Eighteen is pleased to present If These Hands Could Talk, an expansive solo exhibition by Devin Troy Strother. ”The works in this exhibition have a double meaning as they examine the experience of a black artist producing work about themself, while they also examine the art world’s current obsession of collecting works that revolve around the black body and black portraiture," Strother says.
"Since the very beginning of my practice, my work has revolved around using the black body as a vehicle to explore various subject matter that is commonly surveyed by other artists. These subjects were explored through techniques such as collage, sculpture, and performance. As a result of doing this over time, my present-day practice began to transform into further questioning of what my intent is as an artist.
"By investigating other artists with similar paths such as Phillip Guston, Joan Brown, and Bob Thompson, it allowed me a newer space of freedom to move away from an identity that I had previously established and had been commonly recognized for. Embarking on this new path endorsed a relationship with image making that I find more historically traditional yet challenging. This allowed me to reflect on the experiences of other artists while reflecting back on my own experience as I mature as an artist. I realize the only constant is change and how we adapt to it. As a result this body of work is a consistent examination of myself and what I am contributing to this ever expanding canon of art history.
"The title of this exhibition focuses on the last 15 years of working as a full-time artist and all that has coincided with that dedication and time. In conclusion, in the words of a close friend named Georgio Allen, “I’ve seen some shit”.”
