ADAM NEWMAN
Artist statement:
Adam Newman (b. 1984 Oak Ridge, Tennessee) is a painter, sculptor, and installation artist currently residing in Acampo, California. He is known for his two and three dimensional works created from a hypothetical perspective the artist refers to as “God view” in which we see the absurdity of man-made reality and our human response through the eyes of God. The artwork examines man-made objects and sociological constructs. Through his work Newman hopes to encourage social and economic change.
Creative Process:
A thick application of earthy-colored pastels and graphite on paper beginning with a general composition consisting of a wall or barrier placed in a contrasting open landscape for myself and the audience to confront and contemplate. Here I examine the absurdities of man-made reality and our human response to them. I allow space for secondary objects such as fences, resting places, and temporary power sources to work their way into the image while the painting is in progress.
Relative to the prompt:
The images contain the presence of humanity, but absent the figure highlighting the objects and presumptive actions taking place. Containment, consumption, and extraction are strong themes here with light and dark, warm and cool, natural and synthetic elements lifting them to the forefront of the conversation the paintings present. The line between resource and commodity are blurred in relation to objects and people. The goal of the work is to question the physical and sociological walls we construct and how we position or trap ourselves and others in relation to them. The walls are problems, the art is a first step toward a solution.
*Title and details provided beneath the images below
Thank you for your time and consideration.
False Front: Orifice, 2024, Pastel and graphite on paper, 27x40"
Fight, Flight, Rest, or Digest, 2024, Pastel, color pencil, and graphite on paper, 27x40"
Mostly Temporary and Cloudy, 2024, Pastel and graphite on paper, 36x24"