrant color palettes, the reliefs consider the process of self-discovery and developmental stages from infancy to adulthood. A genderless figure emerges through the works, in “I wish I had listened to my conscience…..And not drunk a drip. I wouldn’t be here in so many pieces…..I shouldn’t have taken a sip of it” appearing as a baby wrapped in clothespins grabbing a bottle. Similar, stylized subjects continue to appear in each of the pieces, one arm reaching out from the hodgepodge or embracing another as in “Our daily bred | Blueberries and cream.

The artist’s childhood in a Southern Black Pentecostal community underpins the body of work and offers an entry point into the exploration of how the strictures and restrictions of the church affect the formation of an identity. While experiencing dysmorphia and confined by these religious doctrines, the Latin figures are continually transformed and find greater freedom as they detach themselves from their structural bases. The free-standing sculpture ‘Big Blu’ is the final form in the series, his fists pressing into the green earth base and hunched back appearing ready to stand up and move forward.

TOYMAKER it’s on display until July 28, and you can find more from Latin onwards Perrotin.

A detail of a hand holding a green bottle like a child near a bunch of clothespins and a blue patchwork background

Detail of “I wish I had listened to my conscience…..And not drank an IV. I wouldn’t be here in so many pieces….. I shouldn’t have had a sip” (2023), fabric and sequins stretched over panel, clothespins, beads, telephone, bottle, 72 × 51 × 11 in.

Two images, similar textile works in the shape of ovals made with patchwork fabrics with sculptural and anatomical shapes emerging from the centre.  The work on the left is pink.  The work on the right is blue

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

A figurative sculpture made of blue patchwork appears crouched on a bed of green patchwork fabrics

“Big blu” (2023), fabric, sequins, wood, 140 x 120 x 210 cm

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

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

An arm and hand emerge from a lumpy blue patchwork sculpture

Detail of “Our daily breeding | 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 fabrics

Detail of “Big blu” (2023), fabric, sequins, wood, 140 x 120 x 210 cm

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

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

#fabric #genre #sculpture #Trevon Latin

Are stories and artists like this important to you? Become a Colossal member today and support independent art publishing for just $5 a month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers and contemporary art enthusiasts, read ad-free articles and newsletters, support our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited edition print publications, and much more. Sign up now!