October 22 - December 3, 2022
From Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking:
“Flatbed is proud to present an exhibition of new prints, drawings and paintings by Adrian Armstrong. Adrian, whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses drawing, painting, installation, and sound, documents the contemporary Black experiences in the United States. He is deeply interested in questions of how Black experiences intersect with the history of photography, portraiture, and collage. He often uses friends, family members, and acquaintances as subjects, Armstrong’s single and multi-figural works probe the influence of place and popular culture on the formation of self-image, community, connection, tenderness, and love–both platonic and romantic. More specifically, he is interested in the complex ways race informs how we assign value to and interact in the spaces we occupy.
Printmaking practices play a large role in Adrian’s practice. In 2022, Adrian received Flatbed’s annual “Jerry Manson Residency” and while at Flatbed he created two lithograph editions and a new large etching. “NY 001” is his second published etching with Flatbed. His lithograph “Black-Owned/Mini-Telar” is his first published lithograph at Flatbed. These new works will be on exhibition with supporting drawings, collages and paintings.
The title for the exhibition “Black Owned” communicates on several levels the pride, responsibility, and perhaps attitude in being “black-owned.” Armstrong’s newest lithograph titled Black-Owned/Mini-Telfar depicts a couple that both carryTel-far accessories with their identifying logos. Tel-far is a successful black-owned company.
Armstrong draws heavily on his own identity politics and lived experiences to depict the narratives of Black life. Nested in intimate and poignant settings, his figures often embody a range of psychological states, including joy, happiness, introspection, and dysphoria. Armstrong’s works seek to inspire new ways of looking at the familiar. Ultimately, Armstrong’s work is an ongoing examination of the complexities of Black identity and representation.”
Reception: October 22, 2022 | 6–8 pm
Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking
3701 Drossett Drive, Suite 190
Austin, 78744 TX
(512) 477-9328
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