“We are not.” 

That phrase was the central idea of one of Adam Pendleton’s series featured in the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum in a new solo exhibition, “Adam Pendleton: To Divide By.” The title was inspired by the videography showcased in the exhibition featuring a poem written and spoken by Pendleton with the same title. The film is shown in a black box inside the exhibition itself, “What Is Your Name? Kyle Abraham, A Portrait” (2018-2019). The exhibition is filled with abstract art in different formats, whether that be painting, drawing, videography, or ceramics. 

Unlike what would traditionally be displayed in an art museum, this exhibition shows two different films: “What Is Your Name? Kyle Abraham, A Portrait” and “Ruby Nell Sales.”

“The day’s paintings and the day’s drawings, and exploring abstraction language, different temporal realities, formal realities, conceptual realities, theoretical realities, really trying to create a capacious space visually and conceptually… make the case that not everything exists to be understood,” Pendleton said in response to how he would describe his exhibition as a whole. 

The exhibition is filled with enormous collections of pieces like the fifty-piece “Visual Anthology #1” that Pendleton describes as his favorite. The pieces are broken into 50 different works of art, all displayed over a wall of the museum. They are filled with beautiful geometric imagery that corresponds with the features Pendleton added to the gallery — the black box and black triangle.

“I probably will never have the chance to — or not at least for a while — see it all installed,” he said. “So it’s really been, you know, quite nice.” 

These pieces add a story to the conception of the black box. The geometric shapes that encapsulate Pendleton’s art through each gallery brings the entire exhibition together. The architecture of Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum aids in bringing together the works featured. Pendleton said he wanted to “use the space in a way that is analogous, or in alignment with the visual characteristics over the visual spaces that the work is created.” This creates a connection between each of the rooms.

In the world of contemporary art, many wonder what the inspiration behind these compelling pieces is. For many, it is a blend of personal experiences, cultural influences, and political change. But for Adam Pendleton, an artist whose work transcends the boundaries of expression, the answer is simple.

“Curiosity. That’s my main point of inspiration,” he said. Curiosity in society drives us to create new things and achieve fresh ideas. This very principle inspires Pendleton to create beautiful art. “Really just a sense that everything is different all of the time. I mean, I don’t really see what’s more exciting than that, you know, in a new day and new happenings.” 

Throughout this exhibition, Pendleton challenges us to think differently and question our preconceived notions of how we view art. In Pendleton’s words, “ not everything exists to be understood, that experiencing something can is a way of understanding something.” This notion offers viewers an opportunity to speculate and let their curiosity run wild.