Exhibition Report

Memory Breeze, a recent exhibition by Marianetta Porter at the Warren M. Robbins Center Gallery at the University of Michigan's School of Art and Design, examines and recreates a familiar icon of Southern black religion, the church fan. Porter explains, "Fans have been a ubiquitous presence in black churches for nearly a century. In their imagery as well as their texts, African American church fans reveal much about the past -- their uses as cultural icons as well as the history, meanings and social contexts attached to them. The "Memory Breeze" exhibition is a collection of intimate musings and remembrances inspired by these simple artifacts. They are poetic meditations in the form of text and imagery that reflect the impressions of childhood, church and everyday life in the black community. Created in collaboration with Susan Skarsgard, these contemporary interpretations pay homage to the original fans' typography, layout and use of visual imagery." For more information, contact Porter at: mptr@umich.edu.

All images included here are courtesy of Marianetta Porter and may not be reproduced.

 

 

 

 

Left: "The Starched Perfection of Crinoline Slips"
Right: "Sunday Morning, Ms. Hattie Benjamin"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: "Stories Told in Sunday School"
Right: "But Jesus Said" (front)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"But Jesus Said" (back)