October 23 - December 09, 2009 New York
PRESS RELEASE
[PDF-File]
Chris Newman
*1958 London, UK
Art is the direct representation |
> One Person Exhibitions |
UPCOMING »Konglomerat«
»Bodily Functions«
| Hannover |
September 4 - October 3, 2011
Stephan Biskup & Chris Newman (Groupshow)
at Städtische Galerie KUBUS, Theodor-Lessing-Platz 2, 30159 Hannover
| Köln |
April 13 - May 7, 2011
Chris Newman (Groupshow)
at Kunstverein Koelnberg, Aachener Strasse 66, 50674 Köln
For Chris Newman
Now that contemporary art seems to have disintegrated into the
sentimental surfeit of ideas with no substance whatsoever and a
retrospective re-hashing, here, once again and unexpectedly, a figure
emerges who does in fact succeed in finding a new was of formulating the
question of matter, meaning essence, or indeed substance. Chris Newman
definitely does not work outside history, as the question of matter is also
always a question to history, whose selection passes down to us those things
whose matter endures. When Newman as a composer refers for example to
Beethoven and as a painter and drawer to Ibsen, then he does so because he
is convinced by the matter. Fleshing out Ibsen’s text from Ghosts with his
own diary entries, or transforming it into painting and drawing is nothing
other than exposing the pure matter as if it were a seam of gold or an
electric current and like an injection filling it into something else.
Nobody will set out to understand Newman’s images as being fueled by Ibsen’s
text, as the intention is not to treat the matter as equality of images, as
identity in the intellectual sense or as an illustrative notion, but as
involving a kind of life current being transposed onto the ungrounded canvas.
This transposition is undertaken in as primitive manner, with such a
carefree mind as possible. Here, primitive is construed as a state that has
freed itself of all speculation and tactical, calculating form, and no
longer even wishes to entail composition. The actual reversion to an in this
sense primitive identity with itself and the matter resembles a process of
purgation that eliminates the over-burdening of the matter with meaning
taken by Modernism to the point where matter became unrecognizable. Here, a
hitherto unknown path to the new beginning so urgently needed has indeed
been taken. This world, which pays homage to surfeit and seeks inflation
wherever it can, does not tolerate pure matter. It instinctively has to hang
the matter with poorly fitting clothes in order to re-attain its purported
freedom, and calls the result individuality. Cultural conventions or
ideologies that imbue everything with meaning, translate it into language
and digest it (which essentially means trying to devalue and destroy it) are
powerless in the face of pure matter. Newman has succeeded in generating
this powerlessness as a state prior to art – in a world that fears precisely
that most. Pure matter, identical with itself and meaning nothing other than
itself, is fundamentally nothing other than happiness or what we call the
soul or god. Identity is not the same as the individuality that we believe
contains freedom. Newman is a person with a strong streak of individuality
that has penetrated the identity of the matter, be it in painting, in
drawing, in music, in film, or writing, talking and singing. He has reunited
what we call personality with infinity. Only on that basis is art possible.
Eugen Blume
Oktober 2009
CHRIS NEWMAN - Download full CV
[PDF-File]BIOGRAPHY
Born in London 1958
1979 Bachelor of Music, King's College, London
1980-1983 Musikhochschule Köln, class of Mauricio Kagel
1983 Founded Rock Group "Janet Smith"
Since the beginning 80s concerts and music performances at national and international festivals, among others 1992 at the opening of the exhibition 'Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana', Diözesanmuseum Köln
Broadcast Productions, among others for WDR, HR, SFB, BBC and orchestral commissions
Started painting 1989
Since 1994 installations and performances
1984 "Förderpreis", city of Köln
1987 "Composer's Bursary", Arts Council of Great Britain
2001 - 2002 Teaches at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Stuttgart
2009 "Förderpreis", Akademie der Künste, Berlin
Lives in Berlin
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2010 »James Weeks presents Chris Newman«, two media installtion, concert, Spitalfields
Summer Festival 2010, June 15, Rag Factory, London E1
2009 »STAND-IN DEVELOPMENTS«, Galerie Poller, New York, Oct 23 - Dec 9, 2009
Performance Oct 23, 7pm: »BIG STIFF UNIT I with NILREB« (Video with life text)
»Been There And Come Back«, Hoet Bekaert Gallery, Gent > Opening 20.09.2009
2008 »SOLID STATE VARIATION«, Leonhardi-Museum, Dresden; 29.11.08 - 18.01.09
Galerie Bismarck, Bremen (September-October)
»C. Newman Selected Videos 1980-2008«, »C. Newman Ghost Solo Double«, 7hours
HAUS 19, Humbold Universität, Berlin
2006 »AWAY INSTALLATION«, curator Matthias Flügge, Guardini Galerie, Berlin
»HOME INSTALLATION«, uninstalled paintings and video, curator Christiane Grüß,
7hours Haus 19
2005 »Sammlung Jürgen Meyer, Düsseldorf«, Neues Museum Weserburg, Bremen
2004 Galerie Bismarck, Bremen (October)
Galerie Gordon Pym et Fils, Paris
»ROOM 3«, 7hours Turm, Märkisches Museum
2003 »Chris Newman«, Brecht-Haus-Weißensee, Berlin
Galerie Bismarck, Bremen (May-June)
2002 Galerie V + K Maly, Köln
2001 Galerie Olaf Stüber, Berlin
Galerie Gabi Kraushaar, Düsseldorf
2000 Galerie Bismarck, Bremen
»Chris Newman - Double Overpaints with Poems«, Galerie Gabi Kraushaar,
Düsseldorf (January-March)
1999 Galerie Olaf Stüber, Berlin
1998 Kunsthalle Baden-Baden
De Praktijk, Amsterdam
St. Petri Kunst - Kunsthaus Lübeck
1997 Goethe Institut Budapest / Kunsthalle Budapest, H
1996 Galerie Johannes Zielke, Berlin
Galerie Karin Sachs, München
Burnett Miller Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
»… im Fenster: Chris Newman«, Erzbischöfliches Diözesanmuseum, Köln
Galerie Ute Parduhn, Düsseldorf
1995 Galerie Johannes Zielke, Berlin (September-October)
Patrick de Brock Gallery, Knokke, B
»Chris Newman - Bilder«, Galerie Bismarck, Bremen (May-June)
»Integrated Blake Phrases Paintings«, Galerie Poller, Frankfurt a.M.
1994 »Chris Newman«, Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf
Galleria 54, Göteborg, S
Borås Konstmuseum, S
Stadtgalerie, Saarbrücken
Galerie Steven Lingbeek, Arnhem, NL
immediate gallery, Baden, CH
1993 Galerie Johannes Zielke, Berlin
Galerie Ute Parduhn, Düsseldorf
»Chris Newman - Back / Front-Painting Installations«, Galerie Karin Sachs, Munich
(May-June)
»GALLERY PAIN – Painting Installation with Video Piece«, Galerie Poller, Frankfurt
a.M. (April-May)
1992 Burnett Miller Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Galerie Steven Lingbeek, Arnhem, NL
»Chris Newman«, Galerie Bismarck, Bremen (March-May)
1991 Galerie Gordon Pyrn et Fils, Paris
Galerie Steven Lingbeek, Arnhem, NL
Gelbe Musik, Berlin
»Chris Newman - Skizzen und Bücher«, Paszti-Bott, Köln (May-June)
1990 Galerie Gordon Pyrn et Fils, Paris
»Painting«, Galerie Poller, Frankfurt a.M. (November-December)
1989 »Chris Newman - No Anecdotes / New Visual Work«, Galerie Kolon, Köln (June-July)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2010 »Vom Esprit der Gesten – Hans Hartung, das Informel und die Folgen«
(Gabriele Basch, Peter Brüning, Günter Brus, Salvador Dalí, Günther Förg, Karl
Otto Götz, Katharina Hinsberg, Damien Hirst, Willem de Kooning, Maria Lassnig,
Roy Lichtenstein, Chris Newman, Jackson Pollock, Emil Schreiber, Emil
Schumacher, Mark Sheinkman, K.R.H. Sonderborg, Pierre Soulages, Mark Tobey,
Cy Twombly, Hana Usui, Emilio Vedova, Wols), Kupferstichkabinett Berlin,
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (July - October)
2009 The Biennale - Knokke 2009, Knokke-Zoute [organized by Hoet Bekaert Gallery,
Gent]
2009 »Feedback«, Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck
2008 »Standort Alltag- Everyday Ideologies«, Kunstmuseum Kloster Unser Lieben
Frauen, Magdeburg
2008 »Ad Absurdum - Energien des Absurden von der klassischen Moderne zur
Gegenwart «, curated by Jan Hoet, Museum MARTa Herford
2007 »Von Bill Viola bis Aernout Mik - Selection of the collection of the National Galerie«,
Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin
»Der unendliche Raum dehnt sich aus - Selection of the Collection, Kolumba, Köln
2007 »RAUM. Orte der Kunst«, C.Newman showing Video STUDY #1, Akademie der
Künste Berlin
2005 »Berliner Zimmer - New Acquisitions«, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin
2004 »Lies, Lust, Art & Fashion – Signale der Kleidung«, PODEWIL, Berlin
»Künstlerbücher«, Galerie Ute Parduhn, Düsseldorf
2000 »Installation + Zeichnung«, Galerie Gaby Kraushaar, Düsseldorf
»Bis dahin - 20 Jahre Galerie Ute Parduhn«, Galerie Ute Parduhn, Düsseldorf
1999 Galerie Poller, Frankfurt a.M. (with Dan Asher, Leonard Bullock)
1998 3. Werkleitz Biennale 1998, werkleitz zentrum für medienkunst, Halle
1996 »Neben den Linden ist die Mitte oder der Blick in s 21.« - 5 galleries from Berlin-
Mitte at the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf
1995 »Collaborative Paintings«, Galerie Paszti-Bott, Köln, (with Al Hansen)
Galerie für angewandte Kunst, München
»Das Lied von der Erde - Kunst aus Keramik«, Galerie für angewandte Kunst,
München
1994 »Sters«, Galerie Poller, Frankfurt a.M.
1994 »CONCLUSION«, Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf
1993 »Combined Efforts«, Horodner & Romley Gallery, New York, NY, USA
»Combined Efforts«, Galerie Johannes Zielke, Berlin
1992 »Combined Efforts«, Galerie Gordon Pym et Fils, Paris
»Miauhouse«, Threadwaxing Space, New York, NY
»Emmett Williams, Chris Newman«, Galerie Johannes Zielke, Berlin
»Sommer Nachts Traum«, Galerie Johannes Zielke, Berlin
1989 »Paul Heimbach, Chris Newman«, Galerie Ute Parduhn, Düsseldorf
PRIVATE AND PBULIC COLLECTIONS
Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen
Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin
Kolumba, Köln
Sammlung Hoffmann, Berlin
Walter Schnepel, Bremen
Frank Preuss, Hamburg
Jürgen Meyer, Düsseldorf
Manfred Großmann, Bad Soden
And many others
AWARDS
2009 Förderungspreise der Akademie der Künste, Berlin
UPCOMING CONCERTS AND MUSIC THEATER PERFORMANCES
London
June 15, 2010, 7.30
James Weeks presents Chris Newman
- Two Media Installation
- Concert (4 Pieces by Chris Newman)
Event and Discussion recorded by BBC
as part of The Spitalfields Summer Festival 2010
Taking place at the 'The Rag Factory' -> DETAILS
16 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ
Berlin
January 17, 2010, at 4 pm
at 'Farbfernseher', Skaltizer Str. 114, 10999 Berlin (Kreuzberg)
Concert with the following titles by Chris Newman
- »6 scenes and 1 scene in the country«, 1988, classical guitar and tape
- »So Anxious ... «, 1989, classical guitar and tape
- »The fulfilment of non-wishes« (8 songs for electric guitar and voice), 2009
Seth Josel – guitars, Chris Newman - voice
VIDEO SHOWINGS
1998 Argos Foundation, Bruxelles
1992 ICA, London
1987 Stadtgarten, Köln
1983 »Videokunst in Deutschland«, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Köln, (toured major German
cities and MoMA, New York)
1982 ICA, London
VIDEOS IN COLLECTIONS
MoMA, New York
Museum Ludwig, Köln
Lehnbachhaus, München
Goethe Institute, München
PUBLICATIONS / EDITIONS BY THE ARTIST
»The Away Home Poetry Supplement«, Salon Verlag, Köln, 2006, ISBN 3-89770-261-4
»Drawing Strings & Writing Thing«, Salon Verlag, Köln, 2006, ISBN 3-89770-257-6
»Interview Rooms by Universal Sauce aka The Class of C. Newman«, Salon Verlag, Köln,
2003, ISBN 3-89770-171-5
»Godded«, édition séparée No. 44; edition 1-50 with one colour c-print by Chris Newman;
Salon Verlag, Köln 2003, ISBN 3-932189-44-2
»Bildende Kunst im 20. Jahrhundert«, published by the Diözesanmuseum, Köln
»The 90's and Notebooks«, Salon Verlag, Köln, ISBN 3-89770-082-7
»GALLERY HANGOVER«, 1998, Part I + II, 14 etchings, limited edition of 28, Papierformat
38 x 48, published by Kunst-Haus Lübeck
»Gespenster Von lbsen«, The painter, performer and composer C.Newman texted the
drama by Ibsen anew. The text of the premiere in Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für
Gegenwartskunst, Berlin, is published in this book together with the source the actors
had to sing; 82 pages, edition of 200; Salon Verlag, Köln 2003, ISBN 3-89770-163-4
»Gespenster Von lbsen / Ghosts By Ibsen« (play), Editors: Chris Newman, Eugen Blume;
Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwartskunst, 148 pages, 18 x 13 cm; pub. by
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin 1996, ISBN 33-88609-
398-0
»Body Doctor« (book of lithographs, limited edition of 32), edited by Niels Dietrich,
published by Sindhu Verlag, Köln, 1996
»Köln«, Norbert Pragenberg (drawings) & Chris Newman (poems), Odeon Verlag für Kunst
und Literatur, Köln 1995
Gedicht von Chris Newman, in: Work in Progress, Nr. 3, December 1994 / Januar 1995,
Köln 1995, ISSN 0947-8973, page 5-7
»Me«, (limited edition of 27), published by Bookworks, London 1993
»Eugene Dubnov - Collected Poems 1979-90 by C Newman«, edited by Gisela
Gronemeyer and Reinhard Oelschlägel, Verlag MusikTexte, Köln 1993
»Book No.2: The Moon and the Stars«, (limited edition of 17), published by Bookworks,
London 1992
»If Road was Rubber«, (limited edition of 12), published by Bookworks, London 1991
LONG-PLAYING RECORDS BY THE ARTIST
»Trackways made by two dinosaurs, probably Megaiosaurus«, C. Newman & Janet Smith,
published by Theater am Turm, Frankfurt a.M., 1983
»C. Newman & Janet Smith«, published by Edition Review Records, Würzburg 1985
LPs and CDs
»Chris Newman: Piano Sonatas«; Composer: Chris Newman, Performer: Michael Finnissy, Audio CD (July 22, 2008), Number of Discs: 1 [Piano Sonata No.1 (1982), Piano Sonata No.4 (1990), Piano Sonata No.6 (1997), Piano Sonata No.10 (2004)], Label: Mode Records (New York), # mode 201, ASIN: B0019R4TG4
»Trackways made by two dinosaurs, probably Megalosaurus«, C. Newman & Janet Smith, published by Theater am Turm, Frankfurt a.M. 1983
»C. Newman & Janet Smith«, published by Edition Review Records, Würzburg 1985
»compassion (violin & piano) published by content, Sweden 1998
»New songs of social conscience, published by Review Records, Berlin 1998
Exhibition Catalogues
»Chris Newman - SOLID STATE VARIATION«, paintings series 'THE PLOTTED' and 'THE NON-PLOTTED', edited by Bernd Heise, text by Marietta Franke: "Ein einfaches Mahl - Zur künstlerischen Arbeit von Chris Newman" (Germ. / Engl.), interview by Matthias Flügge "9/14/17 October 2008", 64 pages, 26,5 x 21,5 cm, Leonhardi-Museum, Dresden / Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg, 2009, ISBN 978-3-941185-08-1
»Chris Newman«, Text: Eugen Blume, 8 pages, 29 x 21 cm, Brecht-Haus-Weissensee, Berlin, 2003 Editor: Annette Tietz, Chris Newman, Bezirksamt Pankow. FB Kultur
»Chris Newman - Recent Painting Mates«, Text by Eugen Blume (Germ. / Engl.), 32 pages, 15 x 24 cm; Galerie Olaf Stüber, Berlin 1999
»Chris Newman - The 90's and Notebooks«, 48 pages, 21 x 18 cm; Salon Verlag, Köln 1999, ISBN 3-89770-082-4
»Chris Newman«, Borås Konstmuseum, 10 Sep - 2 Oct 1994; Series: 'Ny Musik Blädder nr.6'; Text and Interview by Björn Nilsson; 60 pages, 18,5 x 25 cm, Borås Konstmuseum, Ny Musik, Galerie Johannes Zielke Berlin, 1994
»C. Newman - Me in a no-time state«, Text by Stefan Kraus, Series: '… im Fenster' 30 pages, 15 x 10 cm; Diözesan-Museum Köln, 1997
»Chris Newman - Rhymed Poems, 1979-1996«, one text and three poems by Chris Newman, Erzbischöfliches Diözesanmuseum Köln, April 1996 (part of the exhibition »… im Fenster: Chris Newman«)
»Chris Newman - Integrated Blake Phrases Paintings« 31.01.-05.03.1995 Exhibition Catalogue; Installation with 6 paintings and 'Study No. 3' [London 1993, violin solo] by Chris Newman, preface (Germ. / Engl.) by Chris Newman, text (Germ. / Engl.) by Marietta Franke, 12 color ill., 45 pages, 14,5 x 21 cm, Verlag Thomas Poller, Frankfurt am Main 1995, ISBN 3-9802858-2-0
»CHRIS NEWMAN - IT WITH ITSELF« Interview with Raimund Stecker and Martin Bochynek; 27 pages, 14,5 x 9,5 cm, Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf 1994
»Chris Newman - PAINTINGS«
06.11.-03.12.1990 Exhibition Catalogue, with texts (Engl.) by Norbert Prangenberg and Chris Newman, 12 color ill., 33 pages, 15 x 21 cm, Verlag Thomas Poller, Frankfurt am Main 1991, ISBN 3-9802858-0-4
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»PAINTINGS« |
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»Integrated Blake Phrases Paintings« |
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»SOLID
STATE VARIATION« |
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The Plotted The Non-Plotted 2007 - 2008 >>> more |
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 STAND-IN DEVELOPMENTS 2005 >>> more |
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EXISTENTIAL HINGE 2000 >>> more |
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Recent Painting Mates 1997 - 1998 >>> more |
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Earlier work 1990-1997 >>> more |
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Integrated Blake Phrases Paintings 1995 >>> more |
© Chris Newman &
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