“Dog Leg” Exhibition

I was ready for this exhibition. Dog Leg at Freight and Volume, NY, was 5 years in the making. While some existing areas of my work progressed over this time, others evolved to incorporate new subject matter and a broader use of materials. Residencies helped push my discovery over this period, but I mostly worked on my show in my studio in Woodbury, CT.

I enjoyed bouncing back and forth between 3D printing and something as brutal and painfully slow as carving for this exhibition. The work featured in Dog Leg is a reflection of what I teach in my courses. In both, elements of exploration, innovation, CAD, cool tools, and elbow grease are mixed with time. In both SDS and AMT, I have been lucky enough to teach courses that give students a crash course in CAD at the intersection of making, as well as deliver some adjacent skills in many of the amazing shops and labs at Parsons.

My teaching and service have somehow allowed me the time to get here. I have learned over many years that part of cracking the code to balancing robust Research, Scholarship, and Creative Practice (RSCP) with service and pedagogy is a willingness to lean into areas in each where you can add something constructive. It also helps to imagine what you want your long-term contributions will be. By doing this, you immediately create more time and opportunities to meet your goals at Parsons and with your RSCP.

– Adam Brent