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The Art Guys
Born Michael Galbreth : 1956, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jack Massing : 1959, Buffalo, New YorkDied Michael: 19 October 2019(2019-10-19) (aged 62–63)
Houston ,
Texas Nationality American Occupation Artists Known for
Performance Art ,
Conceptual Art ,
Sculpture ,
Drawing ,
Installation ,
Video Website
www .theartguys .com
The Art Guys (Michael Galbreth (born 1956 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , died 2019 in
Houston, Texas ) and Jack Massing (born 1959 in
Buffalo, New York ) are a collaborative artist team based in
Houston, Texas .
[1]
History
The Art Guys have worked together since 1983 after meeting while students at the
University of Houston .
[2] For the exploration of their ideas, they employ a wide variety of media including sculpture, drawing, performances, installations and video. Food, drugs, pencils, baseball bats, car lot flags, toothbrushes and matches are among the unconventional materials they have used.
[3]
Described in the New York Times as "a cross between
Dada ,
David Letterman ,
John Cage and the
Smothers Brothers ," The Art Guys present a blend of performance, conceptual and visual art that explores the absurdities of contemporary life.
[4]
They have received
Artadia Awards in both 2004 and 2006.
[5]
Not artists
The Art Guys became
"not artists" on April 1, 2016, at 12:05 am after
33 years of collaboration.
Hallelujah! the blind can see again; the water's fine.
[6]
Solo exhibitions
The Art Guys have shown in the following solo exhibitions:
[7]
2015-“The Tunnel of Love”, One Allen Center, Houston, Texas
2015-“Some Conceptions”, Gensler, Houston, Texas
2014-“Nullities and Vacuities”, Kimura Gallery,
University of Alaska-Anchorage ,
Anchorage, Alaska
2014-“Scattershot”, Wynne Home Arts Center,
Huntsville, Texas
2012-“The State of Texas v. Gary Sweeney v. The Art Guys”, Unit B Gallery,
San Antonio, Texas
2012-“Funny Space”, organized by Snack Projects, The Menil Collection Bookstore, Houston, Texas
2011-“The Art Guys: Right Before Your Eyes”, Bradbury Gallery,
Arkansas State University ,
Jonesboro, Arkansas
2011-“Idle Chatter”, Space 204,
Vanderbilt University ,
Nashville, Tennessee
2011-“The Meronomic Antinomy of the Transfinite Realm (She's a Brick House)”, The Wrong Again Gallery, Memphis, Tennessee
2009-“New Clichés”, McClain Gallery, Houston, Texas
2009-“The Art Guys: Bag of Tricks”, Ben Bailey Art Gallery,
Texas A&M University-Kingsville ,
Kingsville, Texas
2007-“The Art Guys: Cloud Cuckoo Land Selections from 25 Years of Drawings, Proposals, Failed Schemes and Pipe Dreams”, Galveston Art Center,
Galveston, Texas (traveling exhibition)
2007-“The Art Guys: Seeing Double”,
Tampa Museum of Art ,
Tampa, Florida
2007-“Two guys walk into a hardware store...”, Galleri Andersson Sandstrom,
Umeå, Sweden
2007-“White Wash” (The Art Guys with That's Painting Productions), l’ecole du BAOUM,
Grenoble, France
2006-“Two guys walk into a hardware store...”, Birke Art Gallery,
Huntington, West Virginia
2006-“The Art Guys: Nothing To It”, Beeville Art Museum,
Beeville, Texas
2005-“The Art Guys: Food For Thought”, Art League of Houston, Houston, Texas
2004-“Reality TV: A New Series”, Marfa Book Company,
Marfa, Texas
2004-“America's Greatest Artists”, Galerie Stefan Andersson, Umeå, Sweden
2003-“What's The Big Idea?”, Cornell DeWitt Gallery, New York, New York
2002-“The Art Guys: Sweet And Sour”, (in conjunction with FotoFest 2002) Central Market, Houston, Texas
2002-“Serenity”, Sawhill Gallery,
James Madison University ,
Harrisonburg, Virginia
2001-“Once Is Not Enough”, Redbud Gallery, Houston, Texas
2001-“Once Is Not Enough - Again”, Cornell DeWitt Gallery, New York, New York
2001-“SUITS: The Clothes Make The Man”, The Museum of Fine Arts-Houston, Houston, Texas
2001-“Laughing Building”, Masonic Lodge, Marfa, Texas
2000-“Tunnel of Love”, Sala Diaz, San Antonio, Texas
1999-“The Art Guys Again and Again”,
Tacoma Art Museum ,
Tacoma, Washington
1999-“Kit and Caboodle”, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Scottsdale, Arizona
1999-“The Art Guys: An Exhibition of New Work”, Barry Whistler Gallery,
Dallas, Texas
1998-“Business As Unusual”,
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) ,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1998-“Common Nonsense”,
De Saisset Museum ,
Santa Clara, California
1998-“Call of the Wild”,
Columbus State University , Columbus, Georgia
1997-“The Great Hunting And Fishing Expo”, Braunstein/Quay Gallery,
San Francisco, California
1997-“seeing the elephant”,
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center ,
Buffalo, New York
1997-“Hunting And Gathering”, Halsey Gallery,
College of Charleston ,
Charleston, South Carolina
1997-“Wildlife”,
Austin Museum of Art , Laguna Gloria,
Austin, Texas
1996-“The Great Outdoors”, Lynn Goode Gallery, Houston, Texas
1996-“The Art Guys: Goods and Services”, Blue Star Art Space, San Antonio, Texas
1996-“Visualize The Art Guys”,
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Design ,
Kansas City, Missouri
1995-“The Art Guys: Think Twice”, Contemporary Arts Museum-Houston, Texas (catalog, traveled to the
Tyler Museum of Art ,
Tyler, Texas
1995-“The Art Guys Variety Show”, Braunstein/Quay Gallery, San Francisco, California
1995-“The Fan Array (And Other New Work)”,
Capp Street Project , San Francisco, California
1995-“The Game Show”, Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas, Texas
1994-“Good and Plenty”, Lesikar Gallery, Houston, Texas
1994-“Today's Special”, Palomar Restaurant, Houston, Texas (catalog)
1993-“Something From Nothing”, UAA Gallery, University of Alaska-Anchorage
1993-“Art Guise”, Janie Beggs Gallery,
Aspen, Colorado
1993-“Those Art Guys Again”, Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas, Texas
1992-“Group Show”, 0-1 Gallery,
Los Angeles, California
1991-“AAAArt Guys”, Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas, Texas
1991-“Art Guys”, Gallery 3, Huntington, West Virginia
1990-“Art Guys”, Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas, Texas
1989-“Talking Pictures: The Art Guys at Full Tilt”, Sonic Arts Gallery,
San Diego, California
1989-“don't get left behind get right behind”,
San Jacinto College , Houston, Texas
1986-“Mustaches For Seattle: Sea/Hou-Hou/Sea”, 911,
Seattle, Washington
1985-Untitled Installation, Butler Gallery, Houston, Texas
1985-“Particles”, Midtown Art Center, Houston, Texas
1983-“GMAALSBSRIENTGH”, Studio One, Houston, Texas
Selected group exhibitions
Notable group shows include:
[7]
2012-“Western Sequels, Art from the Lone Star State”,
Athens School of Fine Arts ,
Athens, Greece , traveled to
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University ,
Istanbul, Turkey
2009-“No Zoning: Artists Engage Houston”, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas
2007-"Duiying–Yingdui – Corresponding & Responding”, curated by
James Surls ,
National Art Museum of China ,
Beijing, China
2007-“40 Years of Public Art in New York City Parks”, The Arsenal Gallery,
Arsenal ,
Central Park , New York, New York
2006-Texas In China”,
Shanghai Museum ,
Shanghai, China
1993-“Here's Looking At Me”, Espace Lyonnais D’Art Contemporain,
Lyon, France (catalog)
1992-"Flux Attitudes,"
The New Museum of Contemporary Art , New York, New York (catalog)
1989-"Project Diomede,"
The Clocktower ,
P.S.1 , New York, New York
Selected bibliography
The Art Guys: Cloud Cuckoo Land (Selections from 25 Years of Drawings, Proposals, Failed Schemes and Pipe Dreams). Galveston, Texas, Galveston Arts Center, 2007.
Creative Time: The Book. New York, New York, 2006.
Houston Contemporary Art. Shanghai, Shanghai Art Museum, 2006.
Suits: The Clothes Make the Man. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2000.
Guinness World Records 2000 Millennium Edition, Britain: Guinness World Records, Ltd., 2000.
The Art Guys Think Twice. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1995.
Autoportraits Contemporains: Here's Looking At Me. Lyons, France: Espace Lyonnaise d’art Contemporain, 1993.
FluxAttitudes. New York, New York: The New Museum of Contemporary Art, 1991.
References
External links