This exhibition surveys Adams’ 30-year career as an inventor of strange new worlds. An enthusiastic assembler of sculptures made from model parts, bikes, trucks, old appliances and equipment, Adams has exhibited throughout Canada and around the world. He has produced drawings and prints, small models, and huge sculptures that reenvision ideas of home, vehicles, and other machines gone humorously awry.
Some of Adams’ works are eccentric and inviting, while others are almost apocalyptic in vision. They describe possible worlds, alternate aesthetics and potential freedoms. Beyond his unique use of materials, his creations explore what art can be through their presentation. Certain sculptures are intended for public display outside the gallery context, becoming a travelling, interactive spectacle in the city streets. The content and context of his works thus challenge conventional ways of thinking about our values, lifestyles, and sense of community.
Adams won the 2012 Gershon Iskowitz Prize, in recognition of the national and international significance of his body of work. One for the Road includes extensive loans from public and private collections across the country, and will be accompanied by a comprehensive publication on Adams' work.