Dustyn Bork: form follows dysfunction

AUGUST 14 – SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: The work in this exhibition, entitled “form follows dysfunction,” quotes the constructed environment and buildings in various layers of renewal and decay. This series of paintings uses color, form, and texture in a method akin to building. The title of the exhibition is a play on the architectural maxim, “form follows function,” quipped by Louis Sullivan at the turn of the 20th century. He was championing a new approach to architecture with simplified and sleek design, emphasizing the purpose of the building over its aesthetic ornamentation. This aesthetic was later made famous by Bauhaus practitioners Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe as they influenced the mid-century modern “International Style.” My goal is to show the end result of architecture in a fractured, abstracted way referencing the colors, textures, and patinas present in edifices as they age and become disused. The resulting abstracted forms quote sagging rooflines, building abutments, and various architectonic forms. In each work, the materials of building construction, such as rollers and wood, are used to make a physical and conceptual connection to the subject matter. The primary goal is to reference enough of the built environment to appear familiar; these are spaces that could be in Detroit, Little Rock, or Memphis. The elements are conceptually used to reveal the versatility of paint as a material and exploit the beauty of the surface. — Dustyn Bork

Dustyn Bork is an artist working in printmaking, painting, and installation. Bork was born in Monroe, Michigan, and relocated to Batesville, Arkansas in 2010 to teach studio and art history courses at Lyon College, where he currently serves as Professor of Art. He earned his Master of Fine Arts from Indiana University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the Annual Delta Exhibition (Arkansas Arts Center), Delta National Small Prints (Arkansas State University), Los Angeles Print Society, International Print Biennial of Duoro (Portugal), and the Hunterdon Museum of Art (New Jersey). Recent solo exhibitions include the Arts and Science Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas State University, Hendrix College, Material Art Space in Memphis, and Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 2016, Bork won the prestigious Visual Arts Fellowship for Painting awarded by the Arkansas Arts Council. He has participated in numerous artist residencies, including the Franz Masereel Centre in Kasterlee, Belgium; MIRA artist residency in Martignano, Italy; the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson City, Vermont; and the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils, Latvia. His work was selected for New American Painting: South # 148 in 2020. His work can be viewed online at www.dustynbork.com and at Justus Gallery in Hot Springs, AR. Bork is married to artist Carly Dahl, the executive director of the Batesville Area Arts Council, and has two children: Eddie (Paige) and Aiden Bork.