Jacolby Satterwhite, (American, b. 1986)
Avenue B, 2018-19
2- channel HD color video and 3D animation with sound
RT: 20:38
Jacolby Satterwhite’s Avenue B, now on display in the Smith Gallery, is a part of his Birds in Paradise suite. This work may be considered a posthumous collaboration with his mother, Patricia, who used creative practices such as drawing and singing to cope with her schizophrenia. As a part of the Bird in Paradise suite, much of the imagery in Avenue B is derived from these drawings. Purple is a reoccurring color in Satterwhite’s work, as a presentation of womanism and in particular, the Black femme experience.
Avenue B picks up where Blessed Avenue (read about this work here: https://www.davidsoncollegeartgalleries.org/uncategorized/jacolby-satterwhite-blessed-avenue/ ) left off- at least in terms of the soundscape. In this two-channel video, Satterwhite is both cleansed and lynched by a futuristic Klu Klux Klan. His body is “cleansed” with paint, until it is rendered invisible, which speaks to the many ways Black and Queer bodies are erased and silenced. The work was inspired by Yoruba dance, costumes, sculptures, and rituals, such as the Gelede masquerade, honoring the matriarch. Through song, Patricia, Jacolby’s deceased mother, declares she is the Queen mother.
Avenue B will be closing March 6th. Therefore, if you would like to stop by and see the video, come to the Smith Gallery in the next two weeks to catch a glimpse of this amazing piece of work!