Eric Wesley

Eric Wesley (born 1973) is an American artist who works with a variety of media including sculpture and painting. He is based in Los Angeles.

Biography

Wesley was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the son of two social workers. As a child, he planned to become an aeronaturical engineer. He earned a fine arts degree from University of California, Los Angeles in 1996. While Wesley primarily works from Los Angeles, he previously had a studio in Berlin.

Wesley's work encompasses sculpture and painting, among other media, and have been displayed around the world. He has held solo exhibitions at galleries including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and Foundation Morra Greco, Naples, Italy. He has participated in group shows at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles; CAPC musée d'art contemporain, Bordeaux; Fundación/Colección, Mexico City; ARCOS Museo d’Arte, Benevento, Italy;[citation needed] the Prague Biennial in 2007; Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; P.S. 1, New York; the Whitney, New York; and the Studio Museum in Harlem. His work was part of the collection TV executive Dean Valentine donated to the Hammer Museum in 2007. He has worked extensively with China Art Objects Galleries, Bortolami Gallery, and Maureen Paley. He was included on ArtReview's Future Greats list in 2005 and 2008.

He is also the co-founder of Mountain School of Art (MSA) in Los Angeles, an artist-run nomadic school that he opened in January 2006 with Piero Golia. They accept 15 fellows annually to a three-month program. The classes are free and all staff are volunteers. In 2008, Wesley told ArtReview that it was less of an art school and more of "an institution patterned on the university model and devoted to general education, with a curriculum grounded in science, philosophy and law."

Solo exhibitions

YearCityGalleryTitleNotesRefs
1999Los AngelesChina Art Objects GalleriesCamper
2000Kicking Ass
2001PasadenaCaltechTwo Story Clock TowerErected on the Caltech campus
2002New York CityMetro Pictures GalleryNew Amsterdam
KarlsruheMeyer-Reigger GalerieEnchilada “The Endless Burrito”
TurinGaleria Franco NoeroOuchi
2003BaselArt BaselJeans Theory, Statements
2004Los AngelesChina Art Objects GalleriesPico Youth Center
MiamiLocust ProjectsEric Wesley I love WW2
2005AmsterdamBowie-Van Valen Gallery
2006KarlsruheMeyer-Riegger GalleryAudi
NaplesGalleria FontiYou say Tomato, I say Tomato
Los AngelesChina Art Objects GalleriesErik Wesley
Museum of Contemporary ArtMOCA FOCUS: Eric Wesley
Pacific Design CenterThirty Three Point Three Three Three
2007New York CityBortolami GallerySpaference Room
NaplesFoundation Morra GrecoSpa fice
MünchensteinKunsthaus Baselland
TurinGaleria Franco Noero
2008BerlinFeurig59Ship Shape Shit Shelf and the Empfang Box
2009LondonMaureen PaleyNew Realistic Figures
2010New York CityBortolami GalleryD’Carts Blanche and New Paintings
2011Los AngelesChina Art Objects GalleryThe Same ‘Ol New Frontier
2012New York CityBortolami Gallery2 new works
2015Los Angeles356 MissionSome Work
2016MinneapolisMidway Contemporary ArtISOSCELES TRAPEZOID ARCH
2019Los AngelesTIMESHARETurning Tables
Pico PicoTimbuctooAlternate title: Sticks and stones may break my bones but words fucking kill me
LondonSprovieri GalleryReputation
2022New York CityBortolami GalleryEric Wesley/St Louis
2024Martos GalleryThree Sleeping Philosophers

Group exhibitions

YearCityGalleryExhibition titleNotesRefs
1998Santa MonicaRosamund Felsen GalleryI-Candy[citation needed]
Los AngelesBrent Petersen GalleryDrawings for Works in Progress
1999L.A. Edge FestivalOrganized by Simon Watson[citation needed]
2000ACME GalleryYoung and DumbCurated by Pentti Monkkonen
2001New York CityStudio Museum in HarlemFreestyleSculpture: Kicking Ass
Santa MonicaSanta Monica Museum of Art
San DiegoMuseum of Contemporary Art, San DiegoUltrabaroque: Aspects of Post-Latin American Art
Los AngelesUCLA Hammer MuseumSnapshot: New Art From Los Angeles
MiamiMuseum of Contemporary Art[citation needed]
New York CityArtists SpacePurloinedRan September 6 - October 13
KarlsruheZKM Center for Art and MediaCircles 3: Silver Lake CrossingsCurated by Christoph Keller[citation needed]
New PlymouthGovett-Brewster Art GalleryDrive: Power, Progress, DesireCurated by Gregory Burke
New York CityMetro Pictures Gallery[citation needed]
2002RichmondReynolds GalleryDrive By: Nine Artists from Los Angeles[citation needed]
2003Los AngelesCraft and Folk Art MuseumFade (1990–2003)Curated by Malik Gaines
China Art Objects GalleriesWorks for Giovanni[citation needed]
GlasgowTransmission GalleryMore Boots = Many RoutesWith Lee O’Connor and Ryan Doolan[citation needed]
TurinGaleria Franco NoeroNew Space! New Show![citation needed]
GuadalajaraOPA: Oficina Para Proyectos de ArteAdios Pendejos[citation needed]
LondonCampoli PrestiEduardo Sarabia and Eric Wesley
2004New York CityWhitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Biennial
ViennaMuseum für Angewandte Kunst3 Fireplaces and 2 Bathtubs
San FranciscoContemporary Jewish Museum100 Artists See GodCurated by John Baldessari and Meg Cranston, organized by ICA
2005New York CityBortolami DayanGallery opening event
Closing Down: Thanks[citation needed]
Los AngelesLos Angeles Contemporary ExhibitionsA Walk to RememberOrganized by Jens Hoffmann
LondonInstitute of Contemporary Arts100 Artists See GodCurated by John Baldessari and Meg Cranston, organized by ICA
Virginia BeachVirginia Museum of Contemporary Art
ReadingFreedman Art Center
New York CityI-20 GalleryInstallations[citation needed]
Having Differences[citation needed]
2006MinneapolisMidway Contemporary ArtAxis of PraxisCurated by Nate Lowman
Los AngelesBlack Dragon SocietyDesignomiteCurated by Parker Jones
LondonInstitute of Contemporary ArtsAlien NationCurated by John Gill, Jens Hoffmann and Gilane Tawadros
Long Island CityP.S. 1 Contemporary Art CenterThe Gold Standard
New York CityBortolami DayanSurvivorCurated by David Rimanelli
NashvilleCheekwood Museum of Art100 Artists See GodCurated by John Baldessari and Meg Cranston, organized by ICA
2007PraguePrague Biennale
Los AngelesLizabeth OliveriaMilieu
Angles Gallery[citation needed]
Venice, CABalmoral GalleryOne Foot High and Rising[citation needed]
AthensKalfayan GalleryDarling, Take Fountain
New York CityBortolamiSubstance & Surface
2008Los AngelesChina Art Objects GalleryThe Light of the Virgo[citation needed]
Pougues-les-EauxCentre d'Art du Parc Saint LégerLos Angeles Confidential
San FranciscoWattis Institute for Contemporary ArtsAmateurs
BeneventoARCOS Museo d’ArteITALIA ITALIE ITALIEN ITALY WLOCHY[citation needed]
Los AngelesKathryn Brennan GalleryGlobetrottersCurated by Katie Brennan
New York CityParrish Art MuseumSand- Meaning and Metaphor[citation needed]
2009Los AngelesHammer MuseumSecond Nature: Dean Valentine Collection[citation needed]
China Art Objects Gallery1999[citation needed]
2010Museum of Contemporary ArtThe Artist's Museum[citation needed]
New York CityBortolami GalleryRE-DRESSING
Los AngelesChina Art Objects GalleryThe Inauguration of China Art Objects in Culver City, Los Angeles
Mexico CityFundación Colección JumexLes enfants terribles
Los AngelesCottage HomeVideo Journeys
2011AmsterdamTemporary Stedelijk Museum 3Making Histories – Changing Views of the Collection[citation needed]
New York City483 Broadway, SoHoGreater LA
BordeauxCAPC musée d'art contemporainBigMinis: Fetishes of Crisis
2014Los AngelesHammer MuseumA Public FictionPart of Made in L. A. 2014
Paradise GarageLIQUOR STORE
2015ChicagoMuseum of Contemporary ArtOut of OfficeOrganized by Grace Deveney
2016CahokiaAbandoned Taco Bell at 1296 Camp Jackson RoadThe Bell
2019Long Island CitySculptureCenterSearching the Sky for RainCurated by Sohrab Mohebbi
Los AngelesHammer MuseumDirty Protest: Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection
2021New York CityBortolami GallerySpringweather and people
2022Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Biennial 2022: Quiet As It's Kept
2023BortolamiSWIZZLE TWIDDLE FIDDLE STICKSRan 8 Sep - 4 Nov

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pedrosa, Adriano (2009). Vitamin 3-D: New Perspectives in Sculpture. Phaidon. pp. 326, 348. ISBN 9780714849744 – via Internet Archive.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Campagnola, Sonia (March 2007). "Eric Wesley: Let's Do A Trade". Flash Art. No. 253. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rochette, Anne; Saunders, Wade (November 2006). "Place Matters: Los Angeles". Art in America. Vol. 94, no. 10. pp. 168–191, 224. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Whitney Biennial 2022: Quiet As It's Kept". Whitney Museum of American Art. 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Springweather and people at Bortolami". Emergent Magazine. 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Dampier, Cindy (28 July 2016). "Eric Wesley's quest for high art leads to a Taco Bell". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  7. 1 2 Hodges, Jaye (21 July 2016). "Abandoned restaurant now serves fine art". The Belleville News-Democrat. Belleville, Illinois, US. p. B1. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Haithman, Diane (5 January 2007). "$1 Million New Year's Gift to the Hammer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Eric Wesley — BORTOLAMI". Eric Wesley — BORTOLAMI.[dead link]
  10. 1 2 "Public Fiction". Hammer Museum. 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Robert Breer and BigMinis at CAPC – Bordeaux". Mousse Magazine. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  12. 1 2 "LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES". Museo Jumex. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Eric Wesley: New Realistic Figures". Maureen Paley. 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "100 Artists See God". Independent Curators International. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  15. 1 2 "The Gold Standard". MoMA. 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 "Eric Wesley (MOCA Focus Series)". Bortolami Gallery. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 Knight, Christopher (2 October 2001). "Cultural Evolution in Freestyle". Los Angeles Times.
  18. ↑ Robinson, Walter (2007). "Hammer Museum Gets Dean Valentine Art". Artnet.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  19. ↑ Sholis, Brian (24 February 2007). "Show Business". artforum.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  20. ↑ "100 Future Greats 2005". ArtReview. December 2005.[page needed]
  21. ↑ Schimmel, Paul (March 2008). "Future Greats". ArtReview. p. 87.
  22. ↑ "West Side Story". Mousse Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  23. 1 2 3 Myers, Holly (March 2008). "Go tell it on the mountain: LA's new nomadic art schools" (PDF). Art Review. No. 20. p. 73. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via Fritz Haeg.
  24. 1 2 Stark, Frances (December 2005). "Frances Stark On: Los Angeles". ArtForum. p. 226. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  25. ↑ "eEric Wesley: Camper". Contemporary Art Library. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  26. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Kicking Ass". China Art Objects Galleries. 2000. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 Myers, Julian (January 2003). "Just for Kicks". Frieze. No. 72. Frieze. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  28. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Two Story Clock Tower". Contemporary Art Library. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  29. 1 2 Rogers, Mike (July 2006). "Eric Wesley". ArtUS. No. 14. pp. 16–17. ISSN 1546-7082.
  30. ↑ "Eric Wesley: New Amsterdam". Contemporary Art Library. 2002. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  31. ↑ Ammirati, Domenick (2003). "Critic's Pick: Eric Wesley". artforum.com.
  32. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Enchilada". Contemporary Art Library. 2002. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  33. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Jeans Theory, Statements". Contemporary Art Library. 2003. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  34. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Pico Youth Center". China Art Objects Galleries. 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  35. ↑ "I love WW2". Contemporary Art Library. 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  36. ↑ "Eric Wesley". Contemporary Art Library. 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  37. ↑ "Eric Wesley | Mario Garcia Torres". ArtMap. 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  38. ↑ Romeo, Filippo (2006). "Eric Wesley". ArtForum. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  39. ↑ Romeo, Fillippo (2006). "Critic's Pick: Eric Wesley". artforum.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  40. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Erik Wesley". China Art Objects Galleries. 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  41. ↑ Butler, Cornelia (March 2006). "Thesis Show". Eric Wesley Catalogue. MOCA Focus. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.[page needed]
  42. ↑ Knight, Christopher (21 April 2006). "After a Bold Takeover a Weak Message Is Sent". Los Angeles Times. p. 61. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Spaference Room". Bortolami Gallery. 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  44. ↑ Fassi, Luigi (2007). "Spafice: Eric Wesley". Fondazione Morra Greco. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  45. ↑ Burton, Johanna (March 2008). "Eric Wesley". ArtForum. p. 362-363. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  46. ↑ Bovino, Emily Verla (27 October 2007). "Eric Wesley". Frieze. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007.
  47. ↑ Johnson, Ken (21 May 2010). "Eric Wesley: D'Carts Blanche and New Paintings". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  48. ↑ "Eric Wesley: The Same 'Ol New Frontier". ArtMap. 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  49. ↑ "ERIC WESLEY, "2 new works" at Bortolami gallery, New York". Mousse Magazine. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  50. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Some Work". 356 Mission. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  51. ↑ Cluggish, Sara (2016). "Eric Wesley: ISOSCELES TRAPEZOID ARCH". InReview. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  52. ↑ Hadland, Gracie (17 October 2024). "Eric Wesley's Funny Money". ArtReview. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  53. ↑ "Eric Wesley "Timbuctoo" at Pio Pico, Los Angels [sic]". Mousse Magazine. 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  54. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Reputation". Sprovieri. 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  55. ↑ Keh, Pei-ru (25 October 2022). "City limits: Bortolami Gallery's 'Artist/City' upends the traditional exhibition model". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  56. ↑ "Eric Wesley: Three Sleeping Philosophers". Martos Gallery. 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  57. ↑ "Drawings for Works in Progress". LA Weekly. Los Angeles, California, US. 2 April 1998. p. 156. Retrieved 3 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  58. ↑ "Young and Dumb". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California, US. 23 January 2000. p. 360. Retrieved 3 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  59. ↑ Schjeldahl, Peter (11 June 2001). "Breaking Away". The New Yorker. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  60. ↑ Saltz, Jerry (22 May 2001). "Post-Black". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  61. ↑ Plagens, Peter (13 May 2001). "Harlem Goes 'Freestyle'". NEWSWEEK. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  62. ↑ Cotter, Holland (11 May 2001). "ART REVIEW; A Full Studio Museum Show Starts With 28 Artists and a Shoehorn". New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  63. ↑ Dailey, Meghan (3 May 2001). "Preview: Freestyle". artforum.com. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  64. ↑ Knight, Christopher (2 October 2001). "Different perspectives". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California, US. p. 44. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  65. ↑ Knight, Christopher (6 June 2001). "A Snapshot of L.A. Artists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  66. ↑ Tumlir, Jan (October 2001). "Snapshot - LA Exhibit of Work of 25 Artists". ArtForum International. Vol. 40, no. 2. p. 155. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via Gale Literature Resource Center.
  67. ↑ Von Schlegell, Mark (November 2001). "Review: Snapshot: New Art from Los Angeles". Artext. No. 75.
  68. ↑ "Purloined". Artists Space. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  69. ↑ Intra, Giovanni (2000). Too Autopoeitic to Drive. New Zealand: Govett Brewster Art Gallery.[page needed]
  70. ↑ Knight, Christopher (17 February 2004). "A chronicle of race, rage, ritual". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  71. ↑ "Eduardo Sarabia Eric Wesley". New Exhibitions. 2003. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  72. ↑ "3 Fireplaces and 2 Bathtubs". MAK Center. 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  73. ↑ Wang, Michael (26 September 2005). "Pop Shop". artforum.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  74. ↑ "A Walk to Remember". Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  75. ↑ "Nate Lowman: Axis of Praxis" (PDF) (Press release). Midway Contemporary Art. 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  76. ↑ LaPierre, Sheldon. "Artnet Design". Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  77. ↑ "Alien Nation". Institute of Contemporary Arts. 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  78. ↑ Sonnenborn, Katie (2006). "Survivor". Frieze. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  79. ↑ Knight, Christopher (3 August 2007). "Living friskily is the best revenge". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  80. ↑ Koroxenidis, A. (10 July 2007). "Depicting life in Los Angeles". Ekathimerini.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  81. ↑ "Substance & Surface". Bortolami Gallery. 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  82. ↑ "Amateurs". Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts. 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  83. ↑ "Globetrotters". Kathryn Brennan Gallery. 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  84. ↑ "New York – RE-DRESSING at Bortolami Gallery". Mousse Magazine. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  85. ↑ "Video of the new China Art Objects in Culver City". artmap. 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  86. ↑ "'Video Journeys' at Sister Gallery at Cottage Home". Los Angeles Times. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  87. ↑ Smith, Roberta (31 May 2011). "A Bit of Hollywood, Minus the Tinsel". New York Times. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  88. ↑ "SFAQ pick: "LIQUOR STORE" group exhibition at Paradise Garage, Los Angeles". SFAQ. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  89. ↑ "Out of Office". Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  90. ↑ "SWIZZLE TWIDDLE FIDDLE STICKS". Bortolami Gallery. 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2025.