Hear from artist Andrew Alba as he guides us through his latest series of paintings and ceramics from his debut solo exhibition in New Mexico, Lifted Labor.
Andrew Alba is a prolific, self-taught artist from a non-traditional art background; He creates work without the theoretical constraints and critical expectations of the academy.
Inspired by the neo-expressionists, he loves using thick, gestural applications of oil paint and repurposed construction materials to provoke emotional responses in his audience and critique our wildly complex sociopolitical present. He achieves this by juxtaposing the clean white walls of art institutions with the rough-hewn, everyday materials of workers. His use of non-traditional materials such as drywall mud, concrete, lumber, and drop cloths creates an aesthetic entrywaythrough which the working class can enter esoteric fine art spaces.
Ultimately, Alba is interested in how his use of materials resonates with the working class.
His to-date career highlights include his exhibition and residency with the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and receiving the Utah Division of Arts and Museums Visual Arts Fellowship.