“Perspective, Pivot and Change,” a solo show by Jo El M. Mercer, opens at The Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, November 6 and continues through November 28.
“My show is about diversity and magnifying it on a personal level and maybe that grows it a little bit bigger,” Mercer explained.
“The message I am trying to express,” she says, “is that we all have various perspectives as to how we see, hear and feel. We are living in a world where the stage is constantly changing, and the perspectives are unsettling at times. We must pivot in our thinking, our behavior and how we individually define and magnify diversity. Change begins with self-inventory.”
“This show was born out of my love of Motown and the change and pivot and different type of thinking that this music evoked,” she explained.
“What I’ve tried to do in my work is use this in abstract painting, mixed media, work that you can deliberate on and that speaks to me.”
“Currently, I have been incorporating cartoons in my abstract expressionism,” the Houston resident, said.
“As an artist I am inspired by under-appreciated female African American artists like Alma Thomas, Betty Blayton-Taylor and Mildred Thompson. I am passionate about cartooning and watercolor painting. It’s my love of watercolor that allows me to use the same technique to manipulate acrylic,” she added.
Mercer will be interviewed for “Meet the Artists at The Collective,” a new series initiated by Dr. Michon Benson.
The Collective, located at 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, is open Thursdays through Saturday from 12 noon through 5 p.m. The exhibition is free to visit, but because of the COVID-19 restrictions attendance must be by appointment.