Aaron S. Coleman (born 1985) is an American multidisciplinary artist who works in printmaking, sculpture, and installation.[1] He recontextualizes found imagery and artifacts to create jarring juxtapositions in his exploration of the legacy of slavery, ongoing systems of white supremacy, and contemporary Black experience in the United States.[2][3]
Aaron S. Coleman | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1985 Washington, D.C. |
| Education | BFA - Herron School of Art and Design 2009 MFA - Northern Illinois University 2013 |
| Employer(s) | Herron School of Art and Design, Indiana University, Indianapolis |
| Known for | Artist, Sculptor, printmaker, |
| Website | https://aaroncolemanprintmaking.com/ |
Early life and education
editColeman was born in Washington, D.C. and later relocated to Indianapolis with his family. His early years as an artist were influenced by hip hop and street art, and he created graffiti and large-scale murals on bridges, trains, and billboards in both cities.[4] He attended the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis as an undergraduate and received an MFA from Northern Illinois University in 2013. He serves as the Kenneth E. Tyler Endowed Chair in Printmaking at IUPUI.[1]
Artwork
editRegardless of medium, Coleman frequently uses found imagery and everyday objects in order to construct complex statements about historical memory and authoritarian systems of control, including science, organized religion, anthropology, and the criminal justice system. His prints and mixed media work combine comic book motifs, stained glass imagery, children's book illustrations, and racist caricatures of Black people in jarring ways.[4] His installations create new narratives from the combination of disparate objects, such as picket fences, textiles, gymnasium flooring, found signage, popular culture ephemera, and recontextualized racist memorabilia.[5][6]
Exhibitions and awards
editHis work has been exhibited at the Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art,[7] the University of Texas at San Antonio,[8] Mesa Arts Center,[9] Hilliard Art Museum,[10] The Janet Turner Print Museum (California State University, Chico),[11] the SOO Visual Arts Center,[12] the Print Center New York,[13] and BUTTER Art Fair,[14][15] among others. He was awarded a 2022 Art as Activism Grant by the Black Box Press Foundation and received a 2023 New Voices Fellowship from the Print Center New York.[16][17] His work is held in a range public and private collections, including those of the Janet Turner Print Museum, Ino Paper Museum, Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, the National Library of France, and the Artist Printmaker/Photographer Research Archive at Texas Tech University.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Aaron Coleman". Print Center New York. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "Aaron Coleman Artist's Talk". California College of the Arts. 2020. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "U of A professor's art explores stereotypes that devalue people of color". Arizona PBS. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ a b "Artist Talk: Aaron S. Coleman Presents 'Pink and Purple' and 'True and Livin'". California State University, Stanislaus. 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "Meet Aaron Coleman: Artist and Professor". Shoutout Arizona. February 15, 2021.
- ^ "From Graffiti to Coloring Books, Assistant Professor Uses Art to Communicate About Race". University of Arizona News. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "Aaron Coleman". phICA. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ Sanchez, Rudy (2019-01-30). "Art activating a conversation". The Paisano. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "True and Livin'". Mesa Arts Center. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "Artist Talk with Aaron Coleman". Country Roads Magazine. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "2021-2022 Exhibitions – Janet Turner Print Museum". www.csuchico.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ^ "Aaron S Coleman". SOO Visual Arts Center. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ Liscia, Valentina Di; Amin, Lakshmi Rivera (2023-08-11). "10 Art Shows to See in New York Right Now". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "See the best of BUTTER Fine Art Fair 2023 at the Stutz". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "2023 Artists". BUTTER 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ Fuentes, Jessica (2021-12-26). "Black Box Press Foundation Announces 2022 Art as Activism Grant Awardees". Glasstire.
- ^ Nayyar, Rhea (2023-05-22). "Supporting a New Generation of Printmakers in New York City". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-09-11.