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Strider Patton: (K)now at The Smallest Gallery in Soho

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Time 07:00
Date 26/04/19
Price Free

San Francisco based, multidisciplinary artist Strider Patton takes over The Smallest Gallery in Soho to present (k)now, a two-part installation that gently reminds us of our shared humanity.

Strider Patton's '(k)now' runs at The Smallest Gallery in Soho all day, all night, from February - until the end of April 2019.

A room, divided. One side sterile white, the other side, a blast of colour, shapes, patterns and energy. The dividing line is perfectly down the centre of the room. On each side of the dividing line sits and open chair, shifted toward each other, poised for conversation. On the white side of the room the chair is a smattering of colour, mirroring its adjacent side. On the colourful side of the room the chair is sterile white.

We are people. We confront the immensity of the human condition, sharing the experiences of birth, growth, emotions, culture, and grapple with mortality. When we find others who are like us community is formed. Comfort, understanding, and safety are welcoming feelings. Emerging with groups paradoxically comes the polarising notions of here/there, good/bad, us/them, right/wrong. Humans have been confronting these polarising divides for thousands of years and in today's modern world the challenge continues. We, however, are makers and thinkers and we learn and improve. There is hope and the solution may be as simple as having a conversation with the other to celebrate our commonalities instead of our differences. A conversation helps us know one another and the time to do so is now.

The aim of the installation is to gently remind us that barriers are perceived, that we are all human, that we must share our only home, and that an open chair and vulnerable conversation may be our salvation. We are all worthy of belonging and understanding. The display gives the observers a moment of pause to contemplate that “the other” is not so different from themselves. Patton’s hope is this work may offer the gift of remembering our shared humanity.

About Strider Patton
Strider Patton is a San Francisco based multidisciplinary artist who specialises in large-scale mural painting. Practicing since 2006, he is a self taught artist, academically trained anthropologist and central to all his work is sharing stories. This can be in the form of murals or fine art, abstraction or figurative imagery, and solo or collective creative experiences. He creates site-responsive projects that engage with observers. With all his work the goal is to create triggers for experience, to create unforgettable spaces, and to expand awareness of place.

After earning a MA degree in anthropology and social change, he has been connecting the dots between culture, art, story and meaning. His interests in people, places, and stories informs his art. To be able to activate spaces and share these poetic truths in the form of dynamic art is something he holds with great respect and responsibility. Patton’s design process includes research and dialogue to reveal underlying stories.

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