| Artist Statement |
| If I could
draw, I’d be a cartoonist. Instead, I
use more dimensional materials. Because the
components are so critical to the content of
my art, I have developed a broad palette
which includes fiber, steel, ceramics, wood,
precious metals, recycled materials and both
conventional and digital photography. |
| My art is conceptual
in that I construct visual representations
of thoughts, memories and ideas.
These, in turn, derive added meaning from
the materials and construction techniques I
use. My work is rarely personal in the
sense of being introspective, but it is
subjective, nearly always evincing a strong
point of view. In rare fits of sanctimony,
in a quixotic delusion, I point a spear at
some imagined or real injustice. During
those times--when I realize that I've
crossed the line from art to therapy--I
hurry back to satire. Actually, humor
and irony underlie the vast majority of my
work. If my art simply makes someone
smile--even if they do not go deeper into
the underlying motivation for creating the
piece--I feel that I have accomplished my
purpose. As I said, if I could draw
I'd be a cartoonist. |
Stuart Wagner,
a native of Connecticut, has lived in the Bay
Area for all but six years since 1964. He served in the Marine Corps after
high school and completed his undergraduate work at The University of
Connecticut and his graduate studies at Stanford. His Ph.D. dissertation research took
him to Bogotá, Colombia where he lived for a year. Stuart taught Latin American history at
the University of Minnesota for five years. He returned to the Bay Area in 1974 to
begin an electronics business, which he administered until 1989, when he
retired. Stuart became an art student in 1992. He considers himself primarily a 3
dimensional artist who works with a wide variety of materials from steel to digital
images.
|
| Partial List of
Group Shows |
2008 |
DiRosa Preserve, Napa, CA, Slideslam
Marin Society of Artists, Ross, CA, Open Craft and Sculpture Ehibition
Arts Benicia, Benicia, CA, EDGE
Smith Ranch Gallery, San Rafael, CA, fiber/Dimensions at Smith Ranch
ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA, EDGE Art Group at ACCI Gallery |
2007 |
Swarm Gallery, Oakland, CA, The Little Show
College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery, Kentfield, CA, The Devil You Know. Solo show
ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA, National Fine Craft Exhibition
Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA, Pacific Rim Sculpture Group Members Summer Exhibition
Marin Art Festival, San Rafael, CA
Artisans Art Gallery, San Rafael, CA, Mechanized Genius
Community Congregational Church, Tiburon, CA, f/D at the CCC
College of Marin, Kentfield, CA, Hybrid
ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA, Recovery: Man over Matter
Marin Society of Artists, Ross, CA, Open Sculpture and Crafts |
2006 |
Atrium Gallery at 600 Townsend, San Francisco, CA, Pacific Rim Sculpture Group : 16 Years
Bay Area Fine Craft, Silver & Gold Art Works Downtown, San Rafael, CA
Online exhibit at www.fiberscene.com. Independent Flags
Atrium Gallery, San Francisco, CA, Pacific Rim Sculpture Group : Objects of Engagement
Herbst International Exhibition Hall at the Presidio of San Francisco: fiber/Dimensions: Intersections III
ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA, Remake/Remodel: Rebound. Studies in Transformation
Pence Gallery, Davis, CA, fiber/Dimensions at the Pence |
2005 |
Mill
Valley Public Library, Mill Valley, CA,
Art for the Fun of It
Alameda Art Center, Alameda, CA,
Cornucopia
Democracy for America, Sausalito, CA, The
Art of Politics
Belvedere-Tiburon Library, Tiburon, CA,
knowlEDGE
Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA Small
Works
Marin Society of Artists, Ross, CA, Open
Sculpture and Crafts
Marin County Fair, Terra Linda, CA, Fine
Arts Exhibit
Sausalito Arts Commission, Sausalito, CA,
Ro Sham Bo-Rock--Paper Scissors
600 Townsend, San Francisco, CA, Pacific
Rim Sculpture Group, Strange Days
San Francisco Bay Model Gallery,
Sausalito, CA, Fiber Dimensions at the Bay
Model
Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, CA,
Falkirk 2005 Annual Juried Exhibition of
Marin Artists |
2004 |
Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA: fiber/Dimensions at Pacifica
Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, CA: Bags & Baggage
Herbst International Exhibition Hall at
the Presidio of San Francisco:
fiber/Dimensions: Intersections II
Marin Society of
Artists, Ross, CA: Third Dimension |
2003 |
Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley: Artisans
2003 National Juried Exhibition
Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley: The Fine
Art of Craft
College of Marin, Kentfield: Student Art
Show
Marin Society of Artists, Ross: Open Sculpture & Crafts
ten78 Gallery, Chico, CA: Naked
|
2002 |
Sight & Insight Gallery, Mill Valley, CA:
Phoenix Rising
The Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz:
Refuse/Reuse/Redux
College of Marin, Kentfield: Student Art
Show
Herbst Pavilion at the Presidio of San
Francisco: fiber Dimensions: Intersections
Marin Society of Artists, Ross: Open Sculpture & Crafts
Downtown Art Works, San Rafael: The Fine
Art of Craft
Sight & Insight Gallery, Mill Valley: The
Rhythm of Change: Artists Responding to an
Evolving World
|
2001 |
Turtle Bay Museum of Art & History,
Redding: Transforming Trash: Bay Area Fiber Art
MeSH Gallery, Sebastopol, CA: Trash: Art from Recycled Materials
Marin Arts Council, San Rafael: Encore Recycling Show, Marin
Country Civic Center
Marin Society of Artists, Ross: Open Sculpture & Crafts
College of Marin, Kentfield: Student Art
Show
Marin County Fair, Terra Linda: Fine Arts
Exhibit
Sebastopol Center for the Arts,
Sebastopol: A Fine Hand
Belevedere-Tiburon Library, Tiburon: Fiber
at the Library
|
2000 |
Marin Society of Artists, Ross: Open
Sculpture & Crafts
fiber Dimensions at The Marin Technology
Center, San Rafael |
1999 |
Downtown Art Center, San Rafael: Fiber as
Art
Marin Arts Council, Larkspur: Stretching the Boundaries
Marin Society of Artists, Ross: Open
Sculpture & Crafts
Marin County Fair, Terra Linda: San
Rafael: Fine Arts Exhibit
Bolinas Museum, Bolinas: Fiber Art
College of Marin, Kentfield: Fiber Dimensions 10th Anniversary Show
Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley: Book
Makers: West Coast
Marin Arts Council, Corte Madera: Member’s
Exhibition |
1998 |
Marin Society of Artists, Open Sculpture & Crafts
Marin County Fair, Terra Linda: Fine Arts
Exhibit
Sebastopol Center for the Arts,
Sebastopol: Food, Glorious Food
Marin Arts Council Member’s
Exhibition |
1997 |
Marin County Fair, Terra Linda: Fine Arts
Exhibit
Sebastopol Center for the Arts,
Sebastopol: Movers & Shakers
Marin Arts Council Experimental Media: Fiber Sculpture |
1996 |
College of Marin, Kentfield: , Student Art
Show
Marin County Fair, Terra Linda: Fine Arts
Exhibit
|
1995 |
College of Marin, Kentfield: , Student Art
Show
Marin Society of Artists, Open Sculpture & Crafts |
Art in Public
Places:
|
College of Marin, Kentfield: , Fine
Arts Building, Puzzle Totem |
Publications:
|
|
Surface Design Journal, Spring 2005
Pacific Sun, December 20, 2004-January 4, 2005
Marin Independent Journal, October 28, 2004
Pacific Sun, December 29, 2004
Artweek, October 2004
San Rafael Focus Magazine, Fall 2004
Surface Design Journal, Winter 2002
The Echo Times (College of Marin), May 7, 2001
The Echo Times (College of Marin), October 16,
2000
Ross Valley Reporter, October 13-19, 1999
|
| Gallery
Representation: |
Virginia Breier, San Francisco, CA |
Arts Memberships &
Service: |
Judge, Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, 2006
American Craft Council
Edge Art Group
Pacific Rim Sculpture Group
Board of Directors Artisan Gallery, Mill
Valley, CA 1994-1998
Marin Arts Council
Fiber Dimensions
|
Web Sites: |
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
www.fiberscene.com
www.fiberdimensions.com
www.turtlebay.org
www.edgeartgroup.com
www.sanchezartcenter.org |
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