Artists Registry
Lake Hill NY United States
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Artist's Statement
Statement of Work
Artist’s Statement
In “After the 11th,” I’ve identified the psychological, emotional and intellectual states I’ve gone through since September 11, 2001 and have created a piece of art corresponding to each one.
The first piece I completed was in late September: “Resentment,” a noose made out of approximately 180 U.S. dollar bills. Next came the word painting “Shell shock,” which reads “Airplanes going over has become the new sound of screeching tires,” followed by an enormous ransom note from terrorists to us entitled “Violation.”
Having completed these three pieces, the overall concept for this body of work started to become apparent to me. I began thinking about the psychologist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and her 5 now-famous states of grief for those faced with the death of a loved one: “denial,” “anger,” “bargaining,” “depression,” and “acceptance” and I realized that I was following a similar path. So using Kubler-Ross as a conceptual springboard, I began to identify all the feelings I was having in the aftermath of this defining moment in American history and in my life as an artist living in downtown Manhattan. The list grew and grew, encompassing all the feelings I had as a New Yorker, as a father, as a political skeptic, as a liberal, and as someone who truly appreciates the rewards and responsibilities of being an American.
The one thing that each of these pieces have in common is sincerity: “Admiration of bravery” is a sincere admiration for the bravery of those who gave their lives attempting to save others in the World Trade Centers. “Dread,” “Patriotism,” and “Confusion” are just as sincere as “The feeling that capitalism is perversely indomitable” and “The feeling that the war effort is being marketed to us.” Having a critical view of my government has never stopped my from loving my country, a sentiment that can be found in “A feeling of suppression,” a t-shirt stamped with the motto “dissent keeps America strong.”
As I near completion of this very personal body of work and prepare to exhibit it, a question pops into my head “who is this show for? who is the audience?” And I’ve realized that the ideal audience to appreciate it to its fullest are my fellow New Yorkers. I hope that they will come and appreciate this show and maybe even do as I have and understand a little better some of the feelings we’ve all experienced after the 11th.
NYC August, 2002
Resume
Resume
Norm Magnusson b. 1960
Public art projects:
2007 (Spring)“The Main St. sculpture project” The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Ct.
2006 “The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Outdoor Sculpture Show” Woodstock, N.Y.
2006 “Unexpected Catskills" Woodstock, N.Y.
2005 “Karen DeWitt,” Greene County, N.Y.
2004 “Do unto others,” “Practice what you preach” Two:30 videos that aired 96 times on national tv leading up the November, 2004 election.
2003 “Jesus love you, Bush doesn’t” Internet project: viral email and website presence.
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2008 “America’s Seven Cardinal Virtues” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
"Youth culture in America" Muddy Cup Studios, Kingston, N.Y.
2007 "On this site stood" The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT
2006 “America’s Seven Deadly Sins” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2004 “Figures of speech in paint” Inquiring Mind Gallery, Saugerties, N.Y.
2003 “Vacation” Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
2003 “Metaphorical Menagerie” Pember Museum, Granville, N.Y.
2002 “After the 11th” BridgewaterFineArts, N.Y., N.Y.
2001 “The Animal Alphabet” Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld Gallery, N.Y.
2001 “Image and Allegory,” The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi
2000 "Norm Magnusson -- American Painter" The Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Mo.
1999 "Central Park Animals - Then and Now" The Arsenal Gallery, Central Park, N.Y. , N.Y.
1998 "American Paintings" Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, N.Y.
1997 “Norm Magnusson” J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
1997 "Travelogue" Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1996 “Norm Magnusson” Picturesque Gallery, Akaroa, New Zealand
1995 "Bestiary" Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1994 "The Normandy Paintings" Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1993 “Recent paintings” The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, New York, N.Y.
1992 “Norm Magnusson” The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, New York, N.Y.
Selected Group Shows:
2008 “18 solos” Muddycup Gallery, Kingston, NY
“Wild thing” Ira Wolk Gallery, Napa, CA
“Strange bedfellows” Le Petit Versailles, NYC
2007 (May) "About Face: Artists Not Afraid of U-Turns," Greene County Council for the Arts, Catskill, N.Y.“New Hudson 3” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
"New Hudson 3" Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2006 “The Gift” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
“The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Outdoor Sculpture Show” Byrdcliffe, Woodstock, N.Y.
“Unexpected Catskills” Kleinert James Art Center, Woodstock, N.Y.
“New Hudson Room” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2005 “Compared to what” Gallery OneTwentyEight, N.Y., N.Y.
“Over the top - Under the rug” The Shore Institure of Contemporary Arts, N.J.
“This is not an archive” Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudon, N.Y.
2004 “Ambush” VanBrunt Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Happy Art for a sad world” Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
2003 “Genetic expressions: Art after DNA” Hecksher Museum, Huntington, N.Y.
“Art against war” Macy Gallery, Columbia Univ., N.Y., N.Y.
2002 “Reactions” Exit Art, N.Y., N.Y.
“Biennial” Bradford Brinton Memorial, Big Horn, Wyoming
2000 "Animals in Art" The Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska
“Animals as Symbol” Curated online exhibition, Guild.com
"Salon" HereArt, N.Y., N.Y.
1999 "Urbiculture" Sylvia White Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
"A big show of small work" Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y.
"Portraits 2" Jorgenson Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
"Wish you were here" Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
"Framed" Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
1998 "Open your heart" Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"A big show of small works" Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
"Anima Mundi" Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
1997 "Whit, Whimsy & Humor" Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, N.Y.
"Winter show" J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"PhotoSoho" Buhl Foundation, New York, N.Y.
"Art walk ‘97 Show" J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francico, CA.
"A big show of small work 2" Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
1996 "A big show of small work" Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
"Summer exhibition" J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1995 "Creative Conflict" Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"High/Low/Art Soup" Renee Fotouhi Fine Art, East Hampton, N.Y.
"Animal Kingdom" The Union League Club, New York, N.Y.
"Open your heart" Christinerose Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"Preview of 1995" J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1994 "Then and Now" Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York,N.Y.
"Summer 1994" J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"Accidental Tourist" Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"Garden in the Gallery" Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1994 (cont) "Group Show" Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France
1993 "Celebration of Victor Hugo" Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France
"Group Show" Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France
"Apres New York" Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France
Awards:
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, 1998-1999
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, 2008-2009
Museum Collections:
Anchorage Museum of History and Art - Anchorage, Alaska
The Museum of Modern Art - New York, N.Y. (Franklin Furnace/Artist’s book collection)
The Springfield Art Museum - Springfield, Missouri
The Pember Museum - Granville, N.Y.
Public/Corporate Collections:
AmSouth Bank - Birmingham, Alabama
Fidelity Insurance - Boston, Mass.
Kenneth Cole - New York, N.Y.
Simmons, U.S.A. - Atlanta, Georgia
Selected Bibliography
“On this site stood a man with a message” The New York Times, Sep. 30, 2007
"Signposting America," Eyeteeth: A journal of incisive ideas, Aug. 18, 2007
"Parting shot: Norm Magnusson," Chronogram, August, 2007
"Norm Magnusson - On this site stood," American Towns, June 3, 2007
“On this site stood: culture jamming history,” Art Threat, May 29, 2007
“Énoncé de l’artiste,” Esse arts + opinion, Spring-summer 2007"Painting politics," The Woodstock Times, August 3, 2006
“A blossoming of political art” The Huffington Post, June 6, 2006
“Art that pushes the limits of studio walls,” Atlanticville Press, September 7, 2005
“Caution: angry artists at work,” The New York Times, August 27, 2004
“Vacation,” The New York Times, September 12, 2003.
“Norm Magnusson,” The Week, August 29, 2003.
"Images of a beautiful era, and of scientific breakthroughs," The New York Times, July 27, 2003
"Pember Museum has Art Exhibit," The Granville Sentinel, February 19, 2003
“Artist’s ‘funism’ provides lesson behind each animal,” Springfield News Leader, October 18, 2000
"The Artist’s Way," Adweek, August 16, 1999
"Norm Magnusson," Review, March 1, 1997
"Travels with Magnusson," Where New York, February, 1997
"Ecological awareness with paint and a brush," The Villager, February 12, 1997
"From the Big Apple to Akaroa," The Press (Christchurch), March 27, 1996
"Fun-ism in art," The Beta Theta Pi Magazine, Spring 1996
"Museum/Gallery Notes," Wildlife Art News, Sept./Oct. 1995
"Norm Magnusson," Cover, September, 1995
"Viel Rauch um nichts," Der Vogel, August 18, 1995
"Raw News," Raw Vision, Summer 1995
"Animal Rites," The Villager, June 28, 1995
"Norm Magnusson," The New Yorker, February 28, 1994
“Scene Change,” The Villager, February 16, 1994
"Dimanche, les ecoliers invitaient aussi a voter," Le Courier Cauchois, March 27, 1993.
"La peinture sur le chemin des ecoliers," Le Courier Cauchois, January 23, 1993.
"A la decouvert d’un peintre americain avec les ecoliers de Villequier," Paris Normandie, 1/22/93
"A Self-taught Village Artist Creates a ‘Funism’ Style," The Villager, September 9, 1992.
"Enjoyable and Accessible Art," The Villager, August 19, 1992.
Selected Private Collections:
Mr. & Mrs. Andy and Elyce Arons New York, N.Y.
Mr. Paul Bridgewater New York, N.Y.
Ms. Tina Brown Chambers New York, N.Y.
Mr. Kenneth Cole New York, N.Y.
Mr. & Mrs. Jen and Marty Flanagan Atlanta, GA.
Mr. Laurence Rockefeller New York, N.Y.
Mr. & Mrs. Andy and Kate Spade New York, N.Y.
Mr. Theo Spencer New York, N.Y.
Dr. & Mrs. Harlan Waksal Telluride, Colorado
Tanya Wexler & Amy Zimmerman New York, N.Y.
Mr. Blair Wynkoop New York, N.Y.