Troy Montes-Michie

Stitches and sutures: tracing the body and landscape in Troy Montes-Michie''s collages

To tailor a garment by ârock of eyeâ is to rely on the drapeâ"on experience over mathematical measurementâ"in the fitting process. It is a kind of drawing in spaceâ"a freehand, an intuition, a trust of materials. Rock of Eye, published on the occasion of Troy Montes-Michieâs (born 1985) solo exhibition at the California African American Museum, is a collection of the artistâs collages, drawings, and found and woven images sourced from vintage erotic magazines, French tailoring magazines, found photographs and other materials. These materials are familiar from Montes-Michieâs recent large-scale paintings and collages that center on the Black male body and his series that traces the social history and form of the zoot suit. Troy Montes-Michie was born in El Paso and his practice reflects his experience growing up along the US/Mexico border. This book is a study in ambiguity between portraiture and landscape; his are the cuts and folds of patterning and mapping. In Rock of Eye, Montes-Michieâs stitches suture histories and geographies; they establish thresholds for crossing; his needle hits rock. Including essays by Tina Campt and editor Andrea Andersson, with an interview by Brent Edwards, Rock of Eye is a tactile and sensuous artistâs book recalling the form of fabric swatch books and affirming that collage is an art of selection.