CO | PATRIOT: New Work by Stephen Towns
On View AUGUST 21 - SEPTEMBER 22
Reception AUGUST 21 (7PM)
Summer Friday Artist Talk SEPTEMBER 12 (6PM)
CO | PATRIOT is a collection of new and previous work inspired by Towns' readings of Harriet Beacher Stowe’s "Uncle Tom’s Cabin", Solomon Northrup’s "Twelve Years a Slave", and Harriet Ann Jacob’s "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl". The classic works have helped to inform and broaden Towns' view of the systemic oppression that has affected black people in America. Each work of art examines the relationship African-Americans have had with their country and history, both known and lost.
"Ignoring America’s history of oppression has become socially acceptable. It is in itself a practice of oppression that hinders progress for all American compatriots. America’s imagined classification structures are clandestinely held together by race and religion which contribute to the systemic injustices that negatively affect people of color. Through drawing, painting, and mixed-media works I address the gaps in the fabricated,American structures that affect Black Americans’ existence.
The figures, pattern, and movement in my work are inspired by the stillness of medieval altarpieces, the gestural qualities of impressionist paintings, and the color and movement of Dutch wax cloth. Through my work, I create dialog and address these underlying issues with the hope that we can move the conversation forward." - Stephen Towns
