Voltz Clarke Gallery is pleased to present Fast Forward, a solo exhibition by Stephanie Patton. In Fast Forward, Stephanie Patton builds on familiar mediums—quilting, text, and video—to explore the steadily increasing pace of modern-day life. Influenced by her observations of the rapid development of social media and other digital technologies, Patton is particularly interested in a growing appreciation for simpler times—the wish to “rewind” to earlier eras of relative innocence. In its explorations of this sentiment, Fast Forward presents a dual narrative about the age of information; from one angle, it brings significant innovation and societal progress, while from the other, it's an exhausting cycle of newness that is nearly impossible to follow. As an artist whose work commonly centers on issues of mental health and personal healing, Patton views this conflict between advancement and nostalgia as a challenge that confronts everyone, even children. Fast Forward reflects the modern human experience, visualizing the passage of time through progress and retrospection. Though the exhibited pieces center themes of aging, nostalgia, and overexposure to technology, Patton remarks that Fast Forward is ultimately “an affectionate recognition of the beauty of human connection and the joy of being together in real time.” The Louisiana-born artist carefully selects materials and text to add elements of humor to her work, shifting attention to her more critical concerns through a more light-hearted, optimistic approach. Through these works, she invites viewers of the exhibition to be present and “live in the moment,” despite challenges that may come with the age of information.
Born in New Orleans, LA, Stephanie Patton received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette in 1993 and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996. She has since exhibited in shows in New York, New Orleans, Paris, and various cities in the southern United States.
