|
Wes Christensen
Born 1949, Rockford, Illinois Education1979 California State University at San Francisco, M.A. Fine Arts 1974 California State University at Long Beach, B.A. Comparative Literature 1967 University of the Seven Seas, Chapman College Instructor Laguna College of Art and Design, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651; (949)376-6000; http://www.lagunacollege.edu/main.html RepresentationKoplin Del Rio Gallery, 464 No. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90048; (310)657.9843. Eleana Del Rio, Director. www.koplindelrio.com
Solo Exhibitions2005 “American Shots,” Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood, CA (Reviews: ArtScene, Jan. 2005; Art on Paper, July/Aug. 2005). 1999 “Cabinet Pictures,” Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California. 1995 “Works on Paper,” Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, California. 1993 “Accidents of Preservation,” Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (Review: Santa Monica Outlook, June 25, 1993). 1992 “(personal) Histories,” Southern Exposure at Project Artaud, San Francisco Municipal Art Galleries, San Francisco, California. 1991 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, (LA Times review: July 4, 1991). 1989 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, (LA Times review: October 27, 1989) 1988 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, (LA Times: April 29, 1988; Artweek: May 12, 1988). 1983 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, (LA Times review: December 16, 1983). 1982 Montalvo Center for the Arts, Saratoga, California.
Articles Featuring the ArtistSavage Suburbia: Three Southern California Painters and the Myth of Domestic Tranquility, by Gilbert Alter-Gilbert, Panik, No. 5, 1998, Long Beach, California. Three Modern Genre Painters from LA: F. Scott Hess, Jon Swihart & Wes Christensen, by Gerald Ackerman, American Arts Quarterly, Spring 1996 Hercules Ever at the Crossroads: Moral Dilemmas in the Paintings of Wes Christensen, by Gerald Ackerman, Sulfur 30, Spring 1992. Wes Christensen: Compressed Narratives, by Michael Laurence, Visions Magazine, Summer, 1988, Vol.2, No.3.
Selected Group Exhibitions2005 “Drawing as Preparation,” Judson Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Review ArtScene February, 2005, Catalog). 2004 “Drawings VII,” Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood, California. 2002 “Portraiture: Reflection, Identity and Presence,” SAC Arts Gallery, Santa Ana, California. 2002 “The Perception of Appearance: A Decade of Contemporary American Figure Drawing,” Frye Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, Curator: Norman Lundin, Catalog available). 2002 “Drawings VI,” Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California. 2001 “Still Life Expressions,” Cal State University, LA, (La Monte Westmoreland, curator). 2001 “Storytelling in Space and Time,” San Francisco State University Art Gallery. 2000 “Representing LA: Pictorial Currents in Recent Southern California Art,” Frye Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, traveling to Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, and Laguna Museum of Art. Catalog essay by curator Gordon Fuglie. 2000 “The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii: Ancient Ritual, Modern Muse,” University of Michigan, Museum of Art/The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Ann Arbor, MI, (catalog edited by curator, Elaine Gazda). 2000 “The Great Novel Exhibition,” Palo Alto Art Center, CA. (Review: Artweek, September, 2000). 2000 “The New Classicists,” Los Angeles City College Gallery, California.
1999 “Third Annual Derriere Guard Festival,” San Francisco, California. 1999 “Story Tellers,” Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna Beach, California. 1999 “Courting the Muse: Contemporary Pictures, Historical Influences,” Cal State Fullerton, (Review Artweek, June, 1999, catalog available). 1999 “Taleteller,” El Camino College Art Gallery, Torrance, California. 1998 “Drawings IV,” Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California. 1998 “The Drawing Group, An Emerging ‘School of LA’?” LaBand Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University, LA, CA (Reviews: LA Weekly, 4/10/98; LA Times, 4/11/98; Artweek, May, 1998. Catalog essay by Gerald Ackerman). 1998 “Human Conditions: The Figure,” Cerritos College Fine Arts Gallery, Cerritos, CA. 1997 “Reconfigured Painting”(October) & “Reconfigured Drawing” (November), Santa Monica College Art Gallery, (Review: LA Weekly, 10/1/97; “Pick of the Week.”) 1997 “Allegorical Re/Visions,” Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Park, (catalog essay by curators Ruth Weisberg and Noel Korten; Review: LA Weekly, 1/17/98).
1997 “Body Language: Current Figurative Painters,” Art Academy of Southern California, Laguna Beach, CA, (LA Times Review: 9/7/97; OC Register: 9/7/97). 1996 “Watermarks, A National/International Exhibiton,” Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, California. 1996 “Re-Masters/New Images from Old Sources,” Rancho Santiago College, Santa Ana, California. 1996 “LA Figures: A Survey,” Lizardi/Harp Gallery, West Hollywood, California. 1995 “Angeli,” Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, California. 1995 “Concept in Form: Artists’ Sketchbooks & Macquettes,” Palo Alto Cultural Center, California. 1995 “Emulations: Quotations from the Source,” Riverside Art Museum, California. 1995 “One Vision: Space 1975/1995,” Space Gallery, Los Angeles. 1994 “The Way of the Flesh,” Mt. San Antonia College, Walnut, California. 1993 “Drawings III,” Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, California. 1992 “Drawings II,” Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, California. 1991 “Wes Christensen Olga Seem,” Golden West College Fine Arts Gallery, Huntington Beach, California. 1991 “On Paper,” Space Gallery, Los Angeles, California.
1990 “Portraits of the Art Crowd,” Transamerica Galleries, LA, CA (Catalog). 1989 “portraits<artists by artists> portraits,” Merging One Gallery, Santa Monica, CA. 1989 “Watercolor: Contemporary Currents,” Riverside Art Museum, CA (Catalog). 1989 “A New Reality,” McFaddin Gallery, Nave Museum, Victoria, Texas. 1989 “Ex Libris: Narrative Imagery in Post-Modern LA,” José Drudis-Biada Art Gallery, Mt. St. Mary’s College, LA, CA. 1988 “Realism Now,” Judy Youens Gallery, Houston, Texas. 1988 “Images of Artists by Artists,” Security Pacific Bank, LA, CA (Catalog). 1987 “West Coast Painters,” University of Hawaii, Hilo. 1984 “A Broad Spectrum: Contemporary LA Painters & Sculptors,” The Design Center of LA, California (Catalog). 1984 “Hollywood: The Muse – Motion Picture Imagery in Art,” Beckstrand Art Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center, California, (Catalog).
Awards1985 National Endowment for the Arts, Visual Arts Fellowship. 1984 Juror’s Award (Judy Pfaff), “Works on Paper,” San Marcos, Texas. 1981 Juror’s Award, (Henry Hopkins), Texas Fine Arts Assoc. Austin, TX. 1980 Juror’s Award, (George Neubert), Bay Arts ’80, Belmont, CA 1980 Purchase Prize, “CA: Printmaking Survey,” Humboldt, CA, (Henry Hopkins, curator). 1979 Juror’s Award, (Josine Ianco-Starrels) Small Image Show, Redlands, CA. 1979 “First Place,” (Harvey Breverman, juror) “All on Paper, “ Buffalo, NY.
Articles by the Artist1996 “Figurative Painting,” Artweek, June 1996. 1994 “Poles Apart,” Chapman, Scotland’s Quality Literary Magazine, Nos 78, 79, Edinburgh, UK. 1992 “Des Vieillards Leur Avaient Parlé de ’93. . .” (avec Margaret Crane), République? Digraphe, Déc. No. 62, Mercure de France. 1992 “Which Figure is in Costume?” (with Ian Hamilton Finlay), Wild Hawthorne Press, Scotland. 1992 “Heiligenanstalt,” (with Frederike Mayröcker), A Morning Star Folio, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 1990 “One Word Works,” Impulse Magazine, Toronto, Canada. 1989, “A Fashion for Ecstasy: Ancient Maya Body Modifications,” Modern Primitives, RE/Search #12, SF, CA. 1985 “Archaeological Illustration from Photographs,” Archaeological Research Tools, Vol.1, Institute of Archaeology, UCLA, California. 1984 “Moctezuma’s Dinner,” Frank Magazine, Fall, San Francisco, California.
|