November 3, 2022
Script by Gallery and Curatorial Fellow Aria Cooper
Transcript
Maya’s art practice is intuitive and joyful, focused on the excitement of neon colors and the harmony of patterns, led by her love for places and play. “Patterned Language” as opposed to spoken languages, are open for much more interpretation and focus on hints and hidden messages rather than overt communication, feelings through images rather than messages through words. With her thorough arts education she could be figurative and literal; she assured us she can draw a perfect chair but she’s bored of the chair! Maya is an avid traveler who has encountered many languages having been to Sweden, France, The Netherlands, Japan and India. Throughout her life Maya has held many jobs like working in the art department of a TV show and at Ralph Lauren. These roles led her to realize she didn’t want to be at someone else’s creative whim, she wanted the reins. In this work she is taking control of her desires, skills and ideas to yield a product that reflects herself, her own patterned language. This work is called Pattern Language #23. 7 rows and 5 columns of multi-colored and patterned rhombuses are side by side. It looks as if they are a single piece of paper unfolded into an accordion shape. Some pieces have repetitive patterns, while others are spontaneous or solid. The only figurative elements in this work are the images of hands from an American Sign Language book. When I look at this work I appreciate the rhythm of the zig zagged border and uniformity of the shapes paired with the variety of images. I think about how color and pattern talks to us and how we read people based in part on the prints they wear. Is there a particular rhombus that calls to you? What messages do you receive from this work?