Tammy Mercure
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Statement:
SAINTS (2014-present)
“A man is a god in ruins. When men are innocent, life shall be longer, and shall pass into the immortal, as gently as we awake from dreams.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Time in New Orleans flows differently. It is closer to the end of the world as we know it. People are compelled to be the biggest version of themselves while it lasts. The Immortals are present. While the city is known for Dionysus, with the revelry of Mardi Gras and the drunkenness of Bourbon Street, and Poseidon is known to wreak havoc, there is much more. Artemis makes her presence known with the 504 boys riding their steeds on the city streets and Hera whispers in our ears keeping empires alive despite interstates fracturing the city. The past, present, and future shake hands and it is beautiful to see.
Bio: Tammy Mercure (1976) was named one of the “100 under 100: The New Superstars of Southern Art” by Oxford American magazine. She has been featured on CNN Photos, VICE, Daily Mail, NPR Big Picture Show, and more. She was published in the Guardian UK (Big Picture), Darwin magazine, and in the book “Place, Art, and Self” by Yi-Fu Tuan. She has a BA from Columbia College Chicago and an MFA from East Tennessee State University. She lives in New Orleans and is a member of Antenna, an artist run collective.
Artist’s website: http://tammymercure.com