It's hard to classify the beautiful and layered works of Patrick Quarm. Is it painting, textiles or collage? But in the end, its all of that and more, as his works become almost site-specific presentations when placed in the right light, where the shadows can come into play and the myth of the painting as a flat object floats away. Quarm "paints portraits in a traditional western style directly onto collaged and perforated African wax print fabric," and collects different materials that become memories, salvaged memories at that, as well as figurative paintings.
albertz benda is proud to present works by Ghana-based painter, Patrick Quarm, in SALVAGED IMPERIAL, the artist’s first solo show in New York on view through October 3, 2020. The new works showcase what we couldn't quite get across in a recent IG post about the artist's work, how the patterns and application of materials leaves the viewer with the ability to almost "walk around" the work, see how thick the work really is. This is the perfect example of why seeing art in person is so vital to our community and coverage; the flatness of our screens often don't do the work justice. These are works to be mulled over, to begin to understand how these aren't just techniques but commentary of the myriad of cultures and imperial dichotomies that are part of the art being made in not just Africa, but the world today. This is a special artist working in an original style, and it's exciting to see his debut in America. —Evan Pricco