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Artists Registry
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA United States
Artist's Statement
My job as an artist is to uplift your spirit and explore the mysterious presence of human emotion that lives unconsciously in the body, primarily, the hands of artists who are devoted to their visions.
Since 1979, I began making art based on words or phrases found in the Dictionary of American Slang by Wentworth and Flexner published by Thomas Crowell Inc. I became fascinated with the phenomenon of American slang for the informal, inventive, imaginative, and, sociological history and visual qualities of many of the words and phrases.
As a companion element to all the art that I produce, the slang that I either pick up, experience, or recycle becomes an interactive liaison and perceptual note between my personal mode of expression, the art object, the audience--and art historic continuum in the 21st century.
Rena Small
Resume
RENA SMALL - BIOGRAPHY
List of Work
Solo Exhibition History
2014 “Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum” Angles Gallery, Culver City, CA
“Excerpts: Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum “ James Beach, Venice, CA
“Artists Hands- Photographers” Luminous_Lint, Online Exhibition launched in 2008
2010 "Rena Small-Early Polaroid 1977-1982" Jancar Gallery, Los Angeles, CA July10-31st
2006 “Artists’ Hands: Excerpts From A Life Work” Terry Bell Family Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2000 “Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum” 150 portraits Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1999 “Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum-Excerpts” Cypress College, CA Jerry Burchfield, Curator
1997 “Artists Hands Grid Continuum” 60 “Images of the Art World” Platt Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA
1996 “A Small Retrospective” Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
1994 “Artists’ Hands 1” Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA Bergamot Arts Center
1991 “Bodies of Work: Parental Guidance” Biota Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
1989 “Artists’ Hands” Art Center/Downtown Gallery, Pasadena, CA
1987 “28 Artists’ Hands” West Beach Cafe, Venice, CA Fred Hoffman, Curator
1984 “Photographed Vignettes” Young & Rubicam Advertising, New York, NY
1982 “Captured Performances” Orange Coast College Art Gallery, CA Barbara Kaston Curator
1981 “SX-70 Self Polaroid’s” University of Alabama Fine Arts Gallery in Huntsville
“20 x 24 inch Polaroid Performances” Creatis, Paris France Sept.2 – Nov. 6
1980 “American Slang: Sets and Photographs” Daniel Wolf Gallery, Inc. New York, NY
1980 “SX-70 Self Portraits” Popular Photography Gallery, 1 Park Ave. New York, NY
1978 “Self-Polaroids” International Museum of Photography George Eastman House, Rochester
Group Exhibition History
2014 California State University Northridge, CA “Valley Vista: Art from S.F. Valley 1970-1990”
Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery at Scripps College: “Recent Acquisitions”
Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA: “Face IT” Basquiat’ Artists’ Hands
Hinge Modern, Culver City, CA “Gallery Artists” American slang, Artists’ Hands
2013 Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles “Mike Kelleys’ Hands 1989
Art Gallery at Santa Ana College, CA: “Mysterious Objects: Joan Quinn Collection”
Pritzer’s Home LA, CA “Anti Defamation League World Without Hate Art Auction”
2012 Albright Knox Museum of Art, Buffalo, NY: “Wish you were here: Art park”
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles “FRESH” Rauschenberg, Artists’ hands 1997
Cheim/Reid, NY, NY “Visual Aids: Postcards from the Edge” “Joker is on you Painted photo”
Skirball Museum of Art, Bev. “Windows Onto the World” funds for art programs USA
2011 New Museum, NY, NY: "Lynda Benglis Retrospective" Feb 9-May 1:Small as Bow Wow
2010 New Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, MI The FaceBook Show I & II
Anderson Center for the Arts, University of Buffalo, NY “ArtPark Then and Now"
2009 Museum of Contemporary Art, Dublin, Ireland, "Lynda Benglis Retrospective"
Jancar Gallery, Chinatown, LA, CA "14 of White Spades" 3 x 2 ft. acrylic resin on canvas
2007 California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA “Exquisite Acts and Everyday Rebellions”
2005 Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles: “Johnny Carson Curtains” art auction
World Trade Towers Memorial Design Competition, NY, NY www. Submission exhibition
Fisher Gallery University of Southern California, Los Angeles: “Insatiable Desires”
2004 El Camino Art Gallery, Torrance, CA “Lead into Gold” Moon is 12 Colors” 20 x 24 Polaroid
2003 Craig Krull Gallery, Bergamot Arts, Santa Monica, CA“ Carson’s Curtain 6 Photos” Ed.7/10
2001 Exit Art Gallery, NY, NY; Soho Photo “Warhol’s’ Hands” Art Benefit for NYC homeless
Santa Monica Museum of Art; “Bruce Nauman, Artists’ Hands”
2000 El Camino College Gallery, Torrance, CA: “Currents” Faculty Exhibition
Museum of Contemporary Art Auction, LA, CA “12 Artists’ Hands at Barker Center”
1998 Laguna Art Museum, CA “Life Lessons: How Art Can Change Your Life-Spence Collection”
1996 Huntington Beach Art Center “Documenta” 20 x 24 inch Polaroid Live/Die 1981
Permanent Art Museum Collections
The J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA. Artists’ Hands I handmade Letterpress Book
Fisher Art Museum University of Southern Calif., Los Angeles 4 Calif. Artists’ Hands Excerpts
Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey, Artists’ Hands excerpts
Scripps College Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Moorpark, CA
Art Museum at the Rhode Island School of Art & Design, Providence
The Peabody Essex Museum of Art, Salem, Massachusetts
Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Montana
Laguna Art Museum, CA “Star Gazer I 7 II” 1981 20 x 24 inch Polaroid & Artists’ Hands
California State Art Collection San Francisco Civic Center Hiram Johnson Courthouse: 20 Artists Hands
Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA
Palm Springs Museum of Contemporary Art
Westlicht Schauplatz für Fotografie, Vienna 20 x 24 inch, SX-70 Polaroids
George Eastman House International Center of Photography, Rochester, NY
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida.
Seattle Art Museum Washington
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
Harn Museum of art, University of Florida , Gainsville
The Art Museum at The Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Providence
Brown University
Awards
Current Fellowships:
2017-2014 “Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum Excerpts on Tile Proposal” Los Angeles Metro Art Commission Artists’ Pool Selection to be considered for a public art collaboration projects with Architects and engineers.
2014-2015 Artist in Residence, Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA Kristy Edmunds Artistic and Executive Director invited me to participate in the Center’s upcoming performance season as a resident photographer. My work will be focused on connecting and collaborating with performance artists on the season to create new Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum portraits. I will be one of three photographers in residence in this first-year photography program. My goal is to contribute to the Center’s evolution of original artwork. The Center will facilitate backstage and rehearsal observatory access to artists.
March 27, 2014 Critic’s Choice ART FORUM Magazine: Top exhibit to see in Los Angeles
2014 February “Artists’ Hands Grid Continuum” installation 7 x 85 feet, 248 silver gelatin prints inch Received $17,000 funding to frame each portrait for solo show at Angles Gallery March-1-April 5, 2014 in association with Hinge Modern
2012 Exposure Portraits in Photography, New York, NY Rackstraw Downes’ Artists’ Hands
2010 Artist of the Day, Coagula Art Journal; Small pictured w“14 of White spades
2000 Fisher Gallery at the Univ. of So. Calif. Museum Studies Graduates’ Purchase Award
1991 Bronze Award in Painting, Calif. Magazine “3/10 clubs” 6 ½ x 1 ft. acrylic resin on canvas
1988 Art Quest Calif. ‘88 Photography Finalist “in the pink” Color print text American slang
1988 Polaroid Corp. 20 x 24-inch Polaroid Camera Materials Grant, New York, NY
1987 Faculty in Studio Art: Career Development Grant, University of California, Irvine
1983 20 x 24 inch Polaroid Camera one-week session at Boston Museum of Fine Arts
1981 20 x 24 inch Polaroid studio and materials New, York, NY
1980-79 20 x 24 inch Polaroid Camera Materials at M.I.T.: “American Slang Self Portraits”
1978-77 SX-70 Polaroid film, Time Zero film for production of self portraits
Critical Response: Selected Bibliography
Kirk Silsbee Glendale News Press April 14, 2014 Portraits of Intimacy at Norton Simon
Leah Ollman Los Angeles Times “An Absorbing Look at Hands” 03/20/2014 includes picture
Annie Buckley Art Forum Magazine Critic’s Pick’s Los Angeles, Rena Small Angles Gallery 3/27/14
Jody Zellen, Reviews: Art Scene Magazine, Los Angeles, CA March/April 2014 Gallery Reviews
Richard Woodward Wall Street Journal “Wish You Were Here the Buffalo Avant-Garde in the 70’s”
4/25/2012 review Albert-Knox Gallery Artpark 1975 ¾ inch color video collaboration Bow Wow
Alma Ruiz, Flash Art Magazine Dec 2010 Interview w/Lynda Benglis…”artists to watch Rena Small”
Tom Lawson Redcat, Journal and East of Borneo 2011 The Experimental Impulse, Rena Small artist
Leah Ollman Los Angeles Times "Art Review: Rena Small at Jancar” 07/ 22/2010" D13 Friday
Ralph Rugoff Guggenheim Museum NYC 2005 Speaking With Hands Photographs: Buhl Collection
Suzanne Muchnic Los Angeles Times “Variations III Charts Gallery’s Growth” 5/ 5/1987
Mario Testino Editor Visionaire 35 MAN 2001 “Roy Lichtenstein Artists’ Hands” New York, NY
Eleanor Welles Cover “Rena Small “Artists’ Hands” Art Scene Magazine, Los Angeles, CA 2000
Cathy Curtis Los Angeles Times, Calendar “Assessing the role of repetition in Art” 1989
William Wilson Los Angeles Times: “Images’ Focuses on the Artist as Subject” 02/11/1997
Josef Woodard “Special to the LA Times- Platt Gallery Show Ads Personal Touch” 01/30/1997 F-17
LIFE Magazine, NY, NY Feb. 1996, Hands Speaks Volumes, 15 images Artists’ Hands
Mark Ebner Los Angeles Magazine “Palm Court” incl. portrait of Small, 8 artists’ hands
Peter Frank Los Angeles Weekly “Pick of the Week” 1993 domestic Setting” Artists’ Hands
Mary McNaughton Scripps College Moorpark, CA Crossing the Line Word & Image in Art 1960-1990
Ed Leffingwell, John Coplans Seriality: One of a Kind 1989 Los Angeles Municipal Gallery Barnsdall
Melinda Wortz Variations III Emerging Artists So. Calif. Fellows of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Miller, Joyce Los Angeles Times Magazine, A Show of Hands Vol.5 #26” exhibit at Art Center1989
Andy Warhol, Marc Balet Interview Magazine NY, NY: Modern Masters, Artists’ Hands June 1985