Bridges and Walls, a solo exhibition by 2021 Artist in Residence Orin Carpenter, has been extended through January 30, 2022. The exhibition is the culmination of the artist’s year-long residency on the MarinMOCA campus. Carpenter’s mixed media work is informed by his own personal experiences and observations of human encounters, and the outcomes that occur. He is inspired by the concept of humans building bridges to seek connections, or conversely, creating walls for protection. The artist's work investigates, and reflects on, those experiences and asks the viewer: “Did you build a wall or a bridge today, and why?” We invite visitors of all ages to explore this thought-provoking exhibition. The exhibition is free to the public.

Bridges and Walls in-person artist talk: Click here to watch Orin Carpenter's thoughtful talk about his work and process.

About the Artist

Orin Carpenter is an artist and educator and currently the Visual and Performing Arts Director at Marin Catholic High School. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Memphis, and received his MFA in Illustration from Academy of Art University in San Francisco. 

Carpenter has shown widely in galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the country. Most recently, in 2020, his work was included in The de Young Open exhibition of Bay Area artists at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. He is currently represented by Artize Gallery in Palm Springs, CA. The artist leads workshops that focus on art and racial justice and has partnered with Boston College University Roche Center for Education, and the Archdiocese of Omaha, to share his expertise as both an artist of color and educator. Carpenter's work has been published extensively and he is frequently interviewed on radio and podcast programs. 

Carpenter states: "Being an artist of color (AOC), I have the power to bring others into the world I experience through the lens of my creations. I have the power to educate, elevate, and challenge anyone who encounters my works of art, allowing viewers to see the world through my eyes. Hopefully my art can change their perception with a new vision and offer them the opportunity to share in the journey… my journey."

 

Images:

American Taboo, 2021, mixed media, 22 x 28 in. Courtesy of the artist

Tilling the Soul, 2021, mixed media, 16 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist

Self-Doubt, 2021, mixed media, 22 x 28 in. Courtesy of the artist