Adam Junior - Artist Statement & Biography

Adam Junior

Artist Statement & Biography

From the Artist:

"A society and its culture is a living, breathing organism, the same as any single human, plant, animal or microbe. In the same way that a microbiologist looks at beings that are invisible to the naked eye and explains to us how these seemingly invisible forces are working to give shape to our visible existence, I seek to explore how the invisible connections, apparatuses, links and nodes of culture (e.g. the family home) effect its sociological host. If we look at humanity as one large family, the family of man, we can see the precarious structure of relationships that is delicately woven piece by piece. It is these subtle connections between people and places that I am interested in exploring.
Our lives and our world are predicated by minute instances that will either help build or aid in destroying the end goal we are all trying to achieve, both individually and collectively. A single step in one direction or another holds tremendous consequence, though perhaps not overtly. What is interesting to me is how we live our lives day to day in this precarious nature. An isolated word or gesture could be the building block to a new relationship, or could be the last bit of weight that brings a longstanding connection tumbling down. It is this interest that led me to the study of evolutionary biology and network theory. Making work about the duality of all social structures, both metaphoric and literal, is a reminder to myself that each choice of each moment of each day is extremely important and beautiful.
My preoccupation in building structures that are contained, impenetrable and/or seemingly self-sustainable is contradicted by other structures that are inherently co-dependent and therefore vulnerable. How I see the world is a balance of a positive and negative forces, the push-pull of coexistence and codependence, or the difference between a centralized network and a distributed network, and I feel that it is important to illustrate this duality in my subjects. There is no image of strength without the possibility of weakness. If there are three links together in a triangle they make the strongest shape possible, but if one of those connections is broken there are three links in a composition, nothing more.
When I look at structures, I am interested in how they are put together—it is intriguing how many separate complex pieces come together to form a single system of design. Similarly, things that are intangible are also comprised of many small elements that help give form to the whole; the building blocks that construct a ‘house’ do not also therefore create a ‘home.’ This discrepancy is a conglomeration of psychology, environment, society, and other cultural protagonists. One cannot see these distinctions objectively when one is living within the apparatus being analyzed and so it is best for sociologists, anthropologists, and, likewise, artists to step outside and observe the “others” in an attempt to gain a more complete perspective on this idea we call culture. The irony is that one may step out of their immediate system but never out of the whole, it is all-encompassing; overwhelming. These matrices represent the complex, ever-changing networks that construct our entire lives—in a sense they represent everything."

-Adam Junior

see adam's Resume for details on his
eductaion, work experience, awards and Publications.

Adam Junior was born on june 23rd, 1981 and raised primarily in a middle-class suburban neighborhood on long island, ny. he attended keystone college and kutztown university, 1999-2003, where he received his undergraduate degrees in fine art and sculpture. adam then returned to his hometown on long island where he taught sculpture at the huntington school of fine arts while continuing his career as an art maker until 2009 when he relocated to baltimore. there he attended the rinehart school of sculpture at maryland institute college of art, graduating with an mfa in 2011. he now resides in the new york area. adam, in addition, has had the priviledge of attending residencies at such places as peter's valley craft center and vermont studio center.

Publications
<Reviews, Articles, Catalogues>

Tim Smith “‘Young Blood’ Flows Through Maryland Art Place.”
The Baltimore Sun June 30, 2011

B.Boyd “Young Blood: MAP MFA Grad Show Opens.”
Baltimore Fish Bowl June 28, 2011

Ritu Mathur “‘Young Blood’- Fourth annual art exhibition on display at Maryland Art PLace”
Green Diary July 28, 2011

Mark Jenkins “All Over The Map”
Baltimore City Paper July 27, 2011

Alex Ebstein “‘Academy 2011’ at Conner Contemporary Art.”
The Washington Post July 21, 2011

Ted Henn “Young Blood.”
What Weekly Magazine July 21, 2011

Adam Shutz “‘Young Blood’ at Maryland art Place Reviewed.”
Baltimore Arts Examiner July 13, 2011

Vaughn Randall “Post Industrial Iron”
Show Catalogue June 3, 2011

Carolyn Williams “Thesis II Exhibition Review”
MICA Design April 19, 2011

Exhibitions

2011 Academy 2011 juried show
conner contemporary art - washington dc

2011 Young Blood juried show
maryland art place - baltimore, md

2011 Post Industrial Iron juried show
dowd gallery at suny cortland - cortland, ny

2011 Post Industrial Iron juried show
afa gallery - scranton, pa

2011 Graduate Thesis group show
fox 3 gallery - baltimore, md

2011 of House & Home juried show
curator and participating artist
the whole gallery - baltimore, md

2011 Out Into the World juried show
rosenberg gallery - baltimore, md

2010 Some Condiments group show
fox 3 gallery - baltimore, md

2010 Convergence open studio event
10 jay street studios - dumbo, ny

2010 Adventure juried show
camper contemporary - baltimore, md

2010 Thesis III group show
pinkard gallery - baltimore, md

2009 Here and There juried show
camper contemporary - miami, fl

2009 New Breed group show
fox 3 gallery - baltimore, md

2009 Alumni Art Exhibition 09 juried show
linder gallery at keystone college - la plume, pa

2009 Abundance juried show
fulton ferry park - brooklyn, ny

2009 Little Canvas Project group show
atlanta georgia airport - atlanta, ga

2009 Everything Good in Life group show
co-op space - new york, ny

2009 Love Stinks group show
ripe art gallery - greenlawn, ny

2009 Postcards From the Edge group show
benefiting visual aids
metro pictures - new york, ny

2008 Generations group show
joseph mack gallery - huntington, ny

2008 LIPSS group show
huntington library - huntington, ny

2008 LIPSS group show
harborfields library - greenlawn, ny

2007 The Company We Keep group show
la vuelta - long island city, ny

2006 Journey’s End group show
55 mercer gallery - new york, ny

2004 Investigations solo show
jazzmans gallery - kutztown, pa

2004 The Class Ring juried show
eye candy gallery - kutztown, pa

2004 Regional Annual Art Show juried show
art association of harrisburg - harrisburg, pa

2003 Untitled group show
sharadin gallery - kutztown, pa

2003 Staff Show group show
peters valley gallery - layton, nj

2003 Juried Show
afa gallery - scranton, pa

2002 Featured Artist
catherine’s gallery of eclectic creations - bethlehem, pa

2002 Present Permanent Sculpture
keystone college - la plume, pa

2001 Shapes & Shadows juried show
linder gallery - keystone college, la plume, pa
2000 Construction/Destruction juried show
linder gallery - keystone college, la plume, pa
2000 Regional Biennial Show juried show
scranton university - scranton, pa