Justin Adian
Carousel
September 11 - October 23, 2021
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 11, 5-7pm
Artforum Must See
Installation view: Justin Adian, Carousel
Lowell Ryan Projects is pleased to present a solo exhibition titled Carousel by New York-based artist Justin Adian. The exhibition consists of 15 paintings installed over both floors of the gallery. The title Carousel is a reference to the formal qualities of the works in the exhibition, both whimsical color choices and the slightly up and down feeling of the works, however, each work emerges from a personal narrative or contemplation.
"Some of the pieces come from thinking about encounters with objects or people touching and interacting. Specifically the moments after the interaction, like the awkward aftermath. And some of the works are sort of portraits of individual characters, just brief profiles.” – Justin Adian
A wide array of movements and influences can be ascribed to Adian’s practice, however, the tactile softness of form and color combined with a casual approach to titling, i.e. Wigglin’, Dr. Caligari, Oasis, etc.—nostalgic nods to his native Texas, New York City, pop culture, a recent interest in furniture design from the 1970s and 80s—lend a contemporary air of humility, irony, and humor.
Utilizing a line drawing as a template and a certain amount of instinct, Adian stretches enamel-painted canvas around felt-covered plywood cutouts, creating works that sit in a realm between painting and sculpture. Adian’s work, while typically modest in scale and approach, conveys a level of sincerity and separation from ego, portraying a poetic approach to human interactions and thoughts.
This will be Adian’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.
Installation view: Justin Adian, Carousel
Justin Adian was born in Fort Worth, TX in 1976 and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. The fine line between painting and sculpture is especially blurred in the work of Adian, who produces abstract wall reliefs in vibrant palettes that oscillate between and borrow from the two artistic languages. Adian has exhibited at galleries including Almine Rech Gallery, Paris, France, Brussels, Belgium, and New York, NY; Sean Horton (Presents), Dallas, TX; Half Gallery, New York, NY; Skarstedt, London, UK, and New York, NY; Rachel Uffner, New York, NY; Lehmann Maupin, New York, NY; Gagosian, London, UK; and Martos Gallery, New York, NY. Adian’s works have been reviewed and discussed in ArtNews; Hyperallergic; Flaunt; Purple; Artforum; Autre; and The New York Times amongst others. Justin Adian’s work is represented in the collection of the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX.
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