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 LUCIEN SHAPIRO 

available work

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Hear No, from the short film The Analect
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Nació en Santa Rosa, Ca. en 1979. Se graduó con un BFA de la San Francisco Academy of Art University en 2003.  

 

Danzando entre la vida y muerte, el arte de Lucien Shapiro explora objetos encontrados, texturas, moldes, manipulaciones, sustancias crudas, rarezas y personalidades múltiples. Al emplear objetos olvidados y sus memorias como un tesoro, Shapiro crea un reino bajo el cual nueva vida es creada a través de la escultura.

 

Máscaras, armas y vasijas ornamentadas; exploran la relación entre los desechos modernos y los artefactos culturales antiguos.

En la actualidad, la facilidad y rapidez con la que consumimos nos ha llevado a un continuo estado de sobre consumo. Los objetos diarios se han convertido en desechables creando un deseo insaciable por algo nuevo. Shapiro transforma objetos olvidados en reliquias llenas de belleza que nos obligan a revaluar lo que representan las posesiones cotidianas.

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Prácticas y costumbres del pasado son traídas a la luz a través del renacimiento de materiales de desecho transformados en objetos de auto protección. Detrás de una máscara y empuñando un arma construida a partir de cuarzos y objetos descartados, Shapiro es capaz de protegerse ante el dolor, el estrés y el amor con una nueva identidad.

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Los materiales de sus obras están relacionados a varias formas de adicción; drogas, violencia, acaparamiento. Sus esculturas encarnan en sí el acto de la obsesión compulsiva. A través de repetición meticulosa, somos expuestos a obras que desafían nociones preconcebidas sobre nuestros hábitos, impulsos y dependencias.

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Lucien Shapiro realiza performances que integran sus objetos como parte de rituales que son documentados en video. Las esculturas son utilizadas como objetos simbólicos de autoprotección. Como en su más reciente serie de performances titulado "Ritual de Recolección del miedo" que fue presentado en más de 30 ciudades a lo largo de Estados Unidos durante el 2016 entre otros de sus performances más conocidos se encuentran, Coachella 2015, Kaaboo 2015 y la Dirección de Arte detrás del video "The GasLampKiller Experience” realizado por la revista Rolling Stone.

Dancing between life and death, Lucien Shapiro’s art is rife with found objects, textures, cast forms, manipulations, raw substances, oddities, and multiple personalities. Treating forgotten objects and memories as treasure, he creates a kingdom under which new life is born through sculpture. 

 

Composed of elaborately constructed masks and ornately armored weaponry, his work examines a relationship between modern waste and memories of ancient cultural artifacts. Practices and customs from the past are brought back to light through Shapiro’s revival of discarded materials, transformed into objects analogous with self-protection. Behind masks and armor, we’re enabled with the power to separate and shield ourselves from reality, creating new identities through a deliberate opposition of our true selves. 

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Shapiro’s sculptures embody the act of compulsive preoccupation. Through his own addiction to the process of painstaking repetition and meticulousness of his craft, we are presented with works that challenge preconceived notions of habits, impulses, and dependencies. Evident in his art is an acceptance of whatever result would come from the consolidation and manipulation of numerous imperfections.

 

In today’s day and age, the ease at which information and products are made available has led to a continual state of over-consumption. Everyday items have become neglectfully disposable, and there is an immediate desire for what’s new and what’s next. Shapiro’s work, a laborious craft and meditative consumption of time, transforms forgotten objects into nostalgically interesting and beautiful relics that compel viewers to re-evaluate what our everyday possessions represent and mean to us. Lucien Shapiro invites us to slow down, to not only gain an appreciation for the artifacts that tell a story about who we are in this day and age but to find inspiration in the value of time and craft.

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Selected Solo Exhibitions

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  • Fort Wayne Museum of Art “Solo” 2018

  • Hashimoto Contemporary “ From Ash To Diamonds” 2017

  • MAIA Contemporary “Urban Obsessions” 2017

  • Marfa Film Festival “Relics of the World”  2016

  • 40 City Traveling Performance  USA and Europe “A Fools Journey” 2016

  • CES Gallery Project Room “The Wore,” LA, Dec. 2014

  • Guerrero Gallery Project Room “Vessel,” SF, Sept. 2013

  • Cassel Gallery –“Relics of the New World,” SF, Aug,  2012

           

Group Exhibitions

 

2017

  • Red Bull House of Art “New Wave”, Detroit

  • Kaaboo Arts and Music “ The Giving Tree”, SD

  • Subliminal Projects “Twenty One”, LA

  • Luna Rienne Gallery “ Sacred Alchemy”, SF

 

2016

  • Brand Library Art Center “ Nexxus”, LA

  • Dimension Gallery “Cloaked Identity”, Austin TX

  • Hashimoto Contemporary “ANEW,” SF,

 

2015

  • Subliminal Projects “Primitive Future” LA

  • Kaaboo “ Spider in the Belly of the Goat Installation” SD

  • Full Circle “RVCA Window Installation and Performance” SF

  • Coachella “GLK Experience Live stage Performance” Coachella

  • Hashimoto Contemporary “Summer Group Show” SF

  • Lazarides Edition Series “Hand Made in Retail Space” London

  • Fecal Face Gallery “Six Degrees” SF

  • Modern Edan Gallery “Platinum Cheese Curated Show” SF

  • Hashimoto Contemporary “SuperSonic Electronic Curated Show” SF

  • Jonathan Levine “The Winter Mitten Society” NYC

 

2014

  • Jonathan Levine “The Winter Mitten Society” NYC

  • Yves Laroche Gallery ”Egregore” Montreal

  • Incline Gallery “Ascension” SF

  • Guerrero Gallery, “Home At Last” SF

  • New Image Gallery, “Natural Balance” LA

  • Bedford Gallery, “Skull Show” WC

  • 111 Minna Gallery, “EK Summer” SF

  • Olive Hyde Gallery, “Decked Out” Fremont

  • Compound Project, “Two” Malibu

  • Ever Gold, “5 year Anniversary” SF

  • Varnish, “LA Art Show Fair” LA

 

2013

  • 111 Minna “Fabulous 50”, SF, May

  • Varnish Fine Art, “10 yr Anniversary” SF, April

  • This Los Angeles, “These Friends”. LA, April

  • Bold Hype New York, April

  • Known Gallery Los Angeles, Feb

  • Gildar Gallery “Group Show Vol. 3″, Denver, Jan

 

2012

  • Guerrero Gallery “Winter Group Show”, SF, Dec

  • Wonderland SF “Supernatural”, SF, Nov

  • Lequivive “As show of Heads” Oak. Oct

  • Zero Friends- “Group Show Oakland, July

  • Varnish Fine Art- “The Have and Have Not” SF, Apr

  • 5 Claude Ln –“Days To Come” SF, March

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Published Works

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  • Fear Collection Ritual a Fools Journey Book, 260 pg book published by Not a Cult, Nov 2017

  • Juxtapoz Magazine, Solo Show, Nov 2017                        

  • Ask Artist, Feature and Interview, June 2016                  

  • Press Democrat, Show Feature and Interview, March 2016

  • American Art Collector, Feature and Interview Nov 2016             

  • Rogue Habits, Feature, and Interview, Oct 2014 

  • Juxtapoz Magazine, Studio Feature, Sept 2014               

  • Empty Kingdom, Interview, July 2014                             

  • Super Sonic Electronic, Interview, March 2014

  • Beautiful Decay, Feature, January 2014     

  • Juxtapoz Magazine, 12 page Feature, Dec 2013

  • Art Enthusiast, Feature, Sept 2013                                 

  • Art Attacks, Interview, Sept 2013

  • Arrested Motion, Feature, Sept 2013

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Residencies     

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  • Red Bull House of Art, Aug 2017-Nov 2017

  • Bedstuey Residency June 2017

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