Abi Ogle's Greatriarchs

January of 2020 offered the opportunity to view a very special exhibit by artist Abi Ogle in the City Gallery of the Harrison Center. It is the second installment of portraits that honor the “Greatriarchs” of the Monon 16 neighborhood, and the show provided a chance to not only be exposed to some new and exciting artwork, but also to gain more perspective into the history and essence of our city by way of learning about its citizens.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, ”Greatriarchs,” it refers to a group of honored members of the Monon 16 neighborhood who have lived here for many years, and have been involved in building community in the area for all of that time. At the Harrison Center, the question of “How can we improve inner-city neighborhoods without creating gentrification?” is a major motivator of activities and programming. By getting truly personal and connecting with the inspiring citizens of this area, progress is being made, and the Greatriarchs are living symbols of what is already great about the area. (You will have no trouble learning more about this phenomena by googling “Greatriarchs” or exploring the Harrison Center website.)

The first installment of portraits in this series was completed by Abi in 2017 and displayed at the inaugural Pre-Enact Indy event in the Monon 16 neighborhood. As she did then, the artist has incorporated symbolic color stories and inspiring themes from art history into each painting to create a powerful impact worthy of her subjects. Abi says, ”Each painting contains a patterned background from an African artist from art history. That is because these neighbors have a history in the community, new neighbors are invited to listen well to the stories that came before them, and realize the history is rich and worth listening to.”

One of the most important elements in the creation of these works is time. Abi eagerly expresses her gratitude and honor in the fact that each of her subjects has been so willing to spend a great deal of time with her, being extremely open in telling their stories and sharing their experiences. After conversations and sketching and photographing each Greatriarch, Abi returned to her studio to render these enormous and beautiful portraits. Each of them does more than just depict the subject’s appearance. Abi has expressed so much more about the humanity of each of her subjects.

I must give the example of her painting of Eleyes Reeves. Having had a chance to chat with her myself, I am utterly enchanted by this woman! The portrait of Miss Eleyes riding her bike through the neighborhood is done with a back drop that is inspired by the work of artist Faith Ringgold. I can’t remember if I giggled or gasped when I first laid eyes on the painting, but I will say that I instantly recognized the beautiful spirit of this amazing person. Not only did Abi capture the physical features of the woman, but she somehow managed to depict her joyful and courageous soul as well. This is what makes these works so special.

As Abi says,”The Greatriarchs are pure inspiration. They have stories that will knock your socks off, make you cry, make you laugh, and inspire you to love your neighbor well, and care well for your community.”

With the completion of these portraits, there are now twelve paintings of the beloved Greatriarchs. What better way to celebrate than to create a 2020 calendar featuring this artwork? We encourage you to stop by City Gallery in the Harrison Center (corner of 16th and Delaware) between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm to pick up a calendar featuring work from this delightful show.