Artist Miles Conrad

Miles Conrad - Artist Statement

As a painter living in Tucson, I draw inspiration from the austere beauty of the desert landscape and the capacity of living beings to thrive under these conditions. Temperature is a distinguishing factor in both this type of environment and in the encaustic painting process. Heat creates and yet threatens. Like an ecosystem, beeswax is archival yet vulnerable. Within this territory of harsh extremes there is also morbidity, decay, and the constant risk of encroachment by forces both natural and industrial. Individual lives and the survival of whole species hang in the balance.

Using the elements of gesture, abstraction and post-minimal forms, my work references this terrain both in the literal sense and also as metaphor for physical, emotional and social states. I create biomorphic images that explore dissonance, conflict, and a sense of separation from a voice that aspires to be at once personal yet deeply resonant with collective experience.

My obsessive fascination with the organic and visceral qualities of beeswax, together with my interest in the sculpture of Eva Hesse leads me to my latest area of inquiry; the juxtaposition of beeswax with simple industrial materials to both reference the geometric grid of a honeycomb as a point of abstraction and to also serve as allegorical content about the nature of organizations, production, economies, and dwellings. Although I am at a crossroads in formal terms, I am consistently interested in articulating the places where the socio-political meets the body, the mind, and the earth.

Resume

Solo Exhibitions

2005 Hive: Modified- Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ

2005 The Language of Texture- Lanning Gallery, Sedona, AZ

2005 Hive- (In Collaboration with Corbin Frame) Shane House, Tucson, AZ

2005 Fracture- Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA

2005 Direct from Nature- FALA Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2004 Specimen- Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ

2003 New Work- Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA

2003 Horizon- Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ

2003 Emerging Artist- Lanning Gallery, Sedona, AZ

2002 Emergence- Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA

1992 Thesis Exhibit- Cal Arts- Lime Gallery, Valencia, CA

Group Exhibitions

2004 Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA

2004 Miles Conrad/ Claire Parfit - LGBT Community Center, Seattle, WA

2003 Downtown Invitational- Herberger Theater Arts Center, Phoenix, AZ

2003 Stroke: A Brazenly Queer Art Show- Secluded Alley Works, Seattle, WA

2002 Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA

2002 Premier Exhibition- LGBT Community Center, Seattle, WA

2002 Stroke: A Deliciously Queer Art Show- Secluded Alley Works, Seattle, WA

2001 Stroke: A Shamelessly Queer Art Show- Secluded Alley Works, Seattle, WA

2001 A Gender Odyssey- Conference Exhibition, Doubletree Hotel, Seattle, WA

2000 Smith Tower First Floor Exhibition Space, Seattle, WA

1991 The Queer Show II- Cal Arts- Tatum Gallery, Valencia, CA

1990 The Queer Show I - Cal Arts- Tatum Gallery, Valencia, CA

1989 Foundation Show- Cal Arts- Mezzanine Gallery, Valencia, CA

Professional Experience

2005-Present Curator- Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2004-Present Artist/ Production Assistant- Simon Donovan, Tucson, AZ

2004 Encaustic Painting Demonstration- Tucson Artist’s Guild, Tucson, AZ

2004 Co-Curator- ‘Death & Taxes’ Benefit Auction- Lambert House, Seattle, WA

2001 Visiting Art Instructor- Puget Sound Community School, Seattle, WA

2000 Faculty- Images of Hope- Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle, WA

2000 Citizen Leaders Institute- Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle, WA

1999 BA Liberal Arts- Non Profit Leadership – Antioch University Seattle, WA

1998-1992 Painting- California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA

2003 Lambert House- Seattle, WA

2005 Waxing Artistically- Margaret Regan Tucson Weekly September 22-28, 2005

2005 The Bee’s Knees- Margaret Regan Tucson Weekly May 19-25, 2005



	Miles Conrad - Artist Statement As a painter living in Tucson, I draw inspiration from the austere beauty of the desert landscape and the capacity of living beings to thrive under these conditions. Temperature is a distinguishing factor in both this type of environment and in the encaustic painting process. Heat creates and yet threatens. Like an ecosystem, beeswax is archival yet vulnerable. Within this territory of harsh extremes there is also morbidity, decay, and the constant risk of encroachment by forces both natural and industrial. Individual lives and the survival of whole species hang in the balance. Using the elements of gesture, abstraction and post-minimal forms, my work references this terrain both in the literal sense and also as metaphor for physical, emotional and social states. I create biomorphic images that explore dissonance, conflict, and a sense of separation from a voice that aspires to be at once personal yet deeply resonant with collective experience. My obsessive fascination with the organic and visceral qualities of beeswax, together with my interest in the sculpture of Eva Hesse leads me to my latest area of inquiry; the juxtaposition of beeswax with simple industrial materials to both reference the geometric grid of a honeycomb as a point of abstraction and to also serve as allegorical content about the nature of organizations, production, economies, and dwellings. Although I am at a crossroads in formal terms, I am consistently interested in articulating the places where the socio-political meets the body, the mind, and the earth. Resume Solo Exhibitions 2005 Hive: Modified- Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ 2005 The Language of Texture- Lanning Gallery, Sedona, AZ 2005 Hive- (In Collaboration with Corbin Frame) Shane House, Tucson, AZ 2005 Fracture- Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA 2005 Direct from Nature- FALA Gallery, Tucson, AZ 2004 Specimen- Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ 2003 New Work- Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA 2003 Horizon- Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ 2003 Emerging Artist- Lanning Gallery, Sedona, AZ 2002 Emergence- Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA 1992 Thesis Exhibit- Cal Arts- Lime Gallery, Valencia, CA Group Exhibitions 2004 Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA 2004 Miles Conrad/ Claire Parfit - LGBT Community Center, Seattle, WA 2003 Downtown Invitational- Herberger Theater Arts Center, Phoenix, AZ 2003 Stroke: A Brazenly Queer Art Show- Secluded Alley Works, Seattle, WA 2002 Miner Gallery, Seattle, WA 2002 Premier Exhibition- LGBT Community Center, Seattle, WA 2002 Stroke: A Deliciously Queer Art Show- Secluded Alley Works, Seattle, WA 2001 Stroke: A Shamelessly Queer Art Show- Secluded Alley Works, Seattle, WA 2001 A Gender Odyssey- Conference Exhibition, Doubletree Hotel, Seattle, WA 2000 Smith Tower First Floor Exhibition Space, Seattle, WA 1991 The Queer Show II- Cal Arts- Tatum Gallery, Valencia, CA 1990 The Queer Show I - Cal Arts- Tatum Gallery, Valencia, CA 1989 Foundation Show- Cal Arts- Mezzanine Gallery, Valencia, CA Professional Experience 2005-Present Curator- Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ 2004-Present Artist/ Production Assistant- Simon Donovan, Tucson, AZ 2004 Encaustic Painting Demonstration- Tucson Artist’s Guild, Tucson, AZ 2004 Co-Curator- ‘Death & Taxes’ Benefit Auction- Lambert House, Seattle, WA 2001 Visiting Art Instructor- Puget Sound Community School, Seattle, WA 2000 Faculty- Images of Hope- Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle, WA Education 2000 Citizen Leaders Institute- Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle, WA 1999 BA Liberal Arts- Non Profit Leadership – Antioch University Seattle, WA 1998-1992 Painting- California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA Commissions 2003 Lambert House- Seattle, WA Publications 2005 Waxing Artistically- Margaret Regan Tucson Weekly September 22-28, 2005 2005 The Bee’s Knees- Margaret Regan Tucson Weekly May 19-25, 2005





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