Lindsay Adams’s journey into her painting career was not linear; instead, her path enhanced her artistry by giving her different perspectives and experiences that helped her showcase what she represents: pure talent.
Adams is an oil painter who uses flowers to express her artistry and representation as a Black woman. Embracing her intersectional identity, Adams’s work serves as self-reflection, exploring personal and collective histories and the role imagination plays in mining the complexities and nuances of life.
Her current work is a conceptual investigation of the balance between the known and the possible, examining themes of place, liberation, expanse, and freedom. Each intuitive mark invites a dialogue between reality and dreaming, as she mines through layers of gesture and color to build worlds.
She alternates between abstract and representational forms, employing formal techniques that highlight the physicality of paint and the delicacy of gesture. In this way, she weaves multiple paintings within one, crafting a rich tapestry informed by interconnected experiences that invite reflection on the boundlessness of dreaming. Adam’s work highlights her interest in constructing imagined ecologies, spaces in which rhythmic gestures and dynamic hues engage in a continuous dialogue.
It’s been three years since Adams held her first solo exhibition in Washington, D.C., with the theme being based on the phrase, and titled, “Two Things Can Be True.” “I feel grounded and thrilled at the same time; my life and work have changed tremendously since then,” Adams said of her upcoming exhibit.
“This is my first major solo, so I’m happy I can start the new year with this, with new energy and work to show people.” The Chicago-based Artist will be exhibiting at Sean Kelly, Los Angeles at 1357 N Highland Ave. from Jan. 18 to March 8. The name of her exhibition is “Keep Your Wonder Moving.”
Adams’s artistry reflects her identity and a reflection of her life as she uses her various degrees and life experiences to influence her work.”I recently pondered how my academic background and foundation impact my work and realized that I paint through the lens of a social scientist.” She explained her perspective when starting her creative process before putting it on canvas. “I’m thinking about the world, books I’ve read, personal experience, collective history and narrative, and the human experience and how it creates a bridge for us to relate. This process couldn’t have been created without education being my foundation.”
The oil painter has a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in International Studies: World Politics and Diplomacy, and a B.A. in Spanish/LAIS (Latin and Iberian Studies). She is expected to receive her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago this summer.
While her current achievements welcome her to receive her flowers now, Adams has also done things with CP (cerebral palsy). “Living with a disability adds an abstract perspective to my life and artwork. People have many questions when it comes to my disability and my life. I realized that those questions have many answers, and all of those answers center around me having a strong community and support system.”
CP is a group of conditions that affect movement and posture. It’s caused by damage that occurs to the developing brain, most often before birth. Symptoms appear during infancy or preschool years and vary from mild to serious. Children with cerebral palsy may have exaggerated reflexes. The arms and legs may appear floppy. Or they may have stiff muscles, known as spasticity. Symptoms also can include irregular posture, movements that can’t be controlled, a walk that’s not steady, or some combination of these. The cause of cerebral palsy and its effect on function vary from person to person.
When Adams was young, she would often wander in her thoughts, drawing everything that came to mind, as her artistry was part of her personality at a young age and eventually became a place of comfort. Her academic prowess allowed her to explore her creative mind while exceeding her studies. “I love learning, and I was in child-gifted programs growing up, so the exploration of my mind was consistent.” Adams described her upbringing. “I always knew I was different from the other kids, but the community around me was so supportive and loving my differences were never a concern for me.”
While Adams is a natural talent, she struggles with the technical side. “I know it looks wonderful, but it gets hard. Its so many things I need to learn about painting and drawing, and that only comes with time and effort.” Adams said.
“Keep Your Wonder Moving” pivots from her earlier figurative depictions of nature and Black subjects to a complex abstract vernacular. As Adams describes, this transition emerged as “an inevitable shift toward expressing a conceptual story, allowing myself latitude in my storytelling and cultural reflection.” The works on view highlight her interest in constructing imagined ecologies, spaces in which rhythmic gestures and dynamic hues engage in a continuous dialogue.
For instance, in “Rhythm With Blues,” electric yellow and lavender forms bloom against an inky blue background, evoking a field of abstracted flowers that resist traditional representational constraints. Adams challenges the viewer to question the delineations of form to embrace the unknown. There will be 11 original pieces at her unveiling, and three that exhibit the theme are “Quietly Drifting,” “A Bit of Glimmer on Dark Days,” and “Float On.”