John O'Donnell | Drawings and Prints

On view March 2 – March 15 , 2015

EBK Gallery [small works].
218 Pearl St.
Hartford, CT

 

 

Most people know John O’Donnell as a Performance Artist, a Video Artist and an Installation Artist. But he has yet another dimension to his ascent as a very well-known and accomplished contemporary artist. On view in the gallery are selected prints and drawings that have always been part of his repertoire of art making and art thinking. –E.B.K.

“Drawing is something I enjoy doing. I draw because ideas can manifest quickly: a lot can be achieved and resolved using very few materials in a small space. Through the drawing process I pursue “accidental architectures.” Accidental architectures happen when materials and process are established and executed before a final design exists. I often begin drawing with no final product in mind and simply let structures emerge through intuitive construction and invention. In a lot of ways I believe that is what “art making” is all about: creating with intent toward the unknown, loosely determined by physical laws.” -J.O.

 

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Gallery Sheet and Pricing PDF

 

Recent Press and Publications

New York Times Connecticut Arts Feature (click here)

 

John O’Donnell is an artist that works in a variety of mediums. Over the last 5 years he has primarily exhibited installation, video, sculpture and performance, but behind the scenes he is always drawing and working on prints. The prints and drawings in this exhibition are a selection of the work made over the last year.

O’Donnell has been inspired by many print makers throughout history, but primarily by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) an Italian print maker who created images of invented structures and spaces, usually inspired by the ruins of Rome. His etchings and engravings fit in to the category of “capriccio” which is images of architectural fantasy. These images are the result of placing together buildings, archaeological remains and other architectural elements in fictional and often fantastical combinations.
All of these prints on display were made at the University of Connecticut’s Print Shop and would not be possible without the assistance of Erica Laucella and Nicholas Ransom Kennedy.

 

CV / Resume

John O’Donnell

http://www.johnodonnellprojects.com/

Solo Exhibitions
2015
EBK Gallery [small works] Hartford, CT
2014
Cerreality, Blue House Gallery, Dayton, OH
Psychedelic Pantry , New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
2013
Ponzi Structures, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
2012
Navel Gazing, Quinebaug Valley Community College, Danielson, CT
2010
Monkey Shines, Seton Gallery, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT
PG-13, Art Space, New Haven, CT
F*CKY*AH, Takeout Gallery, New London, CT
2009
Salad Days, Flux Space, Philadelphia, PA

Performance
2014
Kitchen After Dark, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
Surreal Picnic, Park(ing) Day, Greater Hartford Art Council, Hartford, CT
2013
#goplayintheyard, Park(ing) Day, Greater Hartford Art Council, Hartford, CT
2012
Slime, Broad Street Gallery Hartford, CT, curated by Beena Azeem
Iron John 2.0, NOW ON, ATOM Space, Hartford, CT curated by David Borowski
2011
Playing on the Stairs, The Grove, City Wide Open Studios, New Haven, CT
Doppelganger Banger & The works of Jeremy Milk Toast, We Are Cable, Artspace Alternative Spaces, New Haven, CT, curated by Erika Van Natta
2010 Blueberry, New Media, Sex, and Culture in the 21st Century, Museum of New Art, Detroit, MI, curated by Steve Coy, Jonathan Lillie and Jef Bourgeau
The Making of John O’Donnell’s Front Yard Monster Movie Magic Show, Proof Gallery, Boston, MA, curated by William Matelski
Receptionist, SERA (Social Experiments Relational Acts), Artspace Alternative Spaces, New Haven, CT, curated by Ted Efremoff
Radical Dinosaur Maniac Time Machine Gun Shark Explosion, Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts, Storrs, CT, curated by Rita Lombardi
2009
Domestic Ignorance/Domestic Bliss, Savoir Faire Performance Series, Soho20 Gallery, New York, NY
TNPDPSSF (The North Philadelphia Puberty Survivors Support Forum), Flux Space, Philadelphia, PA , curated by Nike Desis

Group Exhibitions
2014
New Prints Autumn Benefit Exhibition and Auction, IPCNY, International Print Center in New York, NY
Park(ing) Day, Greater Hartford Art Council, Hartford, CT
The Quickening: Tales of Impending Transformation, Hygenic Art Gallery, New London, CT, curated by Troy Zaushny
The 48th Annual Art Department Faculty Exhibition, William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Animal Heart, The Slater Museum, Norwich, CT
2013
New Prints 2013/Autumn, IPCNY, International Print Center in New York, NY
Habitat, Hans Weiss Newspace Gallery, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT curated by Susan Classen-Sullivan
Hartford DADA, Pumphouse Gallery, Hartford, CT
Park(ing) Day, Greater Hartford Art Council, Hartford, CT
2nd Annual Connecticut Printmakers Invitational, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT, curated by Renée A. Santhouse
Mixtape, Gala Silent Auction, Art Space, New Haven, CT
Pounds Of Pressure: Contemporary Prints In Large Format, Baton Rouge Arts Council, Baton Rouge, LA, curated by James Kimura-Green
2012
Rendered Extraordinary, Broad Street Gallery, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, curated by Beena Azeem
Lined Up: Drawings & Texts, Library Institute, New Haven, curated by Stephen Kobasa
NOW ON, ATOM Space, Hartford, CT curated by David Borowski
Screen Test, Gala Silent Auction, Art Space, New Haven, CT
Ripple Effect, Project Store Fronts, New Haven, CT
2011
Double Time: Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition, Akus Gallery, Willimantic, CT
Horsing Around, transitory/SPACES, Boulder Avenue Arts Center, Helena, MT
INSIDE OUT: an investigation of gender identities through constructed spaces, Visual Arts Research Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, curated by J.R. Uretsky
Weird+Wonderful, Artifact Gallery, Wilton, CT
SCRAWL-TV, a part of SCRAWL, Art Space New Haven, CT Curated by Martha Lewis
2010
7/11 Interpreting Space, Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts, Storrs, CT, curated by Rita Lombardi
New Media, Sex, and Culture in the 21st Century, Museum of New Art, Detroit, MI
KAT CULCHUR, Flux Space, Philadelphia, PA,
Collage: Putting it all Together, Climate/Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2009
Making Funny, Under Minerva Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Serial Fictions, Golden Street Gallery, New London, CT, curated by Brag Guarino
(Nu)erotic, Visions Art Gallery, Medway, MA
Altered Egos, Space Gallery, San Francisco, CA, curated by The Heap
83rd Annual International Competition: Printmaking, The Print Center, Philadelphia; PA and LBI Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, NJ, Jurors: Shelly Bancroft and Peter Nesbett, co-publishers of Art on Paper magazine
Lizzie Borden: A Tale of Two Cities, Gallery X, New Bedford, MA
The Sketchbook Project 3, Art House Gallery, Atlanta, GA; Museum of Contemporary Art DC, Washington, DC; Laconia Gallery, Boston, MA; Antena Gallery, Chicago, IL; 3rd Ward Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; Soulard Art Market, St Louis, MO; Museum of Design Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, curated and sponsored by Art House Coop, Atlanta, GA
The FEAST, Pittsburg State University Gallery, Pittsburg, KS, Juror Liz Hickok of Blue Studios, San Francisco, CA
Coast-to-Coast, DakashinaChitra Gallery, Chennai, India, curated by Kathryn Myers
2008
New Prints 2007/08: A Benefit Exhibition and Silent Auction, International Print Center, New York, NY (Invitational)
Coast-to-Coast, Ruchika’s Art Gallery, Panjim, Goa, India, curated by Kathryn Myers
Paperworks 2008, B.J. Spoke Gallery, Huntington, NY, Juror Samantha Rippner of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dirty Fingernails Say A Lot II: A Celebration of “Pure” Printmaking, Foundry Art Center, St. Charles, MO, Juror Tony Crowley
Perfect with Pixel, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, curated by Shauya Kumar
OUTDATED: Polaroids, Country Club Gallery, Chicago, IL, curated by Rik Garrett
New Prints 2008, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY
New Prints 2008, IPCNY, International Print Center, New York, NY, curated by Jane Hammond
2007
Art in the Age of the Internet, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY, curated by PAM:Perpetual Art Machine
Yummy: A show About Food, NEXUS/foundation, Philadelphia, PA
Fifty-Fifty, Artwell Gallery, Torrington, CT, curated by Sue Berg and Daniel Buttrey
2007
Sofia Print Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria
Bulgarian-American Cultural Identity Exhibition, Sofia, Bulgaria
6th Lessedra World Art Print Annual – Mini Print, Sofia, Bulgaria
Collection of Similar Houses, Side Show Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
When a Verb Becomes a Noun, Flux Space, Philadelphia, PA
Group Invitational Bulgarian and American Cultural Identity Exhibition, Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art, Avery Point, CT, curated by Brad Guarino
Collection of Similar Houses, William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
64th Annual Connecticut Artist Exhibition, Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT
Regional MFA Exhibition, Hunter College/Times Square Gallery, New York, NY
The Fifth Arches Student Print Show, Gallery 808, Boston, MA
Looped Life, 1078 Gallery, Chico, CA
2006
14th Seoul Space International Print Biennial, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
5th Lessedra World Art Print Annual: Mini Print, Sofia, Bulgaria
The Human Pixel Project, Three Columns Gallery, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Snap to Grid, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA
The Human Pixel Project, Brickbottom Galleries, Somerville, MA
63rd Annual Connecticut Artist Exhibition, The Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT, Award winner, Juror Chet Kempczyns
Small Works, Soho20, New York, NY, Invitational