For Immediate Release June 3, 2022
Media Contact: Kate Taylor Davis | 202-321-2878 | ktdavis@pyramid-atlantic.org
Are We There Yet
An Exhibition of New Work by Wesley Clark Opens June 17, 2022
(Hyattsville, MD) Are We There Yet features a collection of new works by Artist Wesley Clark. The works primarily consist of graphite on paper drawings and lithographic prints, the latter made at Pyramid Atlantic during Clark’s recent Keyholder Residency.
Are We There Yet opens Friday, June 17th in Pyramid’s Helen C. Frederick Gallery with an Artist Reception from 6 – 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPS are requested to help allow for social distancing. The exhibition runs through July 31, and gallery hours are Wed – Thu, 10 – 8 pm; Fri – Sat, 10 – 6 pm; and Sunday 12 – 5pm. Masks are required in the gallery. Pyramid is located at 4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville Maryland 20781. More info and RSVP link at pyramidatlantic.org or 301-608-9101.
Of the work Clarks says, “At its core, the works are exercises in mark making, expressing pent up energies (thoughts, feelings, conversations) through drawing. “Where do I want to go,” “Where should I go,” and “Where am I going” are encapsulated in Are We There Yet. This incessant, child-like phrase is a check-in that takes measure of my progress; becoming the primary tool plotting my trek.”
Clark begins from words, which are sometimes worked to a degree of obscurity by the time the work is complete. Each work unfolds with each mark made or subtracted. “On one hand, these works become artifacts of the moment (or moments). Records. On the other hand, there’s a loose narrative woven when reading the marks. Single words or short phrases are the conceptual substrates from which these drawings are built. The words originate from songs, sermons, or conversations and are chosen for a particular strength or for a need to further ponder. While executing a drawing, the word(s) fall back to a low mental reverb; a gentle processing of their meaning or relevance.”
During his residency at Pyramid, Clark delved into lithography with support from the printshop at Pyramid Atlantic. “The lithographic works required a deconstructive analysis of my drawing process. The adding and subtracting of material to control the tonal spectrum to reach a similar execution is almost completely reversed with many unknowns tossed in for good measure. This makes for a whole new discovery at the time of pulling the prints.”
Pyramid is thrilled to exhibit Clark’s drawings and lithographs in this exhibition. When asked about his residency, Clark remarked “Working at Pyramid Atlantic has been an eye opening experience, like being inducted into the CIA. I knew of its existence, but I had no clue of the National and global reach of this high level printshop operating right down the street from me. This residency gave me the time, space, and opportunity to explore ideas that had been brewing for quite some time.”
Clark’s art practice challenges and draws parallels between historical and contemporary cultural issues with a primary focus surrounding Blacks in America and the African Diaspora. A native of the DMV, Clark now lives in Hyattsville, MD. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Syracuse University and a Master of Fine Arts from George Washington University. Clark’s recent exhibitions include The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center (DC), Columbia College Glass Curtain Gallery (IL), and Prizm Art Fair during Art Basel (FL). His work is in the collections of Asheville Art Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and Kaiser Permanente, among others.
This exhibition is made possible in part through the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County.
ABOUT PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER
Founded in 1981, Pyramid Atlantic is a nonprofit contemporary art center fostering the creative disciplines of papermaking, printmaking, and book arts within a collaborative community. We equip, educate, and exhibit in our historic Hyattsville home. Our vision is to create an artistic hub in Hyattsville that inspires and enables local, national, and international artists to create and innovate in our core disciplines; elevates the local arts and small business scene; and enhances the quality of life for artists and neighbors. We value artistic excellence, infrastructure for artists, hands-on experiences, and collaboration.
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Pictured “Untiled #1,” 22×30” graphite on paper, 2021. Additional images available upon request.