On the Black History of Kent County and Washington College by Jason Patterson

Jason Patterson, Artist

Pictured here at his studio in Chestertown, MD | Photo by Alexandra Bell

My artwork focuses on African American history. In my practice, I highlight certain histories that are not well known or create work on known historical events or figures, but place them in different contexts or perspectives. Whichever of these paths a project goes down, the goal remains the same, to use history to help us better understand our social and political present.

The three forms of art making I utilize are portraiture, the recreation of historical documents, and wood working.

Since I was a child, making portraits has been at the center of my artwork. What I do now is recreate images of people throughout history in a way that emphasizes the original medium through which the work was first created. I want it to be obvious that the portraits were made after daguerreotypes, film stills, newspaper clippings, or digital photos and videos. This work investigates the different ways images, in those varying forms, structure the way we visually comprehend our history.

Jason Patterson's Studio, Chestertown, MD

I also recreate historical documents or take historical text and reformat it in a way that follows the graphic design of that time period. The wood frames I design and build to house the portraits and text are modeled after the design aesthetics of the subject matter’s time period. I look to interior and architectural design of that time period when creating these pieces.

Over the past two years my work has been focused on the Black history of Kent County and Washington College with much attention paid to the historical impact white supremacy has had on the College and the county. This October, the complete project will be presented to the public. The goal of this project, especially in these times, is for this important local history, the dark and the inspiring, to be acknowledged, addressed, and reckoned with.