Percival Everett (The Trees, James, Erasure), renowned for his prowess as a novelist, short story writer, and poet, reveals a lesser-known but deeply ingrained facet of his creativity: painting. In a conversation with J.C. Gabel on Literary Hub, Everett sheds light on his artistic journey, the interplay between his writing and painting, and the myriad influences that shape his work.
Everett’s relationship with painting predates his literary career. “I’ve actually painted longer than I’ve written,” he confides. Painting, which he began in his teens, served as an initial mode of creative expression. While he never envisioned it as a career, the act of painting was a necessary outlet, a counterbalance to his academic pursuits in science and logic. His early attraction to abstract art provided a mental escape, a non-verbal way to navigate and make sense of the world.
“The relationship I have with painting is so different from writing, which is based on representational units in picking words; they attach to something in the world. There is a concept, and we know what these words, assembled on a page, are supposed to mean, and what they represent. They are amorphic, but they don’t exist without a context and reference,” said Everett. “People see what they need to see in order for the paintings to make sense.
And the paintings, on the other hand, it’s harder for me to talk about them because I’m working off an idea or feeling that is not based in words. There is a physicality to it. But both inform the same need to make some sense of the world. In that sense, they are similar pursuits.”
The intersection of Everett’s writing and painting was notably evident in his first solo exhibition, Once Seen, which tackled the harrowing theme of lynching, paralleling his novel The Trees. However, this thematic overlap was an exception rather than the rule. His latest exhibition, Redaction, explores storytelling in a more abstract manner, inviting viewers to uncover hidden elements within the works. This technique of redaction mirrors the narrative process in literature, where not all details are immediately apparent, allowing the reader—or viewer—to fill in the gaps.
Everett’s current paintings employ a mixed media and collage technique that obscures portions of the image, embodying the concept of redaction. This deliberate obfuscation challenges the viewer to engage more deeply with the artwork, much like a reader piecing together a story. Everett likens this to the unpredictability of novel writing, where initial drafts evolve through numerous revisions until the narrative takes shape.
Everett’s creative endeavors reflect a harmonious interplay of influences and disciplines. His paintings, much like his stories, invite exploration and interpretation, challenging viewers and readers to look beyond the surface. As Everett continues to navigate these artistic domains, his work remains a testament to the boundless possibilities of human expression.
Redaction by Percival Everett is his second solo exhibition of paintings, which ran from April 27th, 2024 through June 9th at Show Gallery in West Hollywood.
Image Credit: Percival Everett by Dylan Coulter, via The Guardian
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