Adam Linn

Biography of Adam Linn

Adam Linn (b. 1995, Pittsburgh, PA) is an artist based in Pittsburgh PA. He holds a BFA in Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has completed residencies at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, CO, and the Distillery Program at the Brewhouse Association in Pittsburgh, PA. Linn has exhibited extensively in the Western Pennsylvania region, New York City, and Providence, RI. He has participated in juried exhibitions with the Pittsburgh Print Group, the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and White Columns Curated Artist Registry. He resides in Pittsburgh where he continues his practice today.

Interview

Hi Adam, welcome at UltraContemporaries.com. Can you introduce yourself as an artist? How did you begin and where are you at the moment?

I am an artist based in Pittsburgh, PA working in drawing and print media. I have always been drawing for as long as I can remember. I was able to pursue art throughout childhood, into high school and onto college. I studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in Printmaking in 2017. Since graduating I have relocated back to my hometown where I continue to make work today. Currently, I am working towards a handful of exhibitions that will be taking place during the first half of 2022. These range from group shows, an upcoming two person show, and later a solo exhibition.

Can you help our readers understand better the themes of your works?

My work explores queer self discovery through the lens of anthropomorphism. I think about how themes of seduction and the grotesque influenced my understanding of self as I was discovering my sexuality. These personal discoveries primarily came about through absorbing cartoon media from the late 90s and early 2000s. The anthropomorphized universes on- screen provided an alternative reality in which I saw myself mirrored more accurately than live action media. Many cartoon characters posessed queer signifiers that resonated with me as a child on a wavelength I did not understand at the time. However, growing into my own has taught me that I was deeply inspired by these fictional beings that processed adult themes with a whimsy, humor and everlasting grin. My work is in some ways an homage to these cartoon universes that guided me. It also functions as a current channel through which I can process internal questions regarding self expression, gender, isolation and my relationship with technology.

As a queer artist, has been your career difficult so far?

I would not say my career has been difficult because I am a queer artist. I think just being an artist in general, and a successful one at that, is difficult enough as is. The art world now overtly acknowledges and showcases works surrounding themes of identity politics and individual experience. Personal narratives and journeys are being uplifted in a way that gives a newfound authority to voices previously underrepresented. My work is deeply rooted in my sexuality, and the fact that I identify as a gay man. This fact has altered the way I view the world and move through it. Of course my work should therefore be shaped by my experience as a gay man and part of a larger queer community. My work feels inextricably linked to my identity at this time, but my identity consists of many things beyond my work. However unique, strange and at times difficult my journey has been, all I want to do is go on interpreting my experiences into art.

Would you describe your creative process?

My creative process begins with observing the world around me. Ideas come to me through my constant looking and ability to allow my mind to run free. I get many good ideas when I am going about the mundane, more transitional moments of my day. Whether this is driving, doing laundry, walking around or making coffee, I tend to get little bursts of visuals that come just as quickly as they go. I’ll then make sure to write them down in the notes app on my phone. I have to get the idea written down while the visual is still flying around inside my head. I always come back to these notes before sketching. I will be able to read some nonsensical phrase or series of worlds and instantly be brought back to the image it conjured. My sketching process is very informal and typically involves a simple graphite pencil on a sketchbook. I will go through the list and visualize the notes I have jotted down. This will usually spark a sort of stream of conscious sketching session in which I take the things I already have drawn and allow those to inspire new material. This generative drawing process can result in 20-30 sketches of ideas I will almost always come back to in some form or another. While this process feels quick and more spontaneous, my drawing process on the final surface is slow and meditative. I allow myself a lot of time away from the work. I also typically work on multiple things at a time. This makes me do a lot of looking and thinking, which results in very considered images.

Does art have an impact on society?

I definitely think art has an impact on society. It can open minds to new ideas and equal the playing field for those of different experiences. Also, with the accessibility of social media and content sharing it is easier than ever to see something from someone halfway across the world that resonates with you. I think now more than ever art can have an impact on society. It can help people understand, question or process their realities and seek out like-minded individuals to aid in this journey. It can also promote discourse amongst those with whom you do not agree, as differing viewpoints are a reality of life. Whether my art brightens up one person’s day or an entire community, the only thing that matters is that it is being seen.

What are your favourite artists?

So many artists have inspired my practice over the years. Some of the most consistent ones are Lisa Yuskavage, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Elizabeth Murray, Jared French and Paul Cadmus, Namio Harukawa and Mark Thomas Gibson. I also have a strong affinity for the Northern Renaissance, Japanese Ukiyo-e printmaking, the Chicago Imagists and erotic illustrators. My interests continue to grow over time as I meet new artists and become inspired by their unique vision of the world.

How would you define success for an artist?

Success for an artist really depends on the artist. Some artists want more out of their career than others. Personally, I would define success as living comfortably off of my art practice and engaging in constant conversation and collaboration with other artists, galleries, artistic organizations, museums and publications. I not only want to show my work all over the world, but I want to engage with programming related to my work in order to further broaden its understanding and audience. I want to meet more artists and learn from them too. I would also say success entails having a network of artists and an arts related community that believes in my work and supports me however they can. There is so much that I have yet to do with my work so I am very excited looking towards the future.

Any suggestions you would give to other young artists…

All I can really advise is to stay true to who you are and find your own inspiration from which to create. One of the biggest problems I see nowadays is work that all looks very similar. I think there can be a false image of what will be successful and what model to follow to achieve the most attention to one’s work. The best thing an artist can do is offer a new perspective that has not yet been seen. This perspective, however, must be rooted in some truth or experience that pertains to its maker. I could only make my work because I have only experienced my own life. As long as you are staying true to some belief or concern of yours, your work will always be rooted in something that holds value in your heart. This, in turn, will make you believe in your work and want to see it develop to its best ideation.

Any young artists we should really interview?

I really love the work of Gabe Cortese, Kathia St. Hilaire, Clayton Schiff, Lacey Hall, Alina Perez and Steven Mayer.

Official website

https://www.adamlinn.net/