Erin Wright

More than Words: Erin Wright, chair of UAB’s art department and professor of graphic design, creates “social and political artwork” that is exhibited in venues around the world. His posters in particular have won international acclaim and currently are on show in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. He is on display himself in the new studio facility’s corner space, but he doesn’t mind. “When I am working, I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I don’t even notice,” he says.

The sheer size of his new space aids the creative process, Wright adds. “The studio itself helps me to create art,” he says. “Just being there helps me with inspiration and concentration.”

Poster Session: Wright’s poster “I’m no racist but…” is currently on display in Washington, D.C., in an exhibition related to the Civil Rights Movement. “The words ‘I’m no racist but…’ are in a gloss varnish on white Rives BFK Heavyweight printmaking paper,” he says. “Then I created a series of custom rubber stamps with coded racist language on them. Viewers will stamp the print, and as the ink from the stamps builds up, the words ‘I’m no racist but…’ will appear.”

Learn more about Wright and see additional examples of his work here