John Sparagana
Selected works
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BMG exhibitions
Going Down for the Third Time (September 9 - October 29, 2011)
The Crisis Professionals (September 11 - October 31, 2009)
Jane South | John Sparagana (February 29 - April 5, 2008)
Press
Art Ltd. review, Nov 2011
Arts+Culture Houston review, Oct 2011
Artforum review, Summer 2011
Houston Press review, Sept 2009
Time Out Chicago (review), Apr - May 2009
Sleeping Beauty: A One Artist Dictionary, John Sparagana + Mieke Bal, 2008
Permissions: Blunt Talk about Art as Intellectual Property, Susan Bielstein, 2006
Under Cover: Sex in the Media, Bettina Mathes, 2006
Arts Houston review, April 2008
Artlies review, Issue 53, Spring 2007
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, text by Kendra Greene
Collections
The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City
Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE
CV
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JOHN SPARAGANA
- Born in Rochester, NY, 1958
- Lives and works in Houston and Chicago
EDUCATION
- 1987 MFA, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
- 2011
Going down for the Third Time, Bryan Miller Gallery, Houston, TX
Between the Eyes, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL - 2009
The Crisis Professionals, Bryan Miller Gallery (CTRL), Houston, TX - 2008
John Sparagana, Bryan Miller Gallery (CTRL), Houston, TX - 2007
Afternoon Hallucinogenic, Priska C. Juschka Fine Art, New York, NY - 2006
What the Child Saw, What the Lover Saw, What the Killer Saw, moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL - 2005
People Everywhere are Stoned, Mixture Contemporary Art, Houston, TX - 2004
People Everywhere are Tired, Modern Culture, New York, NY
Sleeping Beauty, Mixture Contemporary Art, Houston, TX - 2002
I Wait For You Every Night, Rice University Media Center, Houston,TX
Swoon, Wall Installation, James Gallery, Houston, TX - 2001
Sublime, James Gallery, Houston, TX - 1998
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, IL - 1996
Denser Moments of Awareness, Roswell Museum & Art Center, Roswell, NM - 1995
Forum Gallery, New York City, NY
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, IL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
- 2010
Hide & Seek, Arratia-Beer, Berlin, Germany
Eraserhead, Fruehsorge Contemporary Drawings, Berlin, Germany - 2009
Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
Olio: Tamar Halpern, Pablo Helguera, Arturo Herrera, Shinique Smith, John Sparagana, Dannielle Tegeder, Tony Wight Gallery, Chicago, IL
NEXT art fair, Chicago, Bryan Miller Gallery (CTRL), Houston, TX - 2008
NEXT art fair, Chicago, Bryan Miller Gallery (CTRL), Houston, TX
- 2007
Antennea, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX
Collage in Chicago, Corbett Vs. Dempsey Gallery, Chicago, IL - 2006
Making/Breaking, Two-person show with Anni Holm at the Moser Performing Arts Center at University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL, curated by Matt Wilson and Paul Erschen
Full Frontal, Corbett Vs. Dempsey Gallery, Chicago, IL
GEEP, Oresman Gallery, Smith College, Northampton, MA, curated by Atopia Projects
In This House That I Call Home, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
In Sight, Recent Additions To The Permanent Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL - 2005
Kiss Me Long and Hard, Priska C. Juschka Fine Art, New York, NY
Post-Photography, Changing Role-Move Over Gallery, Naples, Italy
The Crystal Ball, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
Girls of Summer, moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL
Pages, I Space, Chicago, IL, curated by Buzz Spector
No Monument, The Guest Room Project, Chicago, IL
Dating Data, Josee Bienvenu Gallery, New York City, NY - 2004
Geep, Cell 77, Edinburgh, Scotland
John Sparagana & Laura Mosquera, Bright Group showroom, Chicago, IL, curated by Monique Meloche
Editor’s Choice, John Sparagana and Laura Mosquera, moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL
State of Affairs, Savage Art Resources, Portland, OR, curated by Stuart Horodner
Sketchbook: Collaboraction, Chopin Theatre, Chicago, IL - 2003
re: LAX, DCKT Gallery, New York, NY
Collectible, Northern Illinois University Gallery, Chicago, IL - 2002
Pasted On, Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, Il
Re-Action, Jan Weiner Gallery, Kansas City, MO
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
- 2007
Bal, Mieke and Sparagana, John, “Sleeping Beauty, A One Artist Dictionary”. University of Chicago Press. Twenty-six essays by Bal, in response to twenty six images from Sparagana’s “Sleeping Beauty” series.
Leah DeVun, “Review”, Glasstire; Texas Visual Art Online, John Sparagana, “What the Child Saw, What the Lover Saw, What the Killer Saw”.
Mathes, Bettina. Das Kreuz mit dem Kopftuch. Geschichte und Wirkungen eines Symbols, Aufbau Verlag, discussion of two pieces from the "Sleeping Beauty" series. - 2006
Artner, Alan. “Small Parts, Big Picture.” Chicago Tribune, Nov 3, Art section, p. 29
Bielstein, Susan. Permissions, A Survival Guide: Blunt Talk about Art as Intellectual Property. University of Chicago Press, 2006.
Mathes, Bettina. Under Cover, Das Geschlecht in den Medien, Verlag, discussion of several pieces from the "Sleeping Beauty" series. - 2005
Elms, Anthony. “Reviews: Pages” Time Out Chicago, November 17-24, p.56.
Hawkins, Margaret. “Girls of Summer About More Than Having Fun” The Chicago Sun Times, July 29, p. 24
Hinkel, Joanne. “Connecting with Culture: Art Brushes with Human Kind” Centerstage Chicago, July 22. - 2004
Ten by Ten (Cover Project), “An Artful Deception: John Sparagana’s states of distress.”
Annette Ferrera. Vol 3 #2
Portland Mercury, “State of Affairs”, April 22
Houston Chronicle, Art Review, “Sharing Two Distinct Perspectives”, April 3, 2004. - 2003
Atopia Projects, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”.
The Chicago Tribune "Collecting Remains in Eye of the Beholder", March 7, 2003.
The Chicago Sun Times, February 7, 2003 - 2002
New Art Examiner, “Reviews”, May, 2002
The Kansas City Star, “For Every Action”, January 18, 2002,.
Review Magazine, February, 2002, Kansas City, MO
Glasstire: Texas Visual Arts Online, “Reviews”, April, 2002, Houston, TX
FotoFest 2002 Catalogue - 2001
New American Paintings: Open Studios Press, Wellesly, MAA - 1997
Gulf Coast, Spring/Summer, 1997, Houston, TX. - 1996
John Sparagana: 'Denser Moments of Awareness.' Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, NM.
Spring and Summer Edition.Winston-Salem Journal, "Five in Show at WFU Display New Perspectives on Painting." Tom Patterson. - 1995
New American Paintings. Open Studios Press, Needham, Massachusetts. pp. 96-97. (Photo)
Art in America, "John Sparagana and Nanny Vonnegot at Forum." Vincent Katz. Oct, p. 132. - 1994
The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. April 17.
Soup Magazine, "Pleasure Limited." No. 8. Albany, New York. - 1993
The Houston Post "Conventional Forms, Insidious Visions." Susan Chadwick. Texas. Jan 26, p. E8.
The Houston Post, "Glassell Exhibit Reflects Modern Societal Concerns." Susan Chadwick. Jan 21, p. D3. - 1990
Houston Chronicle, "Juxtapositions." Patricia C. Johnson..Houston, Texas. August 26, p. D1 and D5. - 1989
Forum Magazine, "New Biennial Heightens Visibility of Fellowship Winners." Nano Nore Lueders. Kansas City, Missouri. January/February. - 1987
The Kansas City Star, “Midwestern Artists Know No Boundaries in Exhibit.
"Donald Hoffmann. Dec 4.Artweek,
“Capturing Mood and Thought.” Terri Cohn. January 30, p. 4.
GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES
- 2003
Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY, Residency Fellowship - 2001
Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston, Texas, Individual Artist’s Grant - 1996
Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston, Texas, Individual Artist’s Grant
Roswell Museum & Art Center, Roswell NM, Artist-in-Residence Program. - 1992
Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston, Texas, Individual Artist’s Grant - 1988
Mid-America Arts Alliance/National Endowment for the Arts. - 1987
Bemis Project/Alternative Worksite, Omaha, Nebraska, Residency Fellowship
Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, France, Residency Fellowship
Stanford University Department of Art, Stanford, California, Full Fellowship