Against Apathy,

Center for Fine Arts Project Space,

University at Buffalo, SUNY, November 2024

Curatorial Statement:

As a pivotal national election approaches, far too many Americans will meet this moment with general indifference. Against Apathy invites viewers to engage with the transformative power of art and seeks to instill a sense of urgency and responsibility in gallery attendees. The exhibition features a dynamic collection of screenprints, risographs and relief prints crafted on a broad array of paper and fabric. In these printed works, nineteen artists from eleven states, collectively reference the rich visual history of agitprop, protest movements, and activist printmaking, and challenge viewers to confront their own complacency and embrace their political agency.

The show features a 15-person exchange portfolio entitled, “Banner Flags of Resistance and Revolution” which was originally conceived during the runup to the 2020 presidential election and whose themes remain highly relevant four years later. Also included are new woodcuts by David Barthold, a screenprint by University at Buffalo alumnus, Shirley Bassarath and a risograph by Tonja Torgenson and Christa Carleton from their collaborative, print series “Body Politic,” Finally, while the American zeitgeist is a cultural climate of hyper-polarized partisan conflict, Leslie Friedman offers an installation of printed, pennant-style flags which both celebrate our differences and focus on, inclusivity, self-care and friendship.

-Noah Breuer, 2024

NOAH BREUER

NOAH BREUER