SV:10 Ten Years of Spectacular Vernacular
Eso Tolson, the writer, strategist, and designer behind some of Memphis’ most recognizable creative work, is bringing back his celebrated “Spectacular Vernacular” series, a decade after it first put Memphis slang on the wall as fine art. Come through Main Street for a one-day anniversary show!
“Yo! Ten years ago, I created Spectacular Vernacular because I was so fascinated with the way Memphis spoke. Some thought it was something to be ashamed of. I thought it was worth celebrating. It’s colorful, playful, brash, and so unique. I thought it was beautiful and deserved to be framed.”
“Ten years later, I still do. So, I’m bringing it back. Come celebrate with me.”
— Eso TolsonIf you’ve walked down the Main Street Mall, you’ve already seen his work: Eso Tolson is the writer, strategist, and designer behind the banners marking the street. A native of East St. Louis and a Memphis College of Art graduate, he’s also the creative force behind the “Embrace Your Inner Memphis” graphic tees. His work reaches well beyond Memphis too, with campaigns for major brands like Coca-Cola carrying his lettering worldwide.
“Spectacular Vernacular” is where that Memphis pride crystallizes best, turning the city’s slang and sayings into bold, gallery-worthy lettering that only somebody who really listens to how Memphis talks could pull off.
Looking Back: The Original 2016 ExhibitThe series first showed at the Memphis Slim House, and in a 2016 interview with the Memphis Flyer, Tolson explained where it came from: as a transplant from East St. Louis, Memphis slang stood out to him immediately, and he wanted to give urban vernacular the kind of framed, gallery-wall respect it rarely gets outside of hip-hop. He pulled definitions from personal experience, Merriam-Webster, South Memphis natives, and Urban Dictionary, calling it “a lot of research” but also genuinely fun.
He noticed real overlap between Memphis slang and the language back home in East St. Louis (he calls them “sister cities”), even as plenty of phrases stayed pure Memphis. Of the pieces in the show, he told the Flyer that “F$* You Mean” gets the most visitor reactions, with “Lookin’ A$*” a close second, while “Mane What” and “What Chu Said” are just his favorite phrases to say out loud. He also built in an interactive easel where visitors could try the phrases out in their own sentences, turning the show into a running conversation rather than something to just look at.
SV:10 is a Tolson & Williams production, powered by New Memphis and hosted by Comeback.
