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Adrian Frost

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Adrian Frost has been an artist-in-residence at 11 Cross Gallery and the character of this space took its cue from his energy and work.  In person, Adrian is a powerful, compassionate and  inspiring personality.  He creates an enviroment around himself  that demands participation: there is no such thing as a passive observer in Adrian’s world.  This participation can be by stepping over a pile of salt cushioning a block of driftwood, crouching around a tipped form to view the reverse side or recoiling from the jagged edges of broken glass.

An encounter with Adrian is always memorable as is any encounter with his art.  At first, one is struck by the “arte povera” qualities: chipped plexiglass, broken planks, plateglass “mended” by masking tape  but on closer examination everything is beautifully crafted, deliberate and secure.  The appearance of fragility is purely deceptive as the strength of the artist’s message emerges.

“those who know speak not…” by Adrian Frost upright view courtesty the Image Factory

In his paintings, Adrian combats space forging not so much letters but forms that individually embody the power of the entire word.  Painted phrases such as: “improvised explosive device” or “have a nice day” invoke a new meaning when the space of each painted character is fought for with a passionate brush. In his sculptures, Adrian  chisels cryptic poems into weathered wood.  A long bench states: “those who know speak not, those who speak, know not”  and the interiors of the hewn letters are painstakingly lined in sterling silver leaf.  The installation of this piece, like many others, will shift depending on context and enviroment.  Sometimes, Adrian has exhibited “those who know…” as an upright bench, other times it has been shown face down, barely legible save by looking at a mirror placed underneath and partially obscured by coarse rock salt.   This sculpture, installed as a functional bench, invites body contact yet another placement puts the work out of reach by making its meaning more obscure.  Other artwork can be buried in dirt, shielded behind broken glass or flipped to the wall (“One Man” 11crossgallery Saugerties, NY 13 August 2010), and yet in another incarnation  (“Another Circle” Emerson Resort, Mount Tremper NY 4 June 2010), the same work can manifest a table, exhibit handsome framing or be mounted like a ladder inviting ascension.
Adrian’s next show “Introducing Furies: The Erinyes, Cthonic Deites Supernatural Personifications of the Anger of the Dead” opens September 3, 2011 3-5pm at The Art Colony Eureka Springs , Arkansas.

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