Michael Patterson-Carver (American, b. 1958)

2008, photo courtesy of Laurel Gitlen Gallery

Patterson-Carver was estranged from his family and was raised by an adoptive family with whom he attended an African-American church during the Civil Rights struggle. As a result, one of his formative childhood memories is of activism in the Civil Rights movement. He became a lifelong activist, working for various causes ranging from environmental protection to social justice. His spare, simple drawings express his wry sense of humor and disdain for government, in particular that of the United States, and they often depict small groups of colorful figures protesting a range of specific issues. He addresses both current and historical issues and sometimes includes political allegories in which Nazis, Klansmen, and terrorists meet current-day political leaders. Powerful people are mocked through caricature, while ordinary people are depicted with grace and respect. While some of the drawings depict dark humor, there is an underlying optimism to the work that communicates a call to action to individuals to join in his protests. In the words of the artist, “In order to succeed at anything the first step you must take is to believe. This is the reason that everyone in my demonstration scenes is smiling—they are confident of success.”

Today Patterson-Carver lives in Portland, Oregon, where he first began to show his work on the streets. In 2007, the artist Harrell Fletcher first encountered him outside a grocery store where Patterson-Carver, then homeless, displayed his work for sale. Since then, he has had several exhibitions of his work in New York, London, and Portland among other cities.