Latonya Hicks, “One girl to another”, Glass, tile , precious stones, yarn, cord, roving, beads, acrylic paint, applique’ basket, corn husk dolls, sweater, scarf, antique book, resin and paper
Latonya Hicks, “Deep into that darkness peering”, Glass, tile, precious stones, roving, beads, acrylic, clay, palm tree, balsa wood, feathers, twine, cardboard and charcoal
Latonya Hicks is an artist living in Clearwater. She holds an an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University, Boston, MA, and a BFA from FSU.
The artist discusses her work in the Morean Art Center’s exhibition documentation-
“Drawing on an obsession with objects as an accumulation of human experience and personal references, I create densely layered, figurative compositions from my ‘dragon’s hoard’ My eye is most often drawn to cultural symbols, shiny objects and artifacts that evoke the comfort of resting in my grandmother’s kitchen with her draped in brightly patterned dresses indicative of the 60s and 70s. During my formative years I struggled to feel ‘enough’ around my extended family. My grandmother’s house in Macon was always a safe place where my ‘blackness’ was never called into question; where my existence, femininity, beauty and speech patterns were always enough.
“For years my style of dress was a private documentation of my desire to pay homage to the safety she provided. I’d scour thrift shops and flea markets for trinkets and clothing that made me feel connected to that time and place. Her house was lost in a gang fire and with it everything I built my early visual language on. In much the same way that I used to ‘collect’ and fill my hoard using my body as the canvas now my WORK is about time, relationships and memories in order to invent a visual language that represents MY experience – which feels paradoxically fractured and whole. My sense of self was and is a hybrid structure; a multiplicity of experiences equivalent to my work.”
Deborah W. Perlman, “Shelter Us”, Mixed media
Deborah W. Perlman, “Nature-Tecture” and “Nature Tecture #2”, Mixed media
Deborah W. Perlman, “Somewhere Between”, Mixed media
Deborah W. Perlman is originally from Baltimore but currently lives in Hollywood, Florida. She is a graduate of Boston University (BFA, sculpture) and Cranbrook Academy of Art (MFA, sculpture).
Quotes from the artist from Morean Arts Center’s documentation-
“Depicting an ‘almost-but-not-quite-real world somewhere between authentic and imagined, my art celebrates ambiguity, sliding in and out of reality, and compelling me to challenge previous ideas and established thoughts.
“I find excitement and mystery in three-dimensional forms and spaces. Creating wall-mounted sculpture draws me in, challenging me to go beyond what I know and uncover what I don’t. It’s thrilling yet at times unsettling, continually bringing me to new awareness and understanding. Simply put, the work frees my spirit.
“My goal is to create spaces that challenge the senses, evoke emotion, and ask you to consider:
What is it? Where is it? What do you see and feel? Do you find yourself in it, or not?
“Inspiration has come from many personal experiences throughout the years. Recently, global issues such as climate change, prejudice and divisiveness are finding their way into my work.
“I’m currently working with paper, photographs, wire mesh, flat aluminum wire, wood, plastic, and adhesives, and continually looking for new materials to integrate into each piece. Building three-dimensional forms, I adhere each element to the base, then juxtapose them to highlight their points of contact and the shadows they cast.
“I invite you to glimpse into my interpreted world and find your place within it.”