Though trained as a painter, Preston Drum has recently turned toward building interactive sculptural installations using cardboard, garbage, and other recycled materials. These installations are pseudo stages where the viewer becomes a part of a performance. There is no script for these plays—the work is driven by narratives of the downtrodden souls from his North Carolinian roots.

His goal is not to dictate a meaning to the viewer, but provide the raw material for the viewer to construct their own. This interaction provokes questions regarding how we define the author and what role power plays in the cultural context of art. We fabricate our own truth with the things we see, hear, and do. Preston’s only request of the viewer is that they use his work as an opportunity to ask questions of themselves and their past.

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Be sure to join us on Friday, May 13th at our new MFA Graduate Studios to enjoy Preston’s thesis work along with the other 2016 graduates.

MFA Thesis Exhibition and Reception

For more information: visit Preston Drum online