Susan Goldman's Lily Press with EJ

I was so glad to have the opportunity to work with Art Cart artist EJ Montgomery at Susan Goldman's Lily Press in Rockville MD. EJ is amazing. In her 80's she is still actively creating. She's an inspiration to all of us!

Opening Rise and Fall at Kramer Gallery

 Kramer Gallery in downtown Silver Spring's Civic Center provided a wonderful opportunity to display some of my latest cardboard sculptures.

New works for the Kramer Gallery Exhibit - nike piece

I've been working on a new peice for the Kramer Gallery show on the patio from bright orange Nike shoe boxes. This time I'm cutting instead of tearing the boxes.

Opening Day RISE AND FALL exhibition

Many people turned out for the opening of the RISE AND FALL exhibition at the Kramer Gallery. I was pleased that guests were able to walk around my floor pieces.

UNVEILED @ Corcoran School of Arts and Design

 

Check out the Corcoran blog article about my paper sculptures in the NEXT exhibition at the Corcoran gallery of Art.
http://unveiled.corcoran.gwu.edu/uncategorized/taking-art-out-of-its-box/

Graduate NEXT Exhibit Opening April 29

All of the hard work will finally pay off as Grad students display their work in the NEXT exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The exhibit will be on display through May 18, 2015 in Washington, D.C. I'm very excited to have my cardboard sculptures on display in Gallery 31 along with three of my colleagues.

NEXT Exhibit Highlights New Direction in My Art Practice

My artwork in the NEXT exhibition focuses on the cardboard box as a basic utilitarian object and represents a new direction in my work. My challenge included how to transform this industrial prefabricated object into art. The production of the sculptures involved mostly tearing with my hands, as opposed to using scissors or knives. I also refrained from using tape or adhesives as much as possible. 

I was drawn to the contrasting surfaces of these unadorned boxes that consisted of mostly smooth liner board contrasted with fluted, corrugated layers. By pulling, tearing, peeling and folding, I crafted these objects into what I call "naked sculptures."

The wall hung installations, however (pictured in the corner) incorporate color that was originally printed on the box surface in playful constructions.

A single box was used in each sculpture, be it a wardrobe, shoe, printer or flower box. Using mainly recycled boxes that were a part of my consumption over a period of time, the installation forms a type of snapshot of my consumer habits and speaks to issues of mass consumption and waste in modern society. My current art practice interestingly, lies in direct opposition to my former freelance career as a package designer for companies such as Mattel Toys, Disney, Barnum and Bailey Circus, in which the design of excessive packaging for the purposes of marketing and sales was the rule. 

Photo Critique

Photo by Denny Henry

I shared some of my photos from my early cardboard installations with my Corcoran classmates and professor at a critique. We debated whether I should include them in my sculpture exhibit at Gallery 31 in the Corcoran Gallery of Art in May.

Homeward Bound

Heading home to Chicago on Saturday. I'm giving an artist talk "AWay Home" on Sunday at Chicago's historic South Side Community Art Center at 3 p.m. The Center is the topic of my Masters Thesis. The talk will be about my artwork and teaching practice. Please come if you can!

Shield of Blue

Branded Boxes Evolving From a Single Unit

One thing that was important to me while creating these cardboard sculptures was that it grew out of a single box. For example, on the top is a Skechers brand and on the bottom, a Life Stride brand shoe box. No other boxes were used. I was interested in discovering how far I could go in transforming a single item into something else. These sculptures would hang on the wall, while others may sit on the floor. I enjoyed photographing these and the play of shadow cast on the wall. When I exhibit these, the lighting will be crucial.

Greenbox Transformed

Photos by Denny Henry

My floral box starts to come alive at a critique in the studio. I'm pleased with the ways the colors interact and the overall sculpture shape.

Un-Boxed

I returned to the studio the next day to solve the problem of the boxiness of the sculpture I worked on yesterday. I decided to subtract aspects of it by cutting out negative shapes. It's starting to feel more comfortable to me and much more organic.

Larger and larger boxes...

I decided to try working with larger boxes for my upcoming exhibition. I was able to get a wardrobe box from a friend. It was hard to tear the box to reveal the layers beneath. 

My challenge was to move beyond the box shape. It was all about transforming the box into something else. I left the studio that day feeling like I still had so much more work to do. 

Greenbox

As my deadline of April 20 loomed near for the installation of the NEXT graduate exhibition at the Corcoran, I had to step up my production. It was great experimenting with different colored boxes. This sculpture was created from a floral box sent to my house from my niece in Chicago for my birthday. I love the green printed exterior and the chocolate brown contrasted against the fluted corrugated board sandwiched between layers. Every box has a story. Photographing the sculptures added a whole new dramatic dimension.

Community Collaboration

As my deadline drew closer I enlisted the help of friends to help me tear the boxes. Everyone did their share of work. It helped a great deal.

Photo Explorations

After creating my cardboard installations, I began to photograph them and discovered that the variety of surfaces created some intriguing effects when light interacted with it. 

Cardboard Discovery

As I work more and more with the cardboard, I discover so much. To be as familiar with my material as possible is a goal. I discovered the range of materials inherent in a cardboard box, such as the smooth outer liner coupled with interior fluted or "honey combed" materials. There are a variety of tones of gray and brown in the box coloring. When photographed, the cardboard has a metal like appearance which was totally unexpectant.

Homeward Bound

I'm heading home to Chicago this weekend to give an Artist Talk "AWay Home" at the historic South Side Community Art Center in the Bronzeville section of Chicago. I have many fond memories of the Center from my High School days when I had art classes there, exhibited and met some wonderful artists that had a huge influence on my life as an artist. Many notable artists were affiliated with the Center including Margaret Burroughs, founder of the DuSable Museum, Charles White, Eldzier Cortor and Elizabeth Catlett to name a few.

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center Print Exhibit

Adjoa Burrowes, A Migration.Moving Up From South to North,
mixed media digital print, 30"x22,"  2013

I have two mixed media prints at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, 8230 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD in a group exhibition along with other Corcoran School of Arts and Design students. The exhibition is on view from Sunday, February 15 through Saturday, February 28, 2015. My two mixed media prints utilize both traditional monoprint techniques with digital printing combined with collage. Both original abstract prints are from my Migration Series that references my parents migration from Georgia to Chicago in the 50s.

Kaleidoscope Exhibit Opening Reception

Kaleidoscope Black Artists of DC Exhibition opened Saturday, February 7 with a reception. Participating artists from left to right, Russ Simmons, Adjoa Burrowes, Carolyn Goodridge, Jeffrey Bosten Weatherford, Daniel Brooking, R. Maria Marable, Magruder Murray (not shown).

Corrugation

I brought this sculpture into class for critique. I deconstructed an HP laser printer box. I decided in its creation to mostly tear the cardboard. I like the ragged torn edges. This box was unique in that it had a whitish gray printed exterior layer that contrasted nicely with the warm brown color of other layers. Of course the corrugated layer added an excitement.

Kaleidoscope Exhibit at Publick Playhouse

The Kaleidoscope exhibit at PG County's Publick Playhouse is on view now through  March 13, 2015, Artists braved the cold winter storm to deliver to the theater. The exhibit features the artwork of seven Black Artists of DC members - Daniel Brooking, Adjoa Burrowes, Carolyn Goodridge, Russell Simmons, R. Maria Marable, Magruder Murray, and Jeffery Boston Weatherford. Please join us at the opening reception, February 7 at 6:45 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Process and Purpose Opening Reception

At the opening reception, visitor studying the artwork of Burrowes.

The opening reception of the exhibition "Process and Purpose: Visual Reflections of Art Teachers", curated by Kristine DeNinno  took place Saturday January 17, 2015 at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, MD. Over 20 artists from local Maryland, Virginia and D.C. schools participated. This exhibition was an effort to build a community of art teachers in the region through shared support of creating artwork, experiences and knowledge. The exhibition will be on exhibit through February 14. 

gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday 12-6 p.m. and Sundays 1-4 p.m.

Corcoran Annual Print Portfolio

Today I picked up my BFK Rives printmaking paper from the print studio at Corcoran's Georgetown campus. I will be participating in the 30th Annual Print Portfolio, a Corcoran tradition. I can't wait to get started on my lino prints.