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ARTIST STATEMENT
Now more than ever the beach is a refuge from constant bad news. As fires burn and smoke chokes us, I am more relieved than ever to visit and paint our local surf. And as visits to the beach have been complicated by the pandemic, it's even a greater relief to swim away from the shore and have the whole ocean to yourself for a brief time. As I leave the sand and wade into the water, I can leave man-made troubles and confront something that is natural and powerful. I imagine the surf as a place where Nietzsche meets Hollywood – a place where surface, light and image get crunched up in the waves and merge with something deep and profound. The desire to let that transformative feeling cross over into the rest of my life is why I paint waves. Water does not have a form; it adapts to forms created by energy. There is something kind of futile yet exciting about capturing the effect of water in a painting. There is no start or end point, just a fragment of an experience contained within a square or rectangle. To feel closer to that experience, I use an open-ended painting process, starting at a single point or corner of the canvas and moving across it. My eye is always moving back and forth between light and form, always trying to decide which is more important as I move along. Sometimes these extended moments of decision-making elicit an expansive feeling. Sometimes it feels everything is getting lost in formlessness, and then there's a struggle to bring it back. Occasionally I will add a pelican, a bit of land or a boat so the painting can be anchored and the viewer has a chance to exit the surf. But usually I want the feeling of the excitement of being swept and thrashed around by something way bigger than us. In this sense, my paintings are less about capturing the traditional beauty of the local beaches, and more about the energy and transformational qualities of the Southern California surf. |
BIOGRAPHY
Stephen graduated with a degree in graphic design from Cal State in Long Beach, CA. He has exhibited across the US and most recently at Gallery Henoch in NY and Subliminal Gallery in Los Angeles. |
RESUME
BORN
1962 Los Angeles, CA
EDUCATION
1987 BFA: Graphic Design, Minor: Illustration, Cal State, Long Beach, CA
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Solo Show, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2005 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2004 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 Summer Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2017 Woman as Warrior Group Show, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago Ill
2017 Human Interest: Six Figurative Painters, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2016 50 Years a Dealer: George Henoch Shechtman, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2015 Summer Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2014 Sound & Vision, Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Winter Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2013 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2013 Group Show, Nudes, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Winter Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2011 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2011 New Masters, Subliminal Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2009 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2009 Group Show, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2009 LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2008 Art City Istanbul, Turkey
2008 Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey
2008 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2008 E & R Cyzer Gallery, London, England
2008 Los Angeles Art Show, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2007 Male/Female: The New Realism, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2007 Los Angeles Art Show, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2006 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2006 Juxtaposition, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 40 Years: A Dealer's Collection, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 Art Chicago in the Park, IL
2006 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2005 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2005 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2005 Art Chicago in the Park, IL
2005 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2005 San Francisco Int'l Art Exposition, CA
2004 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2004 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2004 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2003 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2003 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2003 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2002 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2017 Fine Art Connoisseur, volume 14, issue 4
2017 Luxe magazine (cover), Sept/Oct issue
2016 New American Paintings, issue 121
2011 Manifest INPA 2, International Painting Annual
2010 Empty Magazine, issue 18
2009 Poets & Artists, volume 2, issue 6
2009 Poets & Artists, volume 2, issue 4
2009 O&S Magazine, summer volume
2009 American Art Collector, April
2006 American Art Collector, "Destination New York", May
2005 The New York Post, Review, by James Gardner
2004 ARTNews, “Invitational 2004,” by Mary Schneider Enriquez, May
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
Alvaro Atencio, New York, NY & Caracas, Venezuela
Tony Brackett, New York, NY
Mark & Jeannie Cohen, Penn Valley, PA
Mr. Mayer Dwek, Cologny , Switzerland
Joan Fisher, New York, NY
Stuart Gimbel, Rancho Mirage, CA
Sylvia & Tony Hadley, Paris, France
Sarah & Douglas Hamilton, New York, NY
Ann & Bill Hicks, Eden Prairie, MN
Donna Holmes & Robert Lipton, New York, NY
Louise & Joseph Kovacs, Greenwich, CT
Joyce Marino, McLean, VA
Pat & John Merchant, San Francisco, CA
David Older, New York, NY
Marc S. Plonskier, Newton, MA
Jose Quant, New York, NY
Linda & Ronald Rashkow, Highland Park, IL
Robert Speiser, New York, NY
John Tucker, Lanexa, VA
Howard A. Tullman, Chicago, IL
Orna & Ramy Weitz, New York, NY & Tel Aviv, Israel
Gary West, Hartford, CT
Carole Zabar, New York, NY
Serge Zaluski, Perpignan, France
Nancy Hicks & George Schechtman, New York, NY
1962 Los Angeles, CA
EDUCATION
1987 BFA: Graphic Design, Minor: Illustration, Cal State, Long Beach, CA
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Solo Show, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2005 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2004 Solo Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 Summer Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2017 Woman as Warrior Group Show, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago Ill
2017 Human Interest: Six Figurative Painters, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2016 50 Years a Dealer: George Henoch Shechtman, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2015 Summer Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2014 Sound & Vision, Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Winter Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2013 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2013 Group Show, Nudes, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Winter Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2011 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2011 New Masters, Subliminal Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2009 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2009 Group Show, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2009 LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2008 Art City Istanbul, Turkey
2008 Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey
2008 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2008 E & R Cyzer Gallery, London, England
2008 Los Angeles Art Show, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2007 Male/Female: The New Realism, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2007 Los Angeles Art Show, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2006 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2006 Juxtaposition, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 40 Years: A Dealer's Collection, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2006 Art Chicago in the Park, IL
2006 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2005 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2005 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2005 Art Chicago in the Park, IL
2005 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2005 San Francisco Int'l Art Exposition, CA
2004 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2004 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2004 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2003 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
2003 Art of the 20th Century, New York, NY
2003 US Artists, Philadelphia, PA
2002 Group Show, Gallery Henoch, New York, NY
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2017 Fine Art Connoisseur, volume 14, issue 4
2017 Luxe magazine (cover), Sept/Oct issue
2016 New American Paintings, issue 121
2011 Manifest INPA 2, International Painting Annual
2010 Empty Magazine, issue 18
2009 Poets & Artists, volume 2, issue 6
2009 Poets & Artists, volume 2, issue 4
2009 O&S Magazine, summer volume
2009 American Art Collector, April
2006 American Art Collector, "Destination New York", May
2005 The New York Post, Review, by James Gardner
2004 ARTNews, “Invitational 2004,” by Mary Schneider Enriquez, May
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
Alvaro Atencio, New York, NY & Caracas, Venezuela
Tony Brackett, New York, NY
Mark & Jeannie Cohen, Penn Valley, PA
Mr. Mayer Dwek, Cologny , Switzerland
Joan Fisher, New York, NY
Stuart Gimbel, Rancho Mirage, CA
Sylvia & Tony Hadley, Paris, France
Sarah & Douglas Hamilton, New York, NY
Ann & Bill Hicks, Eden Prairie, MN
Donna Holmes & Robert Lipton, New York, NY
Louise & Joseph Kovacs, Greenwich, CT
Joyce Marino, McLean, VA
Pat & John Merchant, San Francisco, CA
David Older, New York, NY
Marc S. Plonskier, Newton, MA
Jose Quant, New York, NY
Linda & Ronald Rashkow, Highland Park, IL
Robert Speiser, New York, NY
John Tucker, Lanexa, VA
Howard A. Tullman, Chicago, IL
Orna & Ramy Weitz, New York, NY & Tel Aviv, Israel
Gary West, Hartford, CT
Carole Zabar, New York, NY
Serge Zaluski, Perpignan, France
Nancy Hicks & George Schechtman, New York, NY
