Miami Antica
2023
Mixed media on paper
Proposal
Miami Antica is a zine that examines the history of Miami before Miami was Miami. Maneuvering through 10,000 years of history, the publication presents historical sources and interpretive mixed media works on this land up until the incorporation of the City of Miami in 1896. Bailly interweaves a wealth of information to reflect the diversity that defines Miami: in situ drawings from the paleolithic Cutler Fossil Site, images of the Tequesta Miami Circle, a reproduction of Spanish Jesuit Villarreal’s oldest known letter written in Miami, text on the Seminole capture of the Key Biscayne Lighthouse, drawings of Bahamian Coconut Grove, a portrait Julia Tuttle’s vision, and other historical aspects. Miami Antica is a return to the beginning for Bailly who was active in the 1980’s zine culture of skating and punk rock. The limited-edition self-publication will be available at sites throughout Miami.
Location: Various sites throughout Miami, FL
Biography
John William Bailly, born in the UK. Lives/works in Miami/France. Received an MFA from Yale University. Bailly is a French-American painter. His work explores history and culture, with an emphasis on the Transatlantic Exchange. His large-scale oil paintings straddle abstraction and representational narrative. While firmly rooted in academic research, his work reflects on how we are who we are in relation to history, place, and culture. Bailly was the inaugural McCormick Fellow at the Deering Estate and is a Faculty Fellow of the FIU Honors College. His work is in the permanent collection of the Frost, Lowe, PAMM, and ZAM art museums.