2 Up and 2 Back: Arvie Smith
December 8, 2019- February 2, 2020
Photos by Mario Gallucci
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center is pleased to present 2 Up and 2 Back, a solo exhibition of new work by Arvie Smith, curated by Linda Tesner, opening on December 7th, 2019. A retrospective exhibition of his work will follow in spring at the Portland State University Jordan Schnitzer Museum with a catalog of both exhibitions.
Arvie Smith takes messages from public discourse, advertising, news media, pop culture, and daily micro assaults on marginalized groups, to deliver two dimensional master works. These pieces reveal the normalized and seemingly accepted inequities born out of privilege that are designed to interfere with truth, advancement and release from the chains of a dominant hierarchy based on skin tone. Smith’s work is about race and identity, inequity, justice, perseverance, and ultimately the resilience of the human spirit.
2 Up and 2 Back is new body of work, specifically focusing on systemic racial oppression. “Every time we as a society push forward on issues of racial inequality, the status quo pushes back allowing those who have most to lose from such progress to keep their standing,” says Smith. “My paintings present historical inequities in ambiguous ways, preparing the viewer to examine their own frame of reference and ideologies.”
Smith writes, “We live in interesting time and American politics on race and identity are explosive to the point where America appears to be on the precipice of a cliff. Overt demonstration of bias, racism and hate at all levels of American citizenry is chilling. We must ask ourselves what it will take to find the equilibrium that stops further erosion of our democracy. "
Public programs
Saturday, December 7, 7pm at Disjecta
Opening night walkthrough: Arvie Smith in conversation with Linda Tesner
Location: Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate Ave.
Thursday, January 16, 6pm at Disjecta
Artist Talk: Arvie Smith will discuss the work on view
Location: Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate Ave.
Sunday, January 26, 2pm at Disjecta
Artist Talk: Arvie Smith will discuss the work on view
Location: Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate Ave.
Arvie Smith was born in Houston during the Jim Crow era and grew up in Jaspar County, Texas for his first ten years. The history of the KKK and violence towards African Americans were very present for him in his early formative years. Smith’s family then moved to South Central Los Angeles at a time of heightened social and economic exploitation for African Americans. In his 40s he received a BFA from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and he later received his MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art’s Hoffberger School of Painting. He taught at PNCA for over 20 years where he is professor emeritus and was awarded Honorary Doctor of Art in 2017.
Smith is a 2017 recipient of the Oregon Governor’s Art Award for Lifetime Achievement. His work has been shown in New York, NY; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; Washington DC; New Orleans, LA; Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and Florence, Italy. His paintings are in the collections of the Portland Art Museum, Hallie Ford Museum, The Reginald Lewis Museum of African American Art and Culture, Oregon State University, Portland Community College, the City of Portland, Petrucci Family Foundation, Arlene Schnitzer, Jordan Schnitzer, Charlayne Hunter-Gualt, Nelson Mandela Estate, and Myrlie Evers-Williams.
Linda Tesner is the interim director and curator of the Jordan D. Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University. Previously, she served as director and curator at the Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art at Lewis & Clark College for the past two decades (1998-2019). She was formerly the assistant director of the Portland Art Museum and the director of the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington. She received her B.A in Art History from the University of Oregon and her M.A. in History of Art from Ohio State University.
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center is supported by The Collins Foundation, Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and Zephyr Charitable Foundation. Other businesses and individuals provided additional support.
2 Up and 2 Back is supported by The Ford Family Foundation and Portland State University.