My work examines how ideas of progress and power are embedded in our infrastructure. In paintings and multimedia work, I depict examples of architecture, industry, and finance as hollowed out and faded. Stripped of their original contexts and layered into one another, these depictions still suggest the optimism that drove their creation. Yet they somehow seem to miss the mark. Something critical is missing, and its absence haunting. Lacking a clear narrative, the omissions and contradictions provide space for something new to emerge. What results is something more complex, compromised by a history where power is leveraged and costs imposed. These fragile descriptions of development challenge our assumptions of permanence, and the scars of aggressively-worked surfaces speak to both decay and renewal. The subtle marks and stains Andrew Dines invite a slow read that stands in contrast to the pace of modern life. My time as a graduate student at the University at Albany provided me with the tools to make meaningful work and the drive to constantly interrogate and improve upon it. Working with faculty in a variety of fields provided me with invaluable insights into how to address political concerns through traditional media.
– Andrew Dines
–Flow: Works By Alumni Artists From Mohawk Hudson Region Exhibitions 2009-2017