ABOUT​​​

Blake Carter’s recent drawings abound in dichotomies. Crudely scribbled figures are arranged into carefully structured compositions, and though the pieces are figural, they appear abstract at a distance. The figures look repetitive until closer inspection reveals that each one is unique.

 

Conceptually, the grouped figures suggest a sense of togetherness and community. Each of us is flawed, but with organization and collaboration, we as a society can prosper. Most of the figures are anonymous, like the people we see but don’t get to know in everyday life. A few cultural and historical references playfully invite a closer look.

 

Blake’s choice of drawing on porous substrates adds an expressionist element of risk, limiting any possible revisions and creating a record of his time-intensive process. While expressionism is often associated with impulsive, emotional outbursts, the pieces exude an obsessively controlled balance of chaos and order. 

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Education

Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA:

Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art Major

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Artists Studied Under

Keiko Hara

Tsong Pu

 

​Collections

City of Kent

The University of Chicago

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Body of Work

2009-12: Composers (available)

2009-15: Scooters (sold out)

2012: New Landscape Paintings (sold out)

2012-16: Pedestrians (closed)

2017-current: All of Us (available)

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