“Aaron Brown draws buildings accurately from memory as if his eyes have taken a photograph stored in his mind. Aaron depicts buildings in pencil, oil pastel, marker, and occasionally, paint. He will often draw the same buildings multiple times, but he is not marveling over their stylistic beauty or the importance of their architecture. When Aaron draws, he is reminiscing about his childhood, his teenage years, or recalling recent memories of his adult life. His drawings are postcards from his memory.” -Teaching Artist Todd Lesmeister
“…As for Aaron, he had already returned to his own neighborhood, the one in his head. Subways. Central Terminals. Old neighborhoods and old homes. The trick here, of course, is to avoid putting words in Aaron’s mouth. However, by its very definition, art is subjective; it’s open to interpretation, so it’s fair game for me to wonder if Aaron is doing the same thing Busta Rhymes did with “New York” and “Been Through The Storm.” Aaron is making a shout-out to Buffalo, his hood, and, more saliently, his world. Aaron’s architecture, I believe, is a hometown anthem. He’s celebrating where he’s been and where he’s from.”
-Author Ahmad Jordan, excerpt from the exhibition essay “Where I’m From: Aaron Brown’s Hometown Anthem.”
