Adrienne Dixon: Common Spaces of the Commonwealth
Artist Statement
What makes a place home are the people and the places. It is these two things that generate memories, inspire us, and implant themselves into our subconscious.
Common Spaces of the Commonwealth explores man-made spaces that have been pivotal to Lexingtonians. I have spent the past year interviewing and recording conversations with people of Lexington about what architecture has been influential in their lives. From these interviews I have created a body of work, one for each person interviewed, based upon the space that they feel has been important in their life. These works have been tediously painted, primarily with matte paint, but in some cases with glitter, on wood panels. Under the installation of each painting lies headphones for the audience to listen to these stories.
For the interviewing process,I began with the Jenkins family patriarch, Mac, and two of his children, Frank and Molly. I am chose these individuals because they are the Lexingtonians with the deepest roots in the community that I know. I then asked them to nominate 3 people who live in the lexington area, I asked that they try to nominate at least one person of a different socio-economic status than themselves. In total, over the course of a year I interviewed 18 citizens of Fayette County.
It is my hope that this exhibition generates a dialogue and shared experience with the people who call the Commonwealth home.
Common Spaces of the Commonwealth explores man-made spaces that have been pivotal to Lexingtonians. I have spent the past year interviewing and recording conversations with people of Lexington about what architecture has been influential in their lives. From these interviews I have created a body of work, one for each person interviewed, based upon the space that they feel has been important in their life. These works have been tediously painted, primarily with matte paint, but in some cases with glitter, on wood panels. Under the installation of each painting lies headphones for the audience to listen to these stories.
For the interviewing process,I began with the Jenkins family patriarch, Mac, and two of his children, Frank and Molly. I am chose these individuals because they are the Lexingtonians with the deepest roots in the community that I know. I then asked them to nominate 3 people who live in the lexington area, I asked that they try to nominate at least one person of a different socio-economic status than themselves. In total, over the course of a year I interviewed 18 citizens of Fayette County.
It is my hope that this exhibition generates a dialogue and shared experience with the people who call the Commonwealth home.
Exhibition Images
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All Lexington Art League programs are made possible through the generous support of LexArts. LexArts allocation of $50,000 represents the largest single donation to the operations of the Lexington Art League.
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The Kentucky Arts Council, a state arts agency, provides operating support to the Lexington Art League with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Lexington Parks & Recreation.
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