Birds of Paradise

March 11 - April 24, 2022

5 Points Art Gallery + Studios presents Birds of Paradise, an exhibition that delves into enlightenment and spiritual awakenings with works that are the consequence of meditation and discovering the deeper self. Opening Friday, March 11, 2022, 6-9 p.m. (CST), viewers can walk the labyrinth of ingeniously intricate 3-D assemblage bird sculptures by Marvin Tate (Chicago, IL) and masterfully whimsical and spiritual 2-D acrylic paintings by Milwaukee’s late Prophet Blackmon.

Racial uprisings and protests that occurred after the George Floyd murder, and racial devolving that was persistent and at a fever pitch during the January 6th riots were the inspiration and calling for the bird sculptures created by artist Marvin Tate. With gifted materials of burnt wood, a pandemic that resulted in a mandate to quarantine, and newfound appreciation for bird watching during so much stillness, the artist sought to create these sculptures that depict birds that are “defiant, posed triumphantly, their beaks and chests cognizant of the days ahead” (Tate). The artist cites remembering the same emotions and tensions that surfaced in Chicago’s Westside directly following the MLK assassination; though then, he was much too young to aid in protecting his family and community. However, in this contemporary era of unrest and protest, Tate shares, “...this time, metaphorically, I was ready”.

With a collection of works symbolic of his name, Birds of Paradise releases 15 brilliantly painted compositions on wood to honor the legacy of Prophet Blackmon and his contribution to Milwaukee’s art scene. Viewers will find themselves entranced in a whirlwind visual dialogue of colorful imagery and verses, biblical in nature. Amplified by a black background, the foreground leaps into an array of vivid hues, lines, dense imagery encapsulated by tongue-twisting biblical scriptures that force the viewer into contemplation and reflection, asking us all to heed warnings of what the bible documents has been laid before us and prophecies of what must come.

This majestically expressive outsider art collection is on display until Sunday, April 24, 2022.

Missed the opening reception artist talk? View here.