JILLIAN MARIE BROWNING: GROUNDWORK

September 21st - October 12th 2024

The opening reception will be held Thursday, September 26,
from 6 pm to 8 pm at PaperWorkers Local.

We are happy to announce "Groundwork" a solo show of the work by Jillian Marie Browning.

Artist Statement: Using cyanotype, a photographic technique that dates back to the 19th century, I aim to capture this essence by blending personal history with botany. Venturing into untamed fields, I soak in the stories whispered by resilient plants, the voices of my ancestors. Sugarcane is a plant rooted deeply in my family's history. Its towering stalks, like the locs of my hair, intertwine my narrative with nature's own. This particular patch of overgrown cane was planted by my father, left to its own devices years ago. The hands that grew the sugarcane are the hands that grew me, the land that nurtured the sugarcane is the land that nurtured me, and the sun that fed the sugarcane is the sun that fed me. Just as my father tended to this field, he nurtured me, planting seeds of growth and resilience. Through cyanotype, I delve into this connection, weaving together the growth of plant and person in a visual tapestry. Within these prints, I discover echoes of my father's legacy, a testament to the enduring beauty of growth and nature's timeless craftsmanship.

Artist Bio: Jillian Marie Browning (she/they) is an interdisciplinary artist pursuing themes of feminism, identity, and the contemporary black experience. Born in Ocala, Florida, they received a Bachelor of Science degree in Photography from the University  of Central Florida in 2012 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from Florida State University in 2015. They have had their work shown nationally as well as being included in the permanent collection of the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Southeast Museum of Photography, and the University of Maryland’s David C. Driskell Center for the Study of Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora. They currently serve as Assistant Professor of Photography at The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The exhibition opens on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The exhibition can be seen during our regular gallery hours on Saturdays from noon to 4 pm except Labor Day weekend. The show closes Saturday, October 12, 2024.