Justin Brice Guariglia

Justin Brice Guariglia, also known as Justin Brice (born 1974),[1][2] is an American conceptual artist and a former photojournalist,[3] whose work explores the relationship between humans and the natural world. Brice frequently partners with scientists, poets and philosophers in his research based art practice that addresses climate change and the ecological crisis. Notably, this includes a series of seven missions he's flown with NASA scientists beginning in 2015[2] to document Greenland's rapidly changing ice, images which he's used as source material in his work.

Justin Brice Guariglia
Born
Justin Brice Guariglia

1974 (age 49–50)[1]
Known forvisual art, photography, sculpture, public art
Websitewww.guariglia.com
Guariglia with Ai Weiwei (L) and landscape architect Walter Meyer (R) in Puerto Rico

He is a former photographer and photojournalist in Asia for 20 years, his work had appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian, and The New York Times,[3] before he transitioned into an art practice in 2010.[2]

Biography

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Justin Brice Guariglia was born in 1974 and grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey.[2] He attended Wake Forest University, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in 1997.[4] While attending Wake Forest University, he studied abroad initially in 1995 in Venice, Italy at Casa Artom and later in 1996 in Beijing, China at Capital Normal University.[4][better source needed]

Guariglia lived in Asia over a 20-year period, working as a documentary photographer for 15 of those years.[2] In 2015, Brice moved his studio from Asia back to Brooklyn, New York. In 2018, Sotheby's referred to Guariglia as "one of the most prominent cultural figures working to address climate change."[5]

 
Installation view of Jakobshavn I by Justin Brice

Guariglia participated in For Freedoms, a Super PAC started by Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman, which launched a show at Jack Shainman Gallery in 2016. He also created billboards as part of "For Freedoms 50," (2018) on view in Oklahoma City.[6]

In 2017–2018, Guariglia had his first solo exhibition, Earth Works: Mapping the Anthropocene at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida.[3]

Exhibitions and projects

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Venice Biennale 2019

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"Artists Need to Create on the Same Scale that Society Has the Capacity to Destroy: Mare Nostrum" (2019) curated by Phong Bui and Francesca Pietropaolo, is an official collateral event of the 58th International Art Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition is located at the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti in the Cannaregio section of Venice during the run of the Biennale Arte, from 11 May – 24 November 2019. Guariglia's contribution included a 2-meter neon artwork, "EXXTINCTION," a play on the classic ExxonMobil logo.

"Artists Need to Create..." includes the work of 73 artists of international backgrounds whose works are in response to environmental crisis in the age of climate change, including Rirkrit Tiravanija, Jack Whitten, Dorothea Rockburne, Amy Sillman, Chuck Close, and others.[7]

REDUCE SPEED NOW! (2019)

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Installation of "REDUCE SPEED NOW!," (2019) Somerset House, London

Commissioned by Somerset House, "Reduce Speed Now!" (2019) brings together international perspectives on the world's ecological crisis.[8] Using a series of large solar-powered LED signs usually seen on motorways, Guariglia foregrounds the voices of poets, philosophers, thinkers, activists, and global indigenous elders addressing our climate change, global warming, and extinction.

Other writing includes excerpts from French philosopher and sociologist Bruno Latour’s provocative publications; aphorisms written by eco-theorist Timothy Morton; and Guariglia’s compiled list of 200 years of extinct species.[8]

WE ARE THE ASTEROID (2018–present)

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Guariglia's "WE ARE THE ASTEROID," a series of solar-powered LED message boards that flash eco-aphorisms, debuted at Storm King Art Center in the 2018 exhibition entitled "Indicators: Artists on Climate Change."[9] The project is part of an ongoing collaboration with eco-theorist Timothy Morton, who wrote the text for the work. Iterations of the project have appeared as public art installations in San Francisco,[10] New York City,[11] Chicago, Aspen,[12] Houston.[13]

Climate Signals (2018)

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Guariglia's citywide public art installation "Climate Signals" debuted September, 2018 in ten locations across the five boroughs of New York City. The project, which was presented by the Climate Museum, in conjunction with the New York City Mayor's Office, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and was designed to encourage dialogue on the issue of climate change. Climate Signals was reviewed by The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, among others.[14][15][16][17]

After Ice app (2017–present)

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On Earth Day 2017, Guariglia launched "After Ice", a free iOS app visualizing sea-level rise based on projections from the IPCC and NASA.[18][19]

Earth Works: Mapping the Anthropocene (2017–present)

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Guariglia's solo exhibition, Earth Works: Mapping the Anthropocene debuted at the Norton Museum of Art in September 2017.[3] The museum was forced closed within hours of the show opening due to Hurricane Irma, the irony of which was written about by The Washington Post. The exhibition has since traveled to the USC Fisher Museum of Art in conjunction with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The show contains works derived from source materials collected on flights with NASA, in addition to other aerial topographic images Guariglia took of agriculture and mining in the landscape.[20][21]

Hyperobject (2017)

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New York City fashion designers Abasi Rosborough collaborated with Guariglia to create "Hyperobject," a collection based on Guariglia's work, and named after Timothy Morton's book and neologism "Hyperobjects". The clothing is cut from organic and/or deadstock fabrics that feature Guariglia's art work.[22]

NASA (2015–2020)

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Guariglia has frequently collaborated with scientists, philosophers, and journalists in order to forge a deeper understanding of human impact on the planet. Notably, this includes a series of seven earth science missions he flew with NASA's Operation Ice Bridge scientists beginning in 2015, documenting Greenland's rapidly changing ice sheets and sea ice. The images became source material for work that debuted in Earth Works: Mapping the Anthropocene.[23]

Beginning in 2016, Guariglia joined with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist and OMG mission principal investigator Josh Willis as an artist collaborator.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ a b Cohen, Alina (August 16, 2017). "Justin Brice Guariglia's Powerful Photos of Melting Glaciers, In the studio with the first artist to join a NASA mission". Galerie. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Loos, Ted (August 29, 2017). "A Man on an Eco-Mission in Mixed Media". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Strickland, Carol (September 12, 2017). "The Iceman Cometh: Guariglia Flies with NASA To Make Eco-Art". Art In America magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2021. Justin Brice Guariglia works on thin ice. The forty-three-year-old former photojournalist, whose images of China have appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian, and the New York Times; switch from photojournalism to photo-based conceptual art
  4. ^ a b Bui, Phong (April 3, 2019). "Justin Brice Guariglia with Phong Bui". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  5. ^ Morrison, Greg (November 9, 2018). "Art and the Environment: Museums Adjust to a New Climate". Museum Network. Retrieved March 4, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Here Are the 150 Artists Making Billboards for Every US State as Part of Hank Willis Thomas's Midterm Election Project". artnet News. October 9, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  7. ^ "The Rail at the 2019 Venice Biennale". Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "REDUCE SPEED NOW! By Justin Brice Guariglia". January 23, 2019.
  9. ^ "Indicators: Artists on Climate Change – Storm King Art Center". stormking.org. Retrieved March 4, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "WE ARE THE ASTEROID III". YBCA. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "Art at the BlueLine Showcases Climate Art in Lower Manhattan". Untapped New York. September 15, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Travers, Andrew (February 28, 2019). "Artists address climate crisis in Anderson Ranch and CORE collaboration". AspenTimes.com. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "Justin Brice Guariglia: WE ARE THE ASTEROID III (2019)". Moody Center for The Arts. January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Kormann, Carolyn (November 17, 2018). "Ask a Scientist: How to Deal with a Climate-Change Skeptic". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 4, 2019 – via www.newyorker.com.
  15. ^ Straaten, Laura van (August 30, 2018). "Climate Museum Sends Distress Signals to Stimulate Discussion". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  16. ^ Blakemore, Erin (September 2018). "Signs of climate change pop up in New York — really". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  17. ^ Milman, Oliver (September 4, 2018). "'Art can play a valuable role': climate change installations appear in New York". The Guardian. Retrieved March 4, 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  18. ^ Miller, Chance (April 21, 2017). "After Ice is a new app that uses AR to simulate the effects of climate change around the world". 9to5Mac. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  19. ^ Anzilotti, Eillie (April 21, 2017). "This App Shows You What Life Will Be Like When The World's Ice Melts". Fast Company. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  20. ^ Blakemore, Erin. "Climate-change art exhibit was almost swallowed by Hurricane Irma". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  21. ^ "Earth Works: Mapping the Anthropocene". USC Fisher Museum of Art. June 7, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  22. ^ "SS18 HYPEROBJECT". ABASI ROSBOROUGH. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  23. ^ Loos, Ted (August 29, 2017). "A Man on an Eco-Mission in Mixed Media". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  24. ^ "OMG". omg.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  25. ^ Sheets, Hilarie M. (September 16, 2016). "Art and Science Meld as NASA Announces a New Artist Collaboration". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2019.

Further reading

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  • Loos, Ted (August 29, 2017). "A Man no an Eco-Mission in Mixed Media". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  • Reiss, Julie, ed. (2019). "The Anthropocene Sublime: Justin Brice Guariglia's Artwork". Art, Theory and Practice in the Anthropocene. Paul Ardenne, Martha Schwendener, Julie Reiss, Aviva Rahmani, Alice Momm, Jennifer McGregor, Eva Horn, David Haley, Margaretha Häggström, Julie Doyle, Patrizia Costantin, Weiyi Chang, Patricia Tinajero. Vernon Press. ISBN 978-1-62273-436-8.