Rodney Ewing (born 1964)[1][2] is an African-American interdisciplinary visual artist. He lives in New York City as of 2022, and formerly lived in San Francisco, California.[3]
Rodney Ewing | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 (age 59–60) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | Louisiana State University, West Virginia University |
| Occupation | Visual artist |
| Website | https://www.rodneyewing.com/ |
Early life and education
editRodney Ewing was born in 1964 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[1] His father was a Vietnam veteran, who also served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Rodney Ewing also served in the military and is a Desert Storm veteran.[4] Ewing’s father introduced him to art through comic books. Ewing also said he went to schools that had strong art programs.[5]
Ewing received his Bachelor of Fine Art: Printmaking, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1989; and his Master of Fine Arts: Printmaking, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia in 1992.
Work
editEwing's work explores identity, narrative, history, space, displacement, physical vulnerability and violence.[6][7] Ewing's work involves extensive subject research.[5] Often Ewing uses once-common, but now little-known historical objects. He also uses first person narratives.[8] Ewing's art explores and translates the literal and emotional dimensions of these subjects.[5] Along with historical images of artifacts and victims of violence, Ewing often layers in quotations by different writers. Reading these quotations, sometimes obscured by the visual elements of the piece, creates another experience that is unique and nuanced within the context of the print, sculpture or installation.[9] He employs different methods to draw the viewer in, literally and figuratively, toward the piece and immerses the viewer in a reorienting experience of images, words and ideas.
Ewing's work has referenced James Baldwin, Henry Box Brown, Colson Whitehead, George Stinney, Charles Moore, San Francisco Redevelopment after Japanese Internment, Ralph Ellison, Petrus Camper, and Saul Williams. His artwork is in public museum collections, including at Harvard Art Museums,[10] Fairfield University Art Museum,[11] and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.[2]
Reviews
edit“Rodney Ewing’s drawings, installations, and mixed media works focus on his need to intersect body and place, memory and fact to re-examine human histories, cultural conditions, and events. With his work he is pursuing a narrative that requires us to be present and intimate.”[12]
...much of [Ewing's] work is about empowering the audience and giving them opportunities to recognize their own agency[13]
Residencies and select exhibitions
edit- 2020, Close to Home, Creativity in Crisis, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California[14][15]
- 2020, The Space Program, San Francisco, California
- 2019, Project Space: Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin County, California[16]
- 2019, Museum of the African Diaspora, Smithsonian Museum Affiliate, San Francisco, California[17][18][19]
- 2019, artist residency at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska[20]
- 2018, Artifacts: On War & Survival at the National Veterans Art Museum, Chicago, Illinois
- 2018, Djerassi Artists Residency, Woodside, California
- 2018, Sanctuary City: For Liberty and Justice for Some? San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, California[21][22]
- 2017–2018, artist residency, Recology, San Francisco, California[23]
- 2017, Hangar Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2015, artist-in-residency at de Young Museum, San Francisco, California[24][25]
- 2015–2016, San Francisco Arts Commission award recipient
- One Less Too Many, PASS7, Lisbon, Portugal
- Reconstruct, Long Island University, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
- Beyond Printmaking 5, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
- Never Alone: Exploring the Bonds Between and With Members of the Armed Forces, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, California
Select works
edit- Sum of My Father (2018), sculpture made of wool military blankets, silkscreen, and engraved name plates[26]
- Between Worlds: Portals (2016), installation explores the history of displacement and resilience of African Americans with doors, windows and words[27]
- Longitude and Latitude (2019), explores the geographic and mnemonic landscapes of historical and social events[28][29]
References
edit- ^ a b "Ewing, Rodney, 1964-". VIAF.
- ^ a b "My Country Needs Me". Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ Wilson, Emily (2022-09-19). "Rumors About Death of the Bay Area Art Scene Are Greatly Exaggerated". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "San Francisco Art Show Highlights Veterans". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ a b c "Beyond the Page: Rodney Ewing". Brooklyn Art Library / The Sketchbook Project. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "Berkeley Art Center's Agility Projects Support Daring Reflections on Identity". KQED. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ Pleasant, Amy; artist, ContributorSeattle visual; writer (2016-10-13). "Expanding a Difficult Dialogue: San Francisco Artist Focuses on Issues Affecting the African American Community". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
{{cite web}}:|first2=has generic name (help) - ^ "Museum of African Diaspora hosts artists in studios". The San Francisco Examiner. 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ "RODNEY EWING EXHIBITS AT THE MoAD". Artiholics. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ^ "Rodney Ewing". Harvard Art Museums. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ Hall, Phil (2022-07-12). "Fairfield University Art Museum acquires 40 works from Brandywine Workshop and Archives". Westfair Communications. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "In The Artist's Studio | Rodney Ewing – MoAD Museum of African Diaspora". www.moadsf.org. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "Exposing and Empowering Personal Agency". YBCA. 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "Close to Home". SFMOMA. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ "SFMOMA Set To Reopen Next Week With New Large-Scale Wall Projects, Pandemic-Inspired Artwork". SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports. 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ "Rodney Ewing". Headlands Center for the Arts. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "RODNEY EWING EXHIBITS AT THE MoAD". Artiholics. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ MacFayden, Rhiannon Evans. "Episode 7.5: Rodney Ewing and Indira Allegra with Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen". Art Practical. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "Museum of African Diaspora hosts artists in studios". The San Francisco Examiner. 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ^ "Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts : Residency : By Year : 2019 : Rodney Ewing". www.bemiscenter.org. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "San Francisco Arts Commission". www.sfartscommission.org. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ Kost, Ryan (2018-03-21). "Artists examine sanctuary cities in new SF Arts Commission series". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ Recology. "Rodney Ewing". Recology. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ ""Days and Occasions", by March Artist-in-Residence Rodney Ewing". de Young. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ Wenus, Laura (2016-04-19). "Amid Ailing Arts Scene, Pacific Felt Factory Blooms". Mission Local. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "Rodney Ewing". SEE(D) Artist Series. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "BETWEEN WORLDS". arc gallery & studios. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "Emerging Artist Reception: Longitude + Latitude by Rodney Ewing - MoAD Museum of African Diaspora". www.moadsf.org. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ "Rodney Ewing: Artist You Should Know". Broke-Ass Stuart's Website. Retrieved 2020-08-28.