Aaron S Coleman - Things Fall Apart

A aron S . Cole m an T h i n g s F a l l A p a r t

A a r on S . Cole ma n Things Fall Apar t

Pink Girl Plays with Purple Bird, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021

D irecto r ’s Fo r e wo r d

Aaron S. Coleman – Things Fall Apart, is an opportunity to view his important work. Printmaking, in all its forms, is one of the Art Department’s fundamental areas of study. Having exhibitions of exceptional printmaking helps our students generate meaningful discussions and supports their lifelong learning.

The University Art Gallery’s programming helps support our faculty’s teaching. It is through faculty recommendations that many exhibitions come to our galleries. This exhibition was recommended by my colleague Martin Azevedo, who wrote the following about Aaron’s work: “I first ran across Aaron’s work several years ago at a Printmaking workshop in South Dakota. I have always admired his traditional prints and I appreciate how the work has developed in recent years. The work embraces the qualities and unique properties traditional printmaking offers while engaging with painting, drawing, and collage practices. There is always a richness and density of imagery and content in his work that speaks to our current culture and society while interweaving complicated historical narratives in an intriguing and thought-provoking way.”

I am very happy to be able to exhibit Aaron’s work for others to enjoy.

I would like to thank the many colleagues that have been instrumental in presenting this exhibition. Aaron S. Coleman for the chance to exhibit his brilliant work. Martin Azevedo for recommending Arron’s exhibition, Brad Peatross of the School of the Arts, California State University, Stanislaus for the catalog design and Parks Printing for printing this catalog.

Much gratitude is extended to the Instructionally Related Activates Program of California State University, Stanislaus, as well as anonymous donors for the funding of the exhibition and catalogue. Their support is greatly appreciated.

Dean De Cocker Director, University Art Galleries California State University, Stanislaus

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Pink Doorman Greets Purple Girl, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 6

Aaron S. Co le m an

Artist Statement My studio practice comprises an amalgam of creative processes and historical research. I utilize printmaking, painting, collage, sculpture, and installation to create works that address how mundane and seemingly anodyne artifacts embody the complex and pervasive history of race/racism and class/classicism in the United States. Employing a multi-media approach, I rework and re-contextualize images and objects to foreground their interactions – both past and present – in this history. The objects (e.g., picket fences, coloring books, embroidery or pop-culture ephemera) are visually or physically juxtaposed with contrary or jarring images that release uncomfortable truths and suppressed stories which are both personal and political.

My studio practice has expanded to consider the process of re-presentation of objects and histories both in terms of scale and space to create interactions among different media, and now includes sculpture and installation.

The presence of three-dimensional signifiers is physically confrontational and asks the viewer to wrestle with the complicated origins and dynamics of Race and the resulting implications.

Most recently, my research has been a critical analysis of authoritarian systems of information, control, and power.

I focus on how religion, politics, certain methodologies of science and anthropology, and the criminal justice system contribute to and sustain race- and class-based oppression.

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Pink Boy Listens to Music Made by Purple Man, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 8

Things Fa ll A p ar t

Things Fall Apart presents works inspired by my ongoing efforts to understand and navigate my life as a biracial person. This exhibition marries two seemingly disparate series, separated by the perceived gap between personal experience and global history and brought back together by the threads of generational trauma. On display are works that point to the origins and ongoing impact of settler colonialism and white supremacy.

Pink and Purple Pink and Purple consists of 14 small, mixed media paintings which continue my exploration of altered coloring books from the 1950s. These coloring books are used as educational tools to teach children about the colors of the world around them. While there are very few people of color in the book, the pages have yellowed over time and resemble my biracial skin tone. The key on the back of the book gives instruction as to how the pages should be colored, yet missing from this key is any reference to skin tone. I have completed the pages by following the instructions while harnessing various life experiences and stereotypes to make assumptions about the figures in the book. The figures perform daily tasks and take part in mundane activities which are set to a backdrop of rusting iron. Emerging from the rust are details of Bible illustrations, asking the viewer to consider the roll of the church in the perpetuation of and benefit from racist ideas. The imagery on each page, perceived at the most basic level, presents interactions between people, or representations of people, of different races. Upon deeper contemplation they slowly begin to reveal problematic truths and unravel as moments of extreme tension between race, gender and age, calling on the viewer to reflect on current and historic sociopolitical events. Before alteration, the pages are so fragile that they crumble in my hands. Now, more paint than paper, the pages are literally held together by my visual interpretations of history, tradition, trauma and tragedy.

Monumental Shadows Monumental Shadows consists of nine large-scale, mixed media paintings which present stacked silhouettes of confederate statues, materialized through bronze, iron, tar and screen-print on paper. Responding to the toppling of a large number of these statues in 2020, the oxidized and corroding metals elude to the man-made construction of both physical objects and problematic ideologies, their precarious foundations, decaying façades and inevitable demise. The floral patterns of Colonial Crewelwork embroidery and African Kente cloth motifs are stand-ins for oppressor and oppressed, villains and heroes. Mimicking stained glass windows, the works in Monumental Shadows are explorations of authoritarian systems of power. In this case, under the microscope is the legacy of the church and its roll in perpetuating white supremacy and the radicalization of indigenous spiritualities.

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Pink Businessman Embraces Purple Girl, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 10

Purple Man Carries Heavy Bags, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 11

Purple Milkman Delivers White Milk, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 12

Pink Girl Plays with Purple Dolly, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 13

Pink Boy Plays with Purple Clown, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 14

Pink Girl Feeds Purple Fishy, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 15

Purple Girl Puts Pink Dolly to Bed, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 16

Purple Lady Ice-skates with Pink Man, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 17

Purple Girl Colors White Coloring Book, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 18

Pink Man Looks at Purple Women, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 19

Pink Lady Puts Yellow Flower on Purple Man’s Suit, iron, acrylic and screen print on found coloring book page, 8” x 11”, 2021 20

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 1, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 21

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 2, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 22

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 3, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 23

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 4, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 24

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 5, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 25

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 6, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 26

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 7, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 27

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 8, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 28

Untitled - Monumental Shadows 9, iron, bronze, tar and screen print on paper, 26” x 34”, 2021 29

A a r o n S . C ol e ma n C V

E D U C AT I O N 2013 2009

Master of Fine Arts – Northern Illinois University Bachelor of Fine Arts – Herron School of Art Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Major – Printmaking, Minor–Art history

SE LE CT E D SO L O E X H IB ITION S 2021 Monumental Shadows, O.S.B. Art Gallery, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL

Things Fall Apart, CSU Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

Aaron S. Coleman – Prints 2015-2021, Flat Tail Press Gallery, Minot State University, Minot ND 2020 Aaron S. Coleman: Prints and Collages, Tippetts and Eccles Galleries, Utah State University, Logan, UT 2019 Nothing to See Here, Smith Family Gallery, Tulsa, OK

True and Livin’, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Mesa, AZ 2018 Royal Dirt, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV

Dogs of Doom, Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ 2017 Nothing to See Here, Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art, Phoenix, AZ

Dogs of Doom, Artist Image Resource, Philadelphia, PA

Red Horizon, Bob Owens Gallery, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 2016 Dark Heart News, Corridor 2122, Fresno, CA

Smithereens, M-Street Studios, Fresno, CA 2015 New Works – Aaron S. Coleman, Station 16, Athens, OH

Understanding Oblivion, Hoofprint Workshop, Chicago, IL

Out of the Sky, Into the Dirt, AdventureLand Gallery, Chicago, IL 2013 Elgin Community College Library, Elgin, Illinois - Curator: Ed Krantz

Southern Graphics Council International Graduate Student Fellowship Exhibition, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WI

Heroes & Hypocrites, Gallery 215, Dekalb, IL SE LE CT E D T WO A N D TH RE E P E RS ON E X HIBIT IO NS 2017 2013

Surroundings, Bernal Gallery, Pima Community College West, Tucson, AZ Aaron S. Coleman & Jessica Christy, Valley City State University, Valley City, ND Curator: Linda Whitney Utopia/Dystopia – Aaron S. Coleman and Erik Waterkotte, College of the Sequoias, Visalia, CA Curator: Jessica Robles

SE LE CT E D G ROUP E X H IB ITION S 2021 Multitudes, Project V Gallery, Columbia University, Chicago, IL - Curator: Jade Hoyer

Arts in Action, Elwood House and Museum, Dekalb, IL

Common Ground, Utah Cultural Celebration Center - Curator: Abe Kimball 2020 How We See Art, Scottsdale Arts, Scottsdale AZ 2019 Sanctuary – travelling exhibition - Curator: Shelley Thortenson 2018 Activate, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

The BIG Print Show, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL - Curator: Deborah Maris Ladder

Exposition des oeuvres de L’Atelier le Grand Village, les Salles Lavauguyon, Angoulem, France Curator: Francis van der Reit

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2018 The Big Crash, Impact Printmaking Conference, Santander, Spain – Curator: Ruthann Godollei

The Hand, Fraction Studios, Kansas City, MO – Curators: Adam Finklestein and James Maera

Mezzot’India, Bihar Museum, Patna, India – Curator: Guy Langevin

SWEET, Golden and Delicious, Northern Illinois University Art Museum, Dekalb, IL Curator: Josephine Burke

Donde esta mi pistola arpón, Till Richter Museum, Buggenhagen, Germany – Curator: Miguel Aragon

Los Norteños, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI – Curator: John Hitchcock

Donde esta mi pistola arpón, University of Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico - Curator: Byron T. Brauchli

International Mezzotint Exhibition, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA – Curator: Miranda Metcalf

Global Matrix IV, Galleries at Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 2017 PSAD Printmaking Invitational, Bill Ford Gallery, Paducah College of Art and Design, Paducah, KY Curators: Erich Neitzke and Michael Crouse

Global Matrix IV, Stein Galleries, Wright State University, Dayton, OH

International Mezzotint Exhibition, Instituto Cultural de Aguascalientes – Curator: Leo Rodriguez

Southern Graphics Council International Members Exhibition – Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI

Southern Graphics Council International Members Exhibition

Jack Olson Gallery, Northern Illinois University, Deklab, IL

No Borders Benefit Exhibition (ACLU), Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY Curator: Kirsten Flaherty 2016 Standing Rock Benefit Exhibition, Rogue Space, Chelsea, NY – Curator: Kirsten Flaherty

Publish or Perish, Macia Wood Gallery, Atlanta, GA – Curators: Rich Gere and Ryan O’Malley

The Visceral Hand, Rivet Gallery, Columbus, OH

Southern Graphics Council International Members Exhibition

Contemporary Gallery: Center for Art and Theatre, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 2016 Twisted Impressions, Davidson Galleries, Seattle WA – Curator: Miranda Metcalf

The Impression: A Print Survey, Blue Line Gallery, Sacramento, CA

American Lithographers, Museum of Lithographic Art, Tidahlom, Sweden – Curator: Andrew DeCaen CO NFE R E NC E S / S C H OL A RLY P RE S E N TAT IO NS / A RT IST LECT U R ES 2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2017

2016

Panel Discussion, Association for the Study of African American Life Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL Visiting Artist and Lecturer, New Mexico State, Elgin, IL Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Northwest Arts Center, Minot, ND Visiting Artist and Lecturer, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL Frogman’s 38th Print and Paper Workshop Faculty, University of Nebraska, OMA Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Utah State University, Logan, UT Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY Visiting Artist and Lecturer, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA Visiting Artist and Lecturer, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN Visiting Artist and Lecturer, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK Panelist and presenter – Making Our Place: Disruptive Narratives in Contemporary Printmaking Society for Utopian Studies, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Artist Residency, Art Print Residence, Barcelona, Spain Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Visiting Artist and Lecturer, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL Visiting Artist and Lecturer, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Visiting Artist and Lecturer, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA Panelist and presenter – Crossroad: Intersections and Interventions, Southern Graphics Council International Conference, Atlanta, GA – Organizer: Susanna Crum Artist Residency, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN Artist Residency, Atelier Le Grande Village, Massignac, France Frogman’s 35th Print and Paper Workshop Faculty, University of Nebraska, OMA Visiting Artist/Lecturer, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

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2015 Visiting Artist/Lecturer, Ohio University, Athens, OH

Visiting Artist/Lecturer, Minot State University

Visiting Artist/Lecturer, Texas A&M Corpus Christi

Visiting Artist/Lecturer, Chicago Printers Guild

Visiting Lecturer, California State University Fresno 2013 Printmaking Residency, 2-week printmaking residency at the Frans Masereel Centrum in Belgium 2012 Visiting Artist Lecture, Herron School of Art and Deign

PE R M A NE NT C OL L E C TION S Janet Turner Print Museum Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts – Russia National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts – Taiwan Frogman’s Printmaking and Paper Workshop Permanent Collection Biennial Collection of The Printmaking Museum of Douro – Portugal Arizona State University University of Colorado Wichita State University University of Ohio University of Utah Ino-cho Paper Museum – Japan Herron School of Art and Design Northern Illinois University University of Tennessee Knoxville Ewing Gallery Pears Studio at North Dakota State University Artist Printmaker/Photographer Research Collection in the Art Division of the Museum of Texas Tech University Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College The Bibliothèque Nationale – France Numerous private national and international collections PU B LI C AT I ON S A N D P RE S S 2021 PHX Artist Spotlight, Phoenix Museum of Art, online

Shoutout Arizona, Voyage Phoenix, online 2020 Kolaj Magazine #29, print and online, featured artist 2019 Art in the 48, PBS, television and online, featured artist

Printmaking Today, featured artist 2017 Studio Visit Magazine, Juror: Diana Gaston 2016 COVER Southern Printmaking Biennial International VII Catalog

Pacific States Biennial Catalog

4 Rivers Print Biennial Catalog The Hand Magazine, Featured Artist

COVER and Featured Artist, Revenge Magazine No. 3

3rd Atlanta Printmakers Biennial Catalog 2015 Southern Graphics Council International Travelling Members Exhibition Catalog

The Contemporary Print Catalog

Delta National Small Prints Exhibition Catalog 2014 Rolled Stone and Inked Catalog

International Biennial Print Exhibit: 2014 ROC Catalog

2nd International Mezzotint Festival Catalog

Los Angeles Printmakers 21st National Juried Exhibition Catalog

2nd Atlanta Printmakers Biennial Catalog

7th International Printmaking Biennial of Douro Catalog

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2013 23rd Parkside National Small Print Exhibition Catalog

Global Print 2013 Catalog 2012 6th International Printmaking Biennial of Douro Catalog

Atlanta Printmakers Biennial Catalog 2011 Collision and Equilibrium International Exhibition Catalog

Pie Crust Magazine, Vol. 1: Issue 1

Trendland, Online art and fashion magazine

Velvet Magazine, Venezuelan art, trend, design and culture magazine COVER, ARTspace Original Print Exchange and Exhibition Catalog

7th Annual National Self-portrait and Exhibition Catalog PO RT FO LI O E X C H A N G E S 2019 Reemerge – Curator: Ruthann Godollei

A Shrinking World – Curator: Andrew Mullaly 2019 Sanctuary – Curator: Shelley Thortenson 2018 Appearances – Curator: Francis van der Reit

Afraid of Black – Curator: Francis van der Reit

The Big Crash – Curator: Rutann Godollei

First Contact – Curator: Jessi Hardesty 2016 The Visceral Hand – Curators: Michael Weigman and Joshua Johnson

Donde Esta Mi Pistola? – Curator: Miguel Arragon

Dog Head Stew – Curator: Melanie Yazzie

Not Approved by The Comics Code Authority Too! - Curator: Joseph Lupo 2016 Print or Die: Superstition – Curator: Dominic Senebaldi 2015 Who We Are – Curator: Melanie Yazzie

Frogman’s Print and Paper Workshop 35th Anniversary Exchange – Curator: Jeremy Menard

World Building – Curator: Janet Ballweg

Premonition – Curator: Chris Blume

Print or Die! – Curator: Dominic Senibaldi 2014 Drawn from The McClung – Curators: Sydney Cross, Beauvais Lyons and Althea Murphy

Better Living – Curator: Ashton Ludden

Portraits of Papa Barnes – Curator: Chris Cannon 2014 Krampus – Organizer: Curtis Readel

Body of Christ – Curator: Ricardo Ruiz

Print or Die 2014 “Humanimal” – Curator: Dominic Snebaldi 2013 2013 SGCI Members Portfolio Exchange

Communication Breakdown – Curator: The Scavengers

Print or Die! – Curator: Dominic Senibaldi

Frogman’s Printmaking Workshop Portfolio Exchange for 2013 – Curator: Jeremy Menard 2012 Both Sides of the Brain: An International Mezzotint Portfolio Exchange and Exhibition Organizer/Curator: Aaron S. Coleman

Salt City Dozen Exchange and Exhibition, Syracuse University, Juror: Beauvais Lyons, Organizer: Dusty Herbig 2011 ARTspace Original Print Exchange and Exhibition, Windsor, Ontario Canada – Organizer: ARTspace

International Print Exchange, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, Organizer: Green Door Printmaking tudios

International Mezzotint Society Portfolio Exchange and Exhibition – Organizer: Jayne Reid Jackson

The Littlest Print Exchange – Juror: Christopher Clark 2009 Rhythm, Advanced printmaking portfolio exchange, Herron School of Art, Organizer: Lauren Kussro and Coco Rico 2008 Phobia, Advanced lithography portfolio exchange, Herron School of Art, Organizer: Chunwoo Nam

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Ackn ow le dge m en ts

California State University, Stanislaus

Dr. Ellen Junn, President

Dr. Kimberly Greer, Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs

Dr. James A. Tuedio, Dean, College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Depar tment of Ar t

Martin Azevedo, Associate Professor, Chair

Tricia Cooper, Lecturer

Dean De Cocker, Professor

James Deitz, Lecturer

Daniel Edwards, Associate Professor

Patrica Eshagh, Lecturer

Jessica Gomula-Kruzic, Professor

Daniel Heskamp, Lecturer

Chad Hunter, Lecturer

Dr. Carmen Robbin, Professor

Ellen Roehne, Lecturer

Dr. Staci Scheiwiller, Associate Professor

Susan Stephenson, Associate Professor

Jake Weigel, Associate Professor

Meg Broderick, Administrative Support Assistant II

Kyle Rambatt, Equipment Technician II

University Ar t Galleries

Dean De Cocker, Director

School of the Ar ts

Brad Peatross, Graphic Specialist II

Aaron S. Coleman - Things Fall Apart April 1–23, 2021 | Stan State Art Space, California State University, Stanislaus | 226 N. First St., Turlock, CA 95380 300 copies printed. Copyright © 2020 California State University, Stanislaus • ISBN 978-1-940753-57-7 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

This exhibition and catalog have been funded by Associated Students Instructionally Related Activities, California State University, Stanislaus.

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