JUNE 1, 2018 – JULY 22, 2018
Milton Downing insists he is not an activist, but perhaps a moralist. This assemblage artist gathers pieces of discarded clothing and other found objects into painted compositions that reveal a wide range of human experiences. His subjects, regardless of their backgrounds, are elevated through an expressive use of color and enlivened through the artist’s gestural use of paint. The emotional content of the people depicted are channeled through the forms emerging from the artist’s incorporated materials: a piece of denim influences a posture that dictates the narrative of his figure. From dejected and harassed people on the fringes of society to sports stars at the center of attention, Downing’s images act as a tribute to emotional and physical endurance. His subjects shed light on challenges facing many Americans with depictions of archetypes within its communities.