 |
|
BIO Tony May, Emeritus Professor of Art, taught at San Jose State University from1967 until 2005. He also taught for one year at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, for one term at Sheffield City Polytechnic in Sheffield, England and for one quarter at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara California. Born in Mineral Point, WI in 1942, he received his MFA degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he studied with Warrington Colescott, Steven French and Don Reitz. He has taught in both the Pictorial and Spatial Arts areas. Courses have included Color Theory, Drawing, 2 and 3 Dimensional Design, Painting, Sculpture, a variety of Graduate Seminars and a class focusing on group art activity, “Art in Community.” That class completed two public art works for the City of San Jose: “South Fished Street” in Bestor Art Park in 2004, and “El Paraguas de Padre Mateo” in Mateo Sheedy Park in 2008. Working in a variety of media, his own art has often taken the form of site-responsive installations and has a strong leaning toward the conceptual, the quasi-functional and the whimsical. He believes in the importance of craftsmanship and hands-on involvement of the artist. Projects such as his building the idiosyncratic structure, the T. House and subsequent production of a series of photo-real paintings documenting selected aspects of that construction process reveal much about his belief in the importance of work itself as well as in the reflection upon it. He continues to produce paintings which largely focus on documentation of recent building projects. In 1998 he completed a major public commission for the City of San Jose, which commemorates Agriculture in the Santa Clara Valley. His art has been shown widely in California including shows at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Art Institute, 80 Langton Street, Capp Street Project, San Jose Museum of Art, the deSaisset Museum and The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. He has also exhibited in other parts of the United States, England, France, Japan and Thailand. More recently he has had solo shows at b.Sakata Garo Gallery in Sacramento CA and at George Adams Gallery in New York City which continues to represent his work. (www.georgeadamsgallery.com) SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND INSTALLATIONS Inaugural Group Exhibition, “Rising Tides” at the Floating Art Museum, Alameda CA, 2024
4 Person Show: B. Sakata Garo, Sacramento, Chris Daubert, Bob Jones, Tony May & Lonny Tomono, June 2022
New Work by Gallery Artists, 2021 Summer Show, George Adams Gallery, New York, NY
“Tony May, A Visit to the Artist’s Studio,” Solo Show, Los Gatos Museum of Art (NUMU) Los Gatos CA, Feb.-May 2021
B. Sakata Garo, Sacramento CA, Wayne Thiebaud’s 100th Birthday Celebration Group Show, Nov. 2020
“Documents” five person show, George Adams Gallery, New York NY, July -Sept, 2020
3 Person Show: Chris Daubert, Tony May & Lonny Tomono “Secret Language,” B. Sakata Garo, Sacramento CA, Sept. 2019
3 Person Show: Leonie Guyer, Dan Max & Tony May, 871 Fine Art, SanFrancisco, June-August 2019
George Adams Gallery, 30th Anniversary Exhibit, Group Exhibition, New York NY, 2019
B. Sakata Garo, 20th Anniversary Group Exhibition, “Het Best” Sacramento CA, 2018
George Adams Gallery, Solo Exhibition, “Tony May, Paintings, Objects and Devices” New York, NY, June-August, 2018
Co-Curator: “Time Tunnel: Bruce Nauman’s Corridor Installation with Mirror, San Jose Installation” Natalie and James Thompson Gallery, SJSU, 2018 (catalog)
B. Sakata Garo, Group Exhibition “Mu (Wood)” Sacramento CA, January 2018
San Jose ICA, Group Exhibition, “Encore: The Legacy of Steve French,” San Jose CA, 2017
San Jose Museum of Art, “Variable Book Construction (Bookmobile)” reinstallation, Feb.-Sept. 2017
Artist’s Inventory Reduction Sale” Group Exhibition, Art Object Gallery, San Jose CA , 2016
“Simple Life Instructions: Dada at the Radius,” Group Exhibition curated by Maureen Davidson, Radius Gallery, Santa Cruz CA, 2016
Anne and Mark’s Art Party, Group Exhibition, in collaboration with Chris Daubert, San Jose CA, 2016
“Artists in Residence,” San Jose's 20th Century Vanguard, Group Exhibition, San Jose Museum of Art, 2016
"New and Old
Variables, Portables, Collapsibles and Other Art-like Objects
and Devices. Also Old Documentary Paintings," b. sakata
garo, Sacramento, CA, 2016
"Airplane
Show," in collaboration with Chris Daubert, Group exhibition,
b. sakata garo, Sacramento, CA, 2015
"Mark and
Anne's Art Party," Group exhibition, San Jose, CA, 2014
"Artik," Art
and Architecture, Group exhibition, San Jose, CA, 2014
"Bibliophilia,"
Group exhibition, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA, 2013
"Left to
Chance," Group show, San Francisco Center for the Book, San
Francisco, 2012
"Get Lucky:
The Culture of Chance," Group show curated by Hanna Regev,
SOMArts Cultural Center,
“Tony May /
Old Technology,” (40+ Year Retrospective Exhibition,) San Jose
ICA, San Jose, CA 2010-2011 (catalog)
"artMRKT San Francisco," Group exhibition, San Francisco, 2011
“California
to Bangkok and Back,” Works / San Jose, San Jose, CA,
2007-2008
“Winter 2007
Exhibit” Group show curated by Jane Salvin, Heritage Bank ,
San Jose, CA, 2007-2008
“Artists
& World Environment” Thai-American Art Exhibition 2007,
Art Centre, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
(catalog)
“Tony May,
The Meager Retrospective (Work from the Basement Archives)”
Louie-Meager Art Gallery, Ohlone College, Fremont, CA, 2006
“Pac III:
Thai-American Art Exchange, University Art Gallery, California
Polytechnic State University,
“Change
2005-2006” Euphrat Museum of Art, De Anza College, Cupertino,
CA, 2005-06
“Domestic
Odyssey,” Group exhibition curated by JoAnne Northrup, San
Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, 2004, (catalog)
“Fall
Exhibition,” Heritage Fine Arts Collaborative, Group show
curated by Jane Salvin, Heritage Bank,
“Spatial
Arts Faculty Exhibition,” School of Art and Design, San Jose
State University, Spring 2002
“This is Not
a Book,” group show curated by David Pace, San Jose Institute
of Contemporary Art,
“Six Shop
Doors Fit for a Temple and a Transient T/Tree House,”
Collaborative Installation with Lonny Tomono, East Hawaii
Cultural Center, Hilo HI, 1999
“Remembering
Agriculture” A Memorial to Agriculture in the Santa Clara
Valley, Commissioned by the City of San Jose Dedicated Fall
1998.) Project is permanently located in Guadalupe River Park
on W. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA
“Spatial
Arts Faculty Exhibition,” School of Art and Design, San Jose
State University, Spring 1998
“Coming of
Age,” work by past and current members of the board of
directors, WORKS/San Jose, 1998
“Outside
In,” group exhibition of drawings and maquettes of public art
projects currently in progress for the
“The Library
Show,” group exhibition, Winstead Library Gallery, Sierra
College, Rocklin, CA,1995
“Pictorial
Discourse,” Pictorial ArtsFaculty Exhibition and Panel
Discussion, Gallery One, San Jose State University, 1994
“Neither is
This,” Painted assemblage with mailbox flag. Part of group
exhibition, Gallery One, San Jose State University School
of Art and Design, 1994
“Capp Street
Project Bricks 1994,” Piece entitled “T. Brick Lamp,” Capp
Street Project, San Francisco, CA,
“Switches,”
Exhibition of art lamps, piece entitled “M. Lantern,” Gallery
One, San Jose State University School of Art and Design,
1993
“San Jose
Sumo Basho Art Exhibition,” San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose,
CA, 1993
"Views of
the T. House," Installation with Ken Phillip, San Jose
Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA,
"Views of
the T. House," installation with Ken Phillip, Sheffield Hallam
University Art Gallery, Sheffield, England, January 1993
"Memories,
Dreams, and Reflections," Exhibition of art done with mirrors.
Piece entitled "Mere Appearance–Buddhist Paraphernalia,"
Gallery One, San Jose State University Art Department, 1992
"Variable
Book Construction (Bookmobile)" - Site-specific installation
commissioned by San Jose Museum of Art for the entrance
lobby of new wing of the museum, San Jose, 1991-95. Piece
remains in the SJMA collection.
"Doing Time"
an exhibition of artist's clocks. Piece entitled "T. Time
Table," Gallery One, San Jose State University Art
Department, San Jose, 1991
"Chairitable
Inventions," an exhibition and auction of chairs transformed
by artists. Piece entitled "Chair O' Tea." Gallery One, San
Jose State University Art Department, 1990
"Two Tea
Jugs," piece done for Artist's Tee Shirts Exhibition and
Auction, WORKS/San Jose, 1989
"For the
Birds," exhibition and auction of artist-made birdhouses, San
Jose State University Art Department, Gallery One, 1989 "Le
Livre Dans Tous Ses E'tats," organized by the
Biblitheque Municipale and Galerie Caroline Corre, A.T.B.
Theatre de Beauvais, France, November 1988 "Exposition
Le Livre - Dans Tous Ses Etats," Bibliotheque
Municipale D'Argenteuil, France. Group exhibition organized
by Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris. March 1987
"His/Hers,"
collaborative installation "The Nut Cracking Bench," with
Therese May, WORKS/San Jose, 1987
"Faculty
Draw," group exhibition, Gallery One, Art Department, San Jose
State University, "Le
Livre Objet," Centre Culturel de la Somme, Amiens,
France, December 1986 - February 1987.
"Experimental
Books," WORKS/San Jose, San Jose, CA, October 1986. Group
exhibition curated by
"The Artist
and the Machine," deSaisset Museum of Art, Santa Clara
University, Santa Clara, CA, 1986
"The School
of San Jose," (part of "The San Jose Biennial"). Art
Department, San Jose State University,
"Seven Year
Update: The Blue-Green Collection. "The Artist Selectors
Show," (part of "The San Jose Biennial"), WORKS, San Jose,
CA, 1986 "L'Art
Du Livre," Biblioteque A. France, Villeneuve-le-Roi,
France, 1985. Group exhibition organized by
"Functional
House," collaborative installation, with Bob Jones, at "Capp
Street Project," artist in residency, January 1 - March 31,
1985, San Francisco, CA. (Work documented in catalog: "Capp
Street Project,
"Powers
Circle," collaborative installation, with Percy Peacock and
students, Sheffield City Polytechnic, Psalter Lane Site,
Sheffield England, June, 1985
"Meg
Door/Guto Gate, An English Home Improvement," for Manuel
Chetcuti, Sheffield, England, 1985 "Le
Livre Dans Tous Ses Etats," livres-objets, Galerie du
Centre d'action Culturelle Pablo Neruda, Corbeil Essones,
France, 1984
"Written On
Sculpture," Olive Hyde Art Gallery, Fremont, CA,
September-October, 1984
"Tony
May-Paintings," Renshaw Gallery, Linfield college,
McMinnville, OR, September, 1984
"Home
Improvement Paintings," one person exhibition, Guggenheim
Gallery, Chapman College, “Les
Etats Du Livre," tome I: livres d'artistes americains,
Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris, France, 1983.
"San Jose
Artists Exhibition," Tenmaya Exhibition Hall, Okayama, Japan,
1982
Permanent
Installation: "Remedying Two Small Flaws," "South Bay
Sculpture," Sunnyvale Community Center, Sunnyvale, CA, 1982
(catalog)
Installation:
"Red Branch Retrofit-Clark Modification," Robert D. Clark
Library, San Jose State University,
Work
included in invitational show of Bay Area art, Fashion Moda
Museum, South Bronx, New York City, 1982
"Miniatures
82," Invitational Exhibition, Triton Museum of Art, Santa
Clara, CA, 1982
"Home
Improvements," one person exhibition, 80 Langton Street, San
Francisco, 1981. (This exhibition was documented in "80
Langon Street Catalog - May 1981 - April 1982")
"Fashion
Moda - SF-NY-SOUTH BRONX-LA-OAKLAND," Galeria de la Raza, San
Francisco, 1981
"Masqued
Headgear Invitational Exhibition," San Jose Institute of
Contemporary Art, San Jose, 1981
Installation:
"Red Branch Retrofit," 80 Langton Street, Fifth Anniversary
Show at the Knights of the Red Branch Hall, San Francisco,
1980. (This installation was documented in "80 Langton Street
- May 1980 - April 198l " )
"Home
Improvements," One Person Exhibition, deSaisset Museum of Art,
Santa Clara University,
"Visualog,"
California Polytechnic Institute, San Luis Obispo, CA, 1979
"Artists'
Soap Box Derby," sponsored by the San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art, concept and design for "WORKS" Gallery car:
"The Soap Box Derby," member of construction team, 1979
Installation:
"The Miracle of the Fishes," at Paseo de San Antonio fountain
in conjunction with "The San Jose Exhibit," San Jose Museum
of Art, San Jose, CA, 1978
"Private
Life of Rrose Selavy," Helen Euphrat Gallery, De Anza College,
Cupertino, CA, 1978
"Art
Stories," Libra Gallery, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont,
CA, 1977
"Huffaker,
May and May," San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA,
1976
"Tony and
Therese May," Cabrillo College Art Gallery, Aptos, CA, 1976
"Works with
Words," University of California, Santa Barbara, 1975 "Word
Works Two," San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, 1975
Installation:
"This Area Closed for Installation of Monumental Sculpture,"
San Jose Civic Art Gallery,
"Distribution?,"
travelling exhibit organized by Steven Zaima, "The Museum
Avant-Garde," Davis, CA, University of California at Davis,
1971, University of California, San Diego, 1972
"Inaugural Exhibition," San Jose Civic Art Gallery, San Jose, CA 1971
"Four
Sculptors," San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1971,
installation: "Variable Construction Altered by the Chance
Rearrangement of My Living Room Furniture".
"San
Francisco Art Institute Centennial Exhibition," M.H. De Young
Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA, 1971
"Shasta
College Invitational," Redding, CA, 1970
One Person
Exhibition: "Tony May-Drawings," Hansen-Fuller Gallery, San
Francisco, CA, 1970
"Water," University of California at Davis, Group Invitational, 1969
"Eleven at
Ghirardelli," Michael Walls Gallery, San Francisco, "The Trap
of Romantic Art" installation, 1969
One Person
Exhibition: (Including Large Variable Construction
installation) San Jose City College,
"Paper," San
Jose City College, San Jose, CA, 1968
"In the
Sculpture Bag," San Jose State University Invitational
Exhibit, Art Department Gallery, 1968
"San Jose
City College Juried Annual," San Jose, CA, 1968
"Media in a
Supermarket," John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan,
Wisconsin, 1968
"Four
Sculptors," Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, 1968
"Summer
Group Show," Galerie Carl Van der Voort, San Francisco, CA,
1967
"Southern
Wisconsin Sculpture Invitational," Milton College, Milton,
Wisconsin, 1967
One Person
Exhibition: University of Wisconsin, Sheboygan, 1967
"Wisconsin
Designer Craftsman," Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, 1964 and 1965 (award)
"31st
Wisconsin Salon," University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1965,
(major award)
"1964 Biennial of Painting and Sculpture," Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1964 |