BIOGRAPHY

Andy Farkas is a print and book artist who has been studying and developing his craft for over twelve years. His work has been exhibited internationally and nationwide in numerous galleries and institutions, from which he has received accolades in the form of guest lectures, visiting artist workshops as well as artist residencies for the development of further projects. In addition to his work in the media of woodcut, wood engraving, drypoint, etching and book design, Farkas has also written the accompanying literature for each of his books (listed in order of production: “Saints in a House of Healing”, “The Inalienable Rights” “Four Stories”, “M. M. & I.”, “hmmm...”, “Crab”, and “River”). He is currently working on two new projects: “I heard this story from a chipmunk I once knew. It starts, ‘in the beginning—’, “His name? I can’t remember his name,” and an as yet untitled work about a mole who loses his gravity. He resides in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife, daughter, two dogs and three cats.


STATEMENT

I follow a dog chasing some invisible bird. My work is prayer.
It longs to be humble.
It makes visible my essence and desire, Makes clear my failure and my joy.
It dreams of hope and whispers wisdom. It seeks truth.
My goal is to overtake the dog
And make visible the invisible bird.
Good story is transcendent of time, space and culture; it is humanity’s attempt to understand the world around gives life to the idea, that by experiencing such a story you might understand more, feel some new feeling, revisit some old one or find enlightenment. I have made prints throughout my artistic career, although a more accurate description of my work would be story telling. It is a medium that goes beyond ink, paint, words and music, of which life itself is a tool, and in its best examples make active participants of all those involved in the hearing, seeing, reading, telling, or handling.
Much of the preparatory work is simply a matter of living life and allowing a story to filter from experience through a quiet mind. The creation itself is a quest, the object of which is not immediately known. It is a matter of being led to its conclusion and discovering that which would not have been visible or apparent in any other way. My goal is not to limit where the story might go but to use whatever means necessary to tell it best. Some stories can be told in a single image or a handful of words. Images need not be separate from words nor should they simply reiterate them (or the music or performance) but, when used in tandem, should say more than either would have said on its own. This makes stories powerful metaphors of the individual complicated lives we all live. It is my greatest hope that whoever experience my work come away with any of the most positive of human experiences: hope, truth, joy, peace, resolve, sympathy and enlightenment.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Float: New Books and Prints, Flanders Gallery, Raleigh, NC 2008
“Four Stories and other Wood Engravings and Artist Books”, Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA, 2006
“Four Stories and Recent Works”, Kathy Caraccio Studio Gallery, New York, NY, 2005
“Four Stories”, Artist Image Resource, Pittsburgh, PA. 2004
“Part of the Whole” Artspace, Richmond, VA 2001
“The Inalienable Rights” Rose Gallery, Leesburg, VA 1999
“Saints in a House of Healing” Rose Gallery, Leesburg, VA 1998
“Saints in a House of Healing” Pitt Memorial Hospital, Greenville, NC 1997


INVITATIONAL AND JURIED EXHIBITIONS

The Illustrated Word, Gallery 311, Raleigh, NC 2008 (by invitation)
Bookopolis, Book Arts Exhibition, Asheville Bookworks, Asheville, NC 2007 (by invitation)
Boundaries: Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA, Oct. 2006 - Jan. 2007 (by invitation)
ECU Alumni Exhibition, Wellington B. Gray Gallery, ECU, Greenville, NC, 2006 (by invitation)
Bookopolis, Book arts Exhibition, BookWorks, Asheville, NC, 2006 (by invitation)
WORKS WITH PAPER: Artist Book Exhibition, University of the South, Sewanee, TN, 2006 (juried)
3rd Annual Artist Book Exhibition Kyoto Paradise Book Art gallery, Kyoto Japan, 2006 (by invitation)
“Cover to Cover - Artist Book Exhibition” (Juror’s Award) MD Federation of Art, Baltimore, MD, 2005
“Erie Art Museum Spring Show” Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA 2005
“Le Petite Prints” Eclectic Etceteras, Edinboro, PA 2004
“WAR” The Zamarowski Gallery, Erie, PA 2003
“Shockhoe Bottom Art Show” (3rd Place), Richmond, VA 2000
“All Media Show” Shockhoe Bottom Art Center, Richmond, VA 2000
“New Members Show” The Torpedo Factory Alexandria, VA 1999
“Print Show” National Society of Arts and Letters, Washington, DC 1997
“Illumina Art Show” (1st Place), Greenville, NC 1997


Group Shows

Block Party, Adam Cave Fine Art, Raleigh, NC 2011
Andy Farkas & Co. Flanders 311, Raleigh, NC March-April 2009
Group Show Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA 2009
Interlocution: Bruce Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA 2008
Group Print Exhibition, The Grand Hand Gallery, St. Paul, MN 2008
Experimental Print Institute Exhibition, Grossman Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 2007
New Artists, Flanders Art Gallery Grand Opening, Raleigh, NC 2006
“Into the Light” Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA 2005
“Out of Print” Erie Art Museum Annex Gallery, Erie, PA 2004
“Group Exhibition” Gallery 222, Leesburg, VA 2004
Group show and representation, Glass Growers Gallery, Erie, PA 2003-05
“The Etchers” Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA 2001
“Group Show” Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA 2001
“Group Show” Rose Gallery, Leesburg, VA 1998
“Art of Drawing” Western Loudoun Art Center, Purcellville, VA 1998


COLLECTIONS

University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Minneapolis Public Library Special Collections Dept., Minneapolis, MN
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Permanent Collection, Edinboro, PA
Erie Art Museum Permanent Collection, Erie, PA
Skidmore College Special Collections, Skidmore, NY
Egress Press and Research Print Archives, Edinboro, PA
Kathy Caraccio Print Collection, New York, NY
Artist’s Image Resource Print Archives, Pittsburgh, PA
Woodland Heights Baptist Church, Richmond, VA
Blue Barnhouse Print Archives, Asheville, NC
East Carolina University Print Archives, Greenville, NC
Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, MN


HONORS, INVITATIONS, AND RESIDENCIES

University of North Carolina, Book Arts Panel Speaker, Greensboro, NC 2009
The Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, Guest Speaker and presenter 2008
University of North Carolina, Guest Speaker, Print Department, Greensboro, NC 2007
Minnesota Center for Book Arts - Resident Artist for “hmmm...” project, 2006 - Minneapolis, MN University of Minnesota, Twin Cities - Guest Speaker - Print Department, Minneapolis, MN
ECU Alumni Symposium - Panelist & Demonstrator - East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Western NY Book Arts Collaborative - Guest Speaker - Karpeles Manuscript Library, Buffalo, NY
Joshua Heller Rare Books - Ongoing representation since 2004
Vamp and Tramp, Artist Books - Ongoing representation since 2007
Juror’s Award, Maryland Federation of Art - Artist book show, “Cover to Cover”
Visiting Artist for Letterpress Workshop - University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA 2004, 2005
Resident Artist for “Four Stories” project, Egress Press and Research, Edinboro, PA 2003-04
Resident Artist, Blue Barnhouse, Asheville, NC, August 2004
Visiting Speaker, Print and Graphic Design Depts. Edinboro University, Edinboro, PA 2003, 2004
Visiting artist for workshop and Open House, Artist’s Image Resource, Pittsburgh, PA 2003, 2004
Invited artist/illustrator, EM Literary Journal, San Fransisco, CA 2002
Associate Member, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA 1999
Illustrator of the Year, East Carolinian Media Group 1997