Atticus Adams, a sculptor whose work beautifully captures the transformative power of art, is set to open his latest exhibition, My Blanket in the Tall Grass, at Artspace Warehouse in Los Angeles. Embracing the essence of beauty, meaning, and emotional impact within industrial materials, Adams utilizes aluminum mesh, often sourced from screen doors, windows, and filters, to craft abstract pieces and installations that mirror the elegance of natural phenomena. His creations, at times resembling flowers, clouds, and other organic elements, are a testament to the artistry of repurposing and the magic of recycling. As Adams shapes these sculptures almost entirely by hand, he infuses them with vibrant colors and unique textures, sometimes incorporating shattered auto glass. His work transcends fragility, much like the resilience found in nature itself.
Recycling, both as a practice and a concept, stands at the heart of Atticus’s artistic endeavor. He breathes new life into old industrial and architectural materials, and even his own past installations are reborn as new works of art. Transformation, as the fundamental principle of recycling, encapsulates his vision, where functionality is transmuted into aesthetics, and rough materials evolve into gentle forms.
Hope, a recurring theme in Adams’ art, is a symbol of recycling’s essence. He believes in the power of turning the mundane or even the unattractive into something beautiful. Through his art, he showcases how bleakness or blight can be replaced or subsumed by its opposite, epitomizing hope as an active, deliberate process and an emotional embrace of possibilities.
Adams’ roots in West Virginia, steeped in traditional folk art, deeply influence his creative journey. Hailing from a family of self-taught artists, he carries forward the tradition of using simple, easily available materials for creative expression. He fondly recalls the screened-in porches of his childhood, where the warmth of nature effortlessly blended with the indoors, leaving an indelible mark on his art.
His formal art training, which includes stints at prestigious institutions like Yale School of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, and Harvard School of Architecture, has garnered him recognition in national institutions like The Carnegie Museum of Art and The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. His impressive accolades include the coveted Artist of the Year award from the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in 2018. Today, his sculptures grace public and private collections worldwide, spanning the USA, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, and The Philippines.
Atticus Adams’ unique approach to sculpture is a heartfelt journey that bridges childhood memories and artistic craftsmanship. Through his works, he seamlessly weaves the gentle nostalgia of his Appalachian summers into sculptural narratives.
“Atticus Adams isn’t afraid to revisit his childhood memories. Born in Oregon but raised in West Virginia, Adams speaks often, with a soft, Southern twang, of summers spent at his grandmother’s house. The green apples and salt she would prepare in the August heat, playing with dress linings in her fashion trunks, or the look of the weathered screen of her porch door all appear as oblique references in his work. Adams’ memories and sculptures take on the Faulkner-like saga of summers in Appalachia: soft silk weeds that float above wild, overgrown grass, floral petals tilted by a summer rain, or the algae-like from mountain streams and creeks. His chosen material of metal and copper is durable but porous, nimble but sharp. Like his malleable but prickly materials, Adams’ carries himself with a mixture of Southern hospitality and the strength of a generation of pioneers.”
Jessica A. Beck
The Milton Fine Curator of Art
The Andy Warhol Museum
Since the opening of Artspace Warehouse in 2010, the gallery continues to be an industry leader in affordable, museum-quality artworks making collecting art accessible and budget-friendly. With one gallery in Zurich and two galleries in Los Angeles, Artspace Warehouse specializes in guilt-free international urban, pop, graffiti, figurative, and abstract art. The expansive 5,000-square-foot space offers a large selection of emerging and established artists from all over the world.
