Michael Rees
Encyclopedia
Michael Rees is an American artist doing sculpture
, installation
, animation, and interactive computing
. He has exhibited his works widely, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (1995 Whitney Biennial
, 2001 Bitstreams Exhibition); The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT (Putto Large and Moving 2004, Pop Surrealism 1998, Best of Season 2001), The MARTa Museum, Herford
, Germany (Putto 4 over 4 2005), and The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
, Kansas City, MO (Putto 2x2x4 permanent installation of sculpture and animation). He has experimented with a broad practice that includes performance, interactive computer programs (the sculptural user interface), digital modeling and fabrication, animation, and video. Rees' work with digital media has been written about and illustrated in books, articles, and catalogues for exhibitions. His talk at the Rothko Chapel
, Houston, Texas is also published.
, Missouri. He studied at Vassar College
for 2 years with the social realist painter Alton Pickens. He transferred to the Kansas City Art Institute and worked with the installation artist Dale Eldred and the ceramics sculptor Jim Leedy. He graduated in 1982. He traveled to Germany in 1983-84 on a Deutscher Akademischer Austauchdienst (German Academic Exchange Service
) award to study with Joseph Beuys
and Gunther Uecker
. In 1989 he graduated from Yale University in Sculpture where he studied with David Von Schlegal, Irwin Hauer, Vito Acconci, Alice Aycock, Frank Gehry and others. He met and worked with other artist's at Yale including Matthew Barney
, Katie Schimert, and Michael Grey and wrote an article about it
Rees teaches about sculpture and digital media at William Paterson University
. He has taught at Oberlin College, The Kansas City Art Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, New York Institute of Technology, and Rutgers University.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, installation
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, animation, and interactive computing
Interactive computing
In computer science, interactive computing refers to software which accepts input from humans — for example, data or commands. Interactive software includes most popular programs, such as word processors or spreadsheet applications. By comparison, noninteractive programs operate without human...
. He has exhibited his works widely, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (1995 Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
, 2001 Bitstreams Exhibition); The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT (Putto Large and Moving 2004, Pop Surrealism 1998, Best of Season 2001), The MARTa Museum, Herford
Herford
Herford is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is the capital of the district of Herford.- Geographic location :...
, Germany (Putto 4 over 4 2005), and The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. The core of the museum's permanent collection is the Bebe and R. Crosby Kemper Jr. Collection, a gift of the museum's founders. The collection includes works created after the 1913 Armory Show to works by present-day...
, Kansas City, MO (Putto 2x2x4 permanent installation of sculpture and animation). He has experimented with a broad practice that includes performance, interactive computer programs (the sculptural user interface), digital modeling and fabrication, animation, and video. Rees' work with digital media has been written about and illustrated in books, articles, and catalogues for exhibitions. His talk at the Rothko Chapel
Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel is a non-denominational chapel in Houston, Texas founded by John and Dominique de Menil. The interior serves not only as a chapel, but also as a major work of modern art. On its walls are fourteen black but color hued paintings by Mark Rothko...
, Houston, Texas is also published.
Education and Teaching
Michael Rees was born in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri. He studied at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
for 2 years with the social realist painter Alton Pickens. He transferred to the Kansas City Art Institute and worked with the installation artist Dale Eldred and the ceramics sculptor Jim Leedy. He graduated in 1982. He traveled to Germany in 1983-84 on a Deutscher Akademischer Austauchdienst (German Academic Exchange Service
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
) award to study with Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys was a German performance artist, sculptor, installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist and pedagogue of art.His extensive work is grounded in concepts of humanism, social philosophy and anthroposophy; it culminates in his "extended definition of art" and the idea of social...
and Gunther Uecker
Günther Uecker
Günther Uecker, also known as Guenther Uecker, is a German sculptor, op artist and installation artist.- Biography :...
. In 1989 he graduated from Yale University in Sculpture where he studied with David Von Schlegal, Irwin Hauer, Vito Acconci, Alice Aycock, Frank Gehry and others. He met and worked with other artist's at Yale including Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney is an American artist who works in sculpture, photography, drawing and film. His early works were sculptural installations combined with performance and video...
, Katie Schimert, and Michael Grey and wrote an article about it
Rees teaches about sculpture and digital media at William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
. He has taught at Oberlin College, The Kansas City Art Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, New York Institute of Technology, and Rutgers University.
Fellowships, honors, awards and grants
- 2008 Rockefeller Grant, Media Arts Fellow of the Tribeca Film Institute.
- 2007 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship recipient
- 2002 Creative Capital Grant
- 1999 National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
for the exhibition Artificial Sculpture. - 1999 Charlotte Street Fund Award for emerging artists.
External links
- http://www.michaelrees.com artist website
- http://atc.berkeley.edu/bio/Michael_Rees/ artist talk at the Art and Technology Colloquiem, University of California, Berekely
- http://www.jerseyarts.com/podcast.asp interview