/ / / PERFORMING AT SFMOMA WITH ___PACKARD___ AND ___SCOTT V.___. MORE WORDS AND IMAGES SOON / / / SEND ADDRESS TO RECEIVE LIMITED EDITION POSTCARD / / / QUESTIONS OR IDEAS ? ? ? ___TRY EMAILING ME___
3/17/11
/ / / MORE WORDS AND IMAGES SOON / / / SEND ADDRESS TO RECEIVE LIMITED EDITION POSTCARD / / / QUESTIONS OR IDEAS ? ? ? ___TRY EMAILING ME___
11/22/10
Blue Screen (Death)
Copperplate Etching
Edition of 15
20.5" x 14.5"
2010
As a lover of artist editions and prints, I was thrilled when approached by Oakland artist, Tallulah Terryll, to collaborate on an etching. I have wanted to make a new print for months now and I remain most grateful for this incredible opportunity. Tallulah's recent acquisition of a high-end etching press has enabled her to pursue her passion of creating prints with fellow artists. A professional printmaker by trade, I can not say enough about her visual sensitivity and knowledge of materials and processes.
After working for several weeks on this project, I am proud to announce the release of Blue Screen (Death). This 5-color etching, unframed at 20.5" x 14.5", exists in a limited edition of 15. Printed on acid-free, 180g Arches paper, each piece comes signed and dated with an edition number and printer's stamp. Proceeds will be split 50/50 between artist and printer, and the price will increase incrementally as the edition sells.
The "Blue Screen of Death" is an iconic error screen that appears when certain computers "die." This phenomenon is capable of inflicting major psychological trauma in its victims; nowadays when our personal computing devices die, it can feel like a part of us is also perishing. It is tempting to dismiss this attachment between person and machine as disgusting or unfortunate, but the reality is that computers have quickly become an inextricable element of who we are, a mysterious new appendage for the 21st century. I see this piece as an homage to the increasingly intelligent machines and technologies that host and inform our techno-psychological condition, albeit one that is numbing at most times and infuriating at others.
To purchase a print, please click the PayPal button below or EMAIL ME directly. Visit Tallulah's website here.
FEB. 2011 UPDATE: Thirteen prints have sold. Thank you for this outpouring of support. The remaining two prints are $150 each and can be purchased by clicking PayPal below or by EMAILING ME.
Steuart Pittman and Tallulah Terryll at work on Blue Screen (Death)
Compound Studios, Oakland, California
2010
10/24/10
STEUART PITTMAN : EMERGING BAY AREA ARTIST
I recently uploaded my newest video piece, "STEUART PITTMAN : EMERGING BAY AREA ARTIST," an exploration in the many pleasures that come along with being an incredibly successful contemporary artist. This piece was made for the 2010 Knox College Alumni Art Exhibit.
8/30/10
PACKARD JENNINGS' CIRCULAR TIME @ SF Intersection For the Arts
I'll be acting in Packard Jennings' new piece, Circular Time, this coming Tuesday at Intersection for the Arts in San Francisco. This is something I'm really excited about, here's some more information and the press release:
Tuesday August 31, 7:30-8:30 PM
Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia Street (Btwn 15th and 16th)
Tickets available at the door only. $5-$15 sliding scale. All proceeds go to pay the participating actors.
Join us for Circular Time, a live reading of artist Packard Jennings' project, Longshot: Dining Labor and Ponies, on view now at the SFAC Gallery as part of the exhibition Now & When. For Longshot, Jennings invited eight conceptual artists to meet in the private dining room of an upscale restaurant to discuss what project to make with their project budget provided by the gallery. The brainstorming for a time capsule took place over the course of a three-hour meal. After the bill was paid there was not enough stipend left to produce the project. All that remained was the conversation.
During this live performance, Jennings has hired actors to read a transcription of the Longshot dinner conversation. The names of the original participating artists will be left anonymous with the idea that the potential value of this reading comes, not from thinking of any specific artist's perspective, but from experiencing a collaborative conversation between a group of artists. Like revealing the larger mass of ice that lay beneath the small cap of an iceberg, we want to make this normally invisible aspect of art-making visible.
The point of this work was to value process over product, to fund the development side of a work, rather than a physical final object. Please join us for this unusual experiment. Based on the project Longshot: Dining Labor and Ponies, by Packard Jennings with Amy Balkin, Anthony Discenza, Aaron Gach, Jonn Herschend, Lizabeth Rossof, Steve Shada and Stephanie Syjuco. Currently on view as part of Now & When at the SFAC Gallery through Saturday, September 4, 2010.
Read Glen Helfand's ArtForum review of Now & When here.
8/2/10
SAD VICIOUS @ ROOT DIVISION SIDESHOW HAPPENING
Sad Vicious is one of the recent collaborative endeavors between myself and fellow Oakland artist, Scott V.. This name refers to a fictional contemporary rock band from the greater San Jose area. In our live performances we improvise songs, lyrics, and details about our band, which in reality does not exist in any conventional form. We do not practice, write, or record songs together, and the improvisational element remains a focal point of this project. While we strive to entertain and humor our audience, we also feel indebted to the history of Happenings and experimental performance within the realm of fine art. We try to create an unremarkable concert experience that falls in line with ideas developed by Cage - and later Kaprow - regarding the banal or mundane. We feel that a live music show doesn't necessarily need to be "good" to be interesting, and we aspire to continue generating bizarre and oddly melancholic concert experiences in new contexts.
We are delighted to be taking part in the SIDESHOW HAPPENING event at ROOT DIVISION in SF on Saturday, August 14, at 7 PM. Please join us at this special occasion, we will be performing alongside a varied and unique group of talented artists. EMAIL ME for more information, and follow all things Sad Vicious here.
7/11/10
PERFECT CANVAS @ TEMESCAL STREET CINEMA 2010
The good folks at Royal NoneSuch Gallery have curated my short video, HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT CANVAS, into the 2010 Temescal Street Cinema. This weekly series of outdoor film screenings features the work of Bay Area Filmmakers in the Temescal Neighborhood of Oakland (49th @ Telegraph). Check out my piece this Thursday, July 15, alongside a work-in-progress version of BEARD CLUB, a film about beards and mustaches by San Francisco based filmmaker, Laura J. Lukitsch. Join us at Royal NoneSuch Gallery at 7 PM for a reception before heading over to the 8 PM screening.
More updates to follow! Lots going on these days. Stay tuned, write me an email, or - for bonus points - send me actual mail.
2/7/10
2010 OAKLAND SOLO SHOW, NOWHERE / ANYWHERE
Within these paintings I compose elemental forms and explore the interactions of colors. By reducing a figure/ground system to its core, I am able to enhance the sculptural qualities of each piece. As a result, I think of these works as painted objects as opposed to pictures or images. I hope to achieve an overall feeling or mood with each piece, but I also value the interpretations of others and will continue to see the meaning of these - and any - paintings as something evolving and unfixed.
While I am clearly indebted to art history and a range of geometric/minimal painters, I am increasingly confident about these formal systems redefining themselves as a force in contemporary art. Minimalism no longer has a single "look," and in 2010, any number of artists might cite the reductive impulse as a component of their practice. In a culture that is practically defined by its own excess, it seems reasonable that artists would adopt a counteractive visual language.
I am inspired by the eccentric array of architecture in the East Bay, especially where I live in West Oakland. I find beauty in forgotten, overlooked structures, and my paintings fittingly evoke walls, passageways, and windows. I am less concerned with specific locations and more occupied with how archetypal shapes and forms construct a sense of place. The title of this exhibit refers to an offhanded comment a friend made last summer. When explaining her desire to relocate, she said she wanted to move "...out to the middle of nowhere, anywhere." This specific combination of words resonated with me and seemed at home with paintings that are often anonymous, stark, and quiet. I share that sense of longing for harmony, and in this way these paintings are my own "Nowhere, Anywhere."
Check out "NOWHERE / ANYWHERE" at Blankspace Gallery in Oakland, Thurs-Sun, Noon-6 PM, between now and March 14th. Visit blankspacegallery.com for more images.
1/25/10
2010 OAKLAND SOLO SHOW, NOWHERE / ANYWHERE!!! Visit blankspacegallery.com for directions and more information. Installation shots and additional documentation will be available shortly. Please send me an email to join my mailing list or send me stamps or money to receive a limited edition NOWHERE / ANYWHERE exhibition postcard © 2007-10.
1/15/10
Visionary artist Scott V. has a new talk show called Art Forum International. I am honored to have been a guest on the first episode alongside the dynamic Packard Jennings. We cover a lot of ground, see for yourself...
10/28/09
Please join us in celebrating the 4th annual Holidayland Sale at Blankspace Gallery and The Compound Gallery. This year I'll be selling customized vintage postcards. Attendees are encouraged to wear flannel. Also, proceeds from the Festive Photo Booth benefit art programs in Oakland High Schools! The opening reception is Friday, November 27, from 6-9 PM.
8/26/09
L.A. Stack
Walt Disney Concert Hall Parking Garage, Downtown Los Angeles
Digital Photograph
There was a stint at The Hive Gallery, down by the Port of Oakland, and there were journeys up and down the California coast. There were many baseball games, and several sweaty moves. And now, finally, I'm pushing paint again at a live/work space in downtown Oakland. Send me a postcard and see what happens!
6/18/09
I'll be in a group show at JAYJAY Gallery in Sacramento next month. Fresh Young Things is being curated by a young art historian by the name of Kristina Schlosser and features the work of 2009 M.F.A. graduates from Northern California. Having now lived in the state for two years, I am excited about finally getting to explore our capital city. Please join us for the reception on July 11th if you're in the area...
5/22/09
Check out the KQED Gallery Crawl video featuring the May 2009 Mills College MFA thesis exhibition, YOUNG AMERICANS.
5/6/09
Come on out to Open Studios this Saturday, May 9th, from 1-6 PM. I'll be up in Studio 201 with lots of work available for purchase as well as prints, postcards, and other goodies...
4/27/09
Two years have flown by and my time at Mills is coming to an end! Wow, that was fast...I am excited and honored to announce the M.F.A. Class of 2009's Thesis Exhibit, YOUNG AMERICANS, opening this Saturday, May 2, 2009, from 7-9 PM in the Mills College Art Museum. I will be showing new paintings and drawings alongside the exceptional work of my beloved peers. My time here in the program at Mills has been more enlightening than I can possibly describe, and I hope my friends in the greater Bay Area can join myself, my family, and a mariachi band for this special occasion.
I'm additionally pleased to announce that my fake instructional video, HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT CANVAS, will be included in FILMNIGHT 1.0 at Swarm Gallery in Oakland! Curated by the ever-fabulous Samara Halperin, the screening features videos and video installation-based work by Mills students. The event coincides with the Oakland Art Murmur this Friday, May 1, 2009, at 7:30PM.
4/10/09
Check out my latest video, NIGHTMOVES, which uses rudimentary recording and animating techniques in a futile attempt to mimic the magic of twilight.
4/8/09
I am excited to announce that I recently started a blog called PAINTSPEAK. I will be using this forum to share some of the videos and pictures I come across that deal with painting or painters in some way. I'll also be posting some digital drawings I've been making using a wonderful free program called Paintbrush. Check in regularly for updates and leave me comments!
3/14/09
Check out the final installment of the Walls print series over on the PROJECTS page. Each piece from the edition of twenty costs a cool $20, and can be purchased by emailing me here.
3/11/09
Busy busy busy...check out new videos in the PROJECTS page and stay tuned for a new print edition, which I'll be posting within the next week or so...
2/14/09
THIS SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
2009! After a long lapse in posting I am excited to announce several changes to the site which will unfold over the next couple of weeks. There is so much going on right now, it's almost overwhelming. But aside from the economic meltdown, there's a lot to be happy about; we have a new President in the White House and baseball season is just around the corner. Life is good! I'm working on paintings for the Mills College 2009 MFA Thesis Exhibition, which opens on Saturday, May 2. So stay tuned for more details and site updates. I'll be posting images of new work, introducing a blog within the site, and announcing an array of new projects. Until then...
12/2/08
I'm pleased to announce the semiannual Mills College MFA Open Studios, taking place December 13 from 12-5 PM. Come on by for a visit and see what Team Mills MFA has been up to recently. You'll find me in Studio #201...
11/26/08
I donated a painting to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's 13th Annual Winterfest event. Come out to SOMArts Gallery, 934 Brannan St. at 8th St. in San Francisco Sunday, December 7, to support this excellent cause. For more information on the art auction go here.
I will also have some small pieces for sale in an unrelated, holiday-themed event, the 3rd Annual 2008 Holidayland Sale at Blankspace Gallery in Oakland. The first opening, on Friday, December 5 from 7-10 PM, will feature a person dressed as a Giant Hot Dog, which is always exciting. There is a second reception on Sunday, December 14, from 4-7 PM. Come support the nice folks at Blankspace and stock up on affordable, unique holiday gifts in the process...
11/17/08
11/16/08
I've been given a last-minute solo exhibition through Andrew Ütt Gallery here in Oakland. The show is called CUSTOMS and will feature recent large paintings and several works on paper. The opening reception will be this Wednesday, November 19, from 7-10 PM. There will also be a closing reception in accordance with next month's Oakland Art Murmur. More details to come...
11/11/08
Live TV : Ustream
Great news! BoozBot co-creator Jeff Crouse posted this video from last weekend's BoozBot session (see below for details). Visit Jeff's website here, he is a prolific and amazing artist. I control BoozBot for the first couple hours of the video before my friend, Scott V., takes over. Hopefully we're not far off from a world in which everyone has the opportunity to control a bartending robot from 3,000 miles away. It was a really wonderful experience.
11/9/08
Last night I had the opportunity to help out some of the ingenious people associated with New York's Eyebeam, "...an art and technology center that provides a fertile context and state-of-the-art tools for digital research and experimentation." Visit their website here to see some truly incredible projects that exist somewhere between and within the realms of art and technology.
I was helping with a project called BoozBot, a fully-functioning robot bartender. Here is BoozBot's bio:
With the creation of BoozBot, Eyebeam Fellows David Jimison and Jeff Crouse have now added the bartending robot to that list of creative roles for automatons. The birth of BoozBot opens a fresh chapter at the intersection of technology, human interaction, and the science of personality. BoozBot converses with the wit and wisdom of your favorite corner barkeep, pouring drinks, monitoring sobriety, and engaging patrons one-on-one.
Last night Eyebeam headquarters hosted a huge mixer featuring the work of thirty performers, artists, and musicians. Amidst this chaotic sensory experience was BoozBot, the aforementioned bartending robot. From 8-10:30 PM ET, I had the pleasure of controlling BoozBot from my friends' house here in Oakland. Through an online interface I was able to pour drinks, exchange banter, and make robotic sounds and movements as BoozBot. It was a hilarious and strange experience, and I want to thank the people at Eyebeam for having me on board and for doing such cool things in general. And to anyone in New York City who was verbally abused or wrecklessly hit on by BoozBot last night, I apologize. To get a better idea of what BoozBot is all about, see the video below (recorded at another event).
BoozBot Demo from Jeff Crouse on Vimeo.
11/2/08
Portland was amazing! I had a great time exploring the city and partaking in The Pancake Clubhouse's 24-Hour Residency Program. Stay tuned for a detailed recap of my wall mural project. In the meantime please join me for a very special event, BOB DYLAN BROKE MY HEART. I am planning on remaking Dylan's canonical "Subterranean Homesick Blues" music video and I need help painting the sixty-four signs he holds up throughout the course of the song. To supplement the sign-painting I'll be screening the original piece in its entirety, D.A. Pennebaker's Dont Look Back (1967). Dylan's music has played a huge role in my life since I first heard "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" about ten years ago. For a while now I've thought about doing something to honor him and I'd like to open up the floor to anyone else who has ever heard a line from a Dylan song that was so good, they could feel their heart breaking a little bit inside. Light refreshments will be provided.
10/16/08
This Halloween I will be the 24-hour Artist In Residence at The Pancake Clubhouse in Portland! Two of my friends, artists Cyrus Smith and Luke Forsyth, reside at this exciting new art space and I'm really looking forward to working with them. I will be painting a large-scale wall mural somewhere in the house. A short essay will accompany the project along with a very special HELLAWEEN 2008 concert in the evening on the 31st. The concert features my band, Boomerang Boomerang, and some sweet bands from the area. Details TBA.
Additionally, I'll be playing a show two nights prior at The Stork Club here in Oakland. I'm honored (and nervous) to be playing with TEK-NIQ, one of the most highly renowned amateur dance troupes in the Bay Area. I haven't played a show in a long time and I'm eager to try out several new songs live. Download some of them for free on the myspace page.
10/15/08
And then there were two. Prints #2/10 and #3/10 of the 3 Walls group are the last remaining pieces for sale from from the Walls Print Project. With the holidays just around the corner and the economy hitting the fan, now is obviously high time to invest in original artwork depicting colorful walls floating in space. Send me an email if you're interested!
As mentioned, there are a lot of new projects and events taking place in the near future. I'll post about the first of these within the next couple of days...until then, please register to vote (there's still time), and then go vote for Barack Obama. This is very important.
10/4/08
I'd like to use this forum to publicly announce my support for Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. What more needs to be said? America is a great place and we're whittling away at the right to say so with fascistic Republicans in the White House. The McCain/Palin ticket should scare you! If it doesn't, I insist that it should. Vote on November 4th, and vote Left.
9/27/08
Ai Weiwei is one of the most famous artists in the world. Yesterday he spoke at Mills College along with Uli Sigg, the world's foremost collector of contemporary Chinese art. After Weiwei's informal discussion with Hung Liu, a group of us went out for Thai food in Oakland. And now we're on Weiwei's blog! Scroll down towards the bottom to see the pictures. More news to come soon, there are lots of things on the horizon...
9/10/08
The prints from the 5 Walls series are SOLD OUT! Thank you again to all the new owners. There are still some pieces available from the 3 Walls series so check those out...
9/9/08
I am completely overwhelmed by the response from the Walls Project. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a print or sent along words of support. It really means a lot to me and I can't stress enough how dearly I appreciate people taking the time to look at the new images. There are still four pieces from the 3 Walls series available for purchase and one remaining print from the 5 Walls series. This has gotten me very excited about several new projects in the works and - due to the success of this experiment - I'll be looking into more printmaking ventures later this year.
Friday marked the opening of a new show by my dear friend and mentor, John Fraser. If you're in Chicago, stop by Roy Boyd Gallery before October 21st to check out this excellent body of new work. As mentioned below, I worked as John's assistant this past summer - in my third stint with him thus far - and helped build the supporting structures of the pieces, most of which entail collage elements on wood panel. I haven't seen the work in the gallery but I've spent enough time with each piece to confidently say that it's a must-see show. Stop by and let me know what you think!
9/7/08
The final prints from the 5 Walls series are uploaded and available for purchase on the Projects page. These five are going for $75 while the ten 3 Walls prints cost $50. Send me an email today to reserve your print and help me with the costs of my final year in school.
9/1/08
I've uploaded images of new prints from the Walls series over on the Projects page. These initial 10 prints - of an available 15 - can be purchased for $50. It's a win-win; buyer receives unique work on paper for reasonable price, I get to buy delicious groceries for the month of September. Think about it.
8/7/08
I'll be in a group show with fellow Mills MFA people at Blankspace Gallery later this month. If you're in the Bay Area, come out for the opening reception Saturday, August 23, from 6-10 PM. Blankspace is a great gallery and they are very generous to facilitate our group. There's also a blog for you to look at, with links to some of the other artists' sites...
8/3/08
I'm very happy to announce that production is underway on a new edition of prints through Chicago's Eight Skin Press. Some of these will be available for online purchase within the next couple of weeks. Check back soon over at the Projects page for images and additional information...
7/10/08
No news is good news, right? I am enjoying the Mighty Midwest and getting very excited about returning to Oakland in a little over a month. In the meantime I'll be working with a new band - details T.B.A. - and spending a lot of time on trains.
My band Boomerang Boomerang will be playing an open mic next Sunday, July 20, with special guest, Stickboy, of Stickboy and the WMWM at a place called The Oasis Cafe in West Chicago. It's in a strip mall, so look for the strip mall. The show starts at 8 PM and we're not sure when we perform. Probably right around when things start to get crazy, or shortly beforehand.
6/1/08
It's official: one year down and one to go at Mills. It's great to be back in Chicago for the summer. I will be working as an assistant to the artist John Fraser and keeping busy with my own projects (chief amongst them, reading Moby Dick once and for all). I'll be headed back to the Bay Area in August. Drop me a line between now and then, and if you're around Portland, be sure to check out the group show I'm a part of at The Pancake Clubhouse Historic Township. The opening is this Friday, June 6.
4/29/08
I've been very busy recently which is a good thing. I finally got around to updating all the new images with titles and dimensions, so check that out and be sure to let me know your favorite and least favorite titles. If you can clearly explain why a given title is your least favorite, I will consider changing the title of that piece. I'll be adding more work soon so if you are okay with all of these titles, maybe you'll dislike some from the next batch.
Thank you so very much to everyone who came out to the lecture at CCA last week. It was a lot of fun and I can't believe all the work so many people were willing to contribute to make it a success. I feel very touched, it was a bonafide love fest. My dearest thanks go out to Josh, Gina, Scott, and Caroline for their virtuoso performances.
My band Boomerang Boomerang is going to be playing one more show this year at this weekend's special Saturday night edition of T.N.S. Come celebrate the end of the year with this excellent and historic Mills College Music Department open-mic-style tradition. The show probably starts around 9.
Lastly, if you're in the Bay Area you should really check out the 2008 Mills College MFA Exhibition at the Mills College Art Museum on Sunday, May 4. It's going to be good and I'm not saying that because I go to school here. And then a week later on Saturday, May 10, come BACK to Mills for the 2008 MFA Open Studios. Lots of great work to see...
4/16/08
To anyone in the East Bay: come join the Mills community for music and barbeque galore this Sunday, April 20th. It will be awesome. Our good friend Brian Caraway is going to be kicking off an excellent installation with a party and reception from 4-8 PM in the Graduate Studios building. Come one come all...
3/4/08
The massive website update is finally underway. Check out new images in the Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture sections of the site. All of this work has been completed since my move to Oakland last summer. In the next couple of days I will be adding titles and dimensions, but in the meantime feel free to email me with what you think things should be titled, as I'm always open to suggestions.
3/27/08
Big news from the front: On April 21st Boomerang Boomerang will be playing a show at the California College of the Arts! Come to the Timken Lecture Hall at 7 PM. Monday, Monday, Monday! OMG!
3/18/08
Whoa! I am totally overwhelmed with excitement. The New Computer Fair Trade Pledge Drive 2k8 was a rip-roaring success and I am now the proud owner of a new MacBook. My thanks go out again to all the supporters and I'd also like to note that - even though I now have a computer - the Pledge Drive is still going, so let me know if you'd like to make a donation in exchange for original work.
I am currently editing the website and getting ready to publish several major changes. I'm preparing my studio for final reviews and the Mills College Spring Open Studios, which will take place in early May. And I'm also working on a lecture which will be held at a major Bay Area art school, with details to be announced soon...Until then, drop me a line and I'll send you a very interesting postcard, free of charge.
3/8/08
Spring is in the air and that can only mean good things. Over Spring Break I will be posting new photos and recordings (finally). The New Computer Fair Trade Pledge Drive 2k8 is coming along fantastically - thank you to those who have contributed donations thus far - and I'm very busy working on new paintings (big), projections (bright), and jams (hot). Thank you to everyone who came out to the last Boomerang Boomerang show. We had a great time and we're looking forward to the next appearance, which will be sometime in April within the greater Bay Area area...
2/23/08
It's been a while since my last update and a lot has been going on in the way of news, both good and bad. The bad news is that my computer died last week. The good news is that I'm now accepting donations in support of my New Computer Fair Trade Pledge Drive 2k8. If you'd like to make a donation contact me here and we can arrange a transaction through PayPal or personal check. I will send any and all supporters a drawing that corresponds in quality with the level of generosity implicated by their donation; small donations will be met with small, mediocre works on paper while large donations will earn you a larger drawing or small panel painting of proportionally higher quality.
In other exciting news, my band, Boomerang Boomerang, will be performing a benefit concert/Leap Year celebration show Friday, February 29, at 12 noon on campus at Mills. The show is sponsored and hosted by the Mills College Photography Department and there will be free pizza for those in attendance. So come early and tell your friends, they can come too.