EXHIBITION HISTORY

KEN CRO-KEN

EXHIBITION HISTORY

KC-K lecture at the Heckscher Museum; June 19th, 2008
"Reactive Improvisations - A Balance Between the Inner and Outer Self."

Exhibitions thus far have included such cities and countries as:
Auckland and Christ Church, New Zealand; Linz, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; Boston, Massachusetts;
Pittsburgh, Pa.; Long Island, Manhattan & D.U.M.B.O./Brooklyn, New York; Santa Barbara, San Diego,
San Francisco, California; Washington D.C.; Chatham, New Jersey and St. Petersburg, Florida.

(DETAILED BIO BELOW GALLERY HISTORY)

GALLERY HISTORY

EDUCATION:
GRAD:
1997 N.Y.U. , MASTER OF ART
1995, 1996, 1997 Centennial Scholarship for scholastic achievement
UNDERGRAD -
1993 S.U.N.Y., BACHELOR OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, EMPIRE STATE, MANHATTAN

GALLERY HISTORY:

2010 Wildlife Conservations Society's "Manahatta Project", inspired by the hit book, "Manahatta", by Dr. Eric Sanderson
Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson exploring the river in 1609 and named after him.
A presentation combining Live Performance, Sound Design, Film and Speech.
Video by KC-K, Music composed by Christopher Kaufman, Performed by Quintet of the Americas.
(Details in CURRENT/RECENT EVENTS tab above.)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2007 Gallery OneTwentyEight, NEW YORK, N.Y., June 9th - July 12th
2004 Gallery OneTwentyEight, NEW YORK, N.Y., May 3rd - June 8th

TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS:

2007 Adrian Howard Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida April 11th - May 7th

2004 Adrian Howard Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida March 7th - April 17th
1982 Canterbury Society of Art, Christ Church, New Zealand July 3rd - August 7th
1982 Auckland Society of Art, Auckland, New Zealand, May 2nd - June 7th

FIVE PERSON EXHIBITION:
1997    Washington Square Galleries, New York, N.Y., N.Y.U. Graduate Show, Spring

SELECTED LECTURES:
2008    The Heckscher Museum, Huntington, N.Y. Lecture- "Reactive Improvisations", June 19th
2001    The Queens Museum, "First Thursdays", "The Nature of Sight and Sound", June 7th

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2009 - 2010    Art League of the Chathams, Chatham, N.J. Winter Show Dec 13th, 2009 to March 3, 2010
2009    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., Summer Show Aug 11th - Sept 15th
2009    Tribes Gallery, March 19th to June 23, 2009 March 19th to June 23rd
2009    X-Treme-X-Teriors-X-Change, A Day of Global Art, Duarte Square Park,NY., N.Y. May 16th
2009    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., February 14th - March 3rd
2008    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., November 23 - Dec 15th
2008    University Street Settlement, New York, N.Y. Summer Show
2008    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y.,. Summer Show
2008    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y. January 12th - February 23rd
2007    2B Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, October 12th - November 12th
2007    B.W.A.C. 25th Anniversary Outdoor Summer Show, D.U.M.B.O, NY, June 7th to Aug 15th
2007    Lower East Side Festival, N.Y., Theatre For The New City, MAY 21st - August 15
2007    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., Summer Show

2007 Adrian Howard Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida., Group Show
2006    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., October 11th - November 7th
2006    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., Summer Show
2006    Neue Galerie Linz, Austria
2006    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., September 7th - October 3rd
2005    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., Summer Show
2005    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., March 14th - April 11th

2005 Adrian Howard Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida., Group Show
2004    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., Summer Show
2003    Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, N.Y., Summer Show
1996    Pulse Art, New York, N.Y., April 11th - May 9th
1995    Pulse Art, New York, N.Y., May 25th - June 17th
1985    Metropolitan Gallery, Huntington, N.Y., May - July
1984    Metropolitan Gallery, Huntington, N.Y., Sept. - Dec.
1982    The Copley Society, Boston, Mass., October and November
1982    Boston City Hall, Main Gallery, Mass., June 10th - July 31st
1982    San Diego Performing Arts Center, San Diego, Ca. November
1982    San Diego Performing Arts Center, San Diego, Ca. July
1982    San Diego Performing Arts Center, San Diego, Ca. January

TIME RELEASED PERFORMANCES WITH ELECTRO/ACOUSTIC TRIO- FirstAVEnue
Live and Pre-Recorded KC-K Videos projected with the Space/Time music of FirstAVEnue
2004    C.B.G.B'S Gallery, New York, N.Y., "Collisions", April 4th
2003    University of the Streets, New York, N.Y., "Move It", June 17th
2001    Context Studios, New York, N.Y., "Find It", September 15th
2000 Context Studios, New York, N.Y., "Watch It", June 5th

My career as an exhibiting artist began professionally in 1982 with two exhibitions in Auckland and Christ Church, New Zealand; along with several newspaper interviews and several half hour radio talk shows in Auckland, Christchurch and Rotorua. These exhibitions, called "MACRO-MICRO", were based on the circular three inch mini painting that are today an integral part of my art. One is also immediately struck with the large gallery space and the small paintings that dotted its' walls. What was being stresses was the concept of size and actual size itself. Art work does not need to be monumental scale to convey the enormity of space. Less trees had to be fallen to make crates and little to no fuel was spent transporting the art because seventy-five paintings fit in a small box. Presently, these small circular paintings are used with a larger canvas to further represent the concept of space near and far. The concept of self-similarity has been an integral component within the paintings I create and the world that I photograph and video record. Therefore, "MACRO-MICRO" remains as important as ever in regards to twentieth century perception of space in the twenty-first century. It is not only what different worlds appear to be that intrigue me but how it moves.

While attending San Diego State I had the good fortune of meeting and spending time with conceptual artist Robert Morris on his short visit as Artist-In-Residence there in 1980, (where the major part of my Bachelor's study took place). Mr. Morris spoke of conceptual ideas that were in themselves works of art. My perception of art and art making took a dramatic departure from conventional art and paints after my encounters with him. (Such as the project he did in Atlanta where sticks of dynamite were put in the ground and set off to create a huge hole. Then a sign was placed next to it saying- "This is one , one millionth of a mega-ton blast.) I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Morris because it was due to meeting and questioning him that I began to question conventional paint and conventional art itself. It was also at this time and place that I had the good fortune to be a student of British Abstractionist Robert Bradford . After a decade of studying on my own I returned to the academic world to receive my Master’s degree in Art from New York University with sculptor and head of the Art Department, John Torreano as my mentor. It was my good fortune to work with Mr. Torreano, together with professor of art history, Saul Ostrow, (whom I also did a semester of Independent Study with) at NYU . They both stressed the importance of "CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT! DO EVERYTHING WITH PURPOSE." Stressing what has occurred in art within each particular time in human history drove home the point that art does not refer as much to itself as it does to the time within civilization. I received The Centennial Award for scholastic achievement within the last few years of attending NYU.

My life of painting began at 13 years of age when my father set me loose on an art store saying - "get whatever you want". I went straight for the tubes of paint. It has now been almost forty years as a painter; thirty of which have been spent painting with my Speed Element palette. WOW, how time flies! It was a great satisfaction for me to realize that I never had to abandon painting to become an environmental artist as I began working directly with nature to understand much about paint and nature simultaneously. With the discovery of my Speed Element palette in 1980, art books could no longer answer the questions I had and therefore a new palette led to a new avenue in the library and therefore, new avenues of thought. By replacing the word nature for the word paint, I was able to create the art books I sought. Building on the contributions of twentieth century artists, I have been inspired by the writings of such greats as: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Alfred North Whitehead, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawkins.

Based in Manhattan for over twenty years now, I work often at my outdoor studio in the East Village and paint in all weather conditions. Soon after finding my unconventional palette it wasn't long before I realized that there was no need to go to nature because nature is all around us. When I am working indoors I am no less an environmental painter because a hot, cold, wet and dry day effect a paint experiment. Personally, I love summer but professionally I am most excited with below freezing paintings that suspends an experiment over greater periods of time. The same paints, ingredients and movements will produce very different visual results if painted in different places and seasons. If it's snowing in Manhattan and I'm in town, I am bundled up in many layers and on the roof, setting below freezing paint experiments into motion and video documenting the "paint happening".

Please click on the MY PAINTS tab below
to see and learn more about my paints, Speed Elements:
http://kencroken.com/KC-K_SPEED_ELEMENT_PAINTS.html

Space photographs provided by N.A.S.A.

All other art work photographed by *Becket Logan and Ken Cro-Ken

*Becket Logan, photographer, 30 East 20th Street, Studio 302, New York, N.Y. 10003 212 982-2765

* Copyright 2001-2009 Cro-Ken's art or writings cannot be reproduced without written permission from the artist.
All rights reserved.