Kirk McCarthy is a mixed media sculptor whose work alludes to eccentric systems, unseen forces of nature, and processes in operation that we cannot always perceive; the interconnectedness of things can show up in unpredictable ways. Innovative use of materials, conceptual adventures, and physical experimentation drive his work.
Kirk McCarthy has a BFA in Ceramics from the California College of Arts, an MFA in Ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design, an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Washington, and a MID (Masters in Industrial Design) from the University of the Arts. His most recent exhibitions include Topos Gnosis and Phase Shifts and Other Probabilities at Vox Populi in Philadelphia; selected exhibitions include "Hybrid Vigor," Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas; "Postmark; An Abstract Effect," SITE Santa Fe, N.M.; "Flux," Philadelphia Art Alliance; "Kirk McCarthy," Inman Gallery, Houston, Texas; "Crazy Beautiful," Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, N.Y.; "The Authentic Visual Voice," Rutgers University, Camden, N.J.; "Morph: Meta(Morph)osis and Bio(Morph)ism in Contemporary Sculpture," Blue Star Art Space, San Antonio, Texas; "Simple Things," Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, Texas.
KIRK McCARTHY
EDUCATION
2004 M.I.D., University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1993 M.F.A., Sculpture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1989 M.F.A., Ceramics, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
1985 B.F.A., Ceramics, California College of Arts and Crafts,Oakland, CA
1981-83 Center for Creative Studies, College of Art and Design, Detroit, MI
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2019 Topos Gnosis, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
2016 Phase Shifts and Other Probabilities, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
2014 Kirk McCarthy: Liminal Systems, TandM Arts, Philadelpia, PA
2003 Flux, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
1998 Recent Work, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1996 Kirk McCarthy and Jackie Tileston: Hybrid Vigor, Perspectives Gallery, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX
1995 Introductions 1995, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1991 Recent Work, Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Otis, OR
1990 Kirk McCarthy - Sculpture, JPL Building, Banff Alberta, Canada
1987 New Work, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
PROJECTS
2012 Design and execution of artwork for the International project Atacama Cosmology Telescope and ACTPol Cryogenic Camera, Atacama Desert, Chile, in collaboration with Jackie Tileston and University of Pennsylvania Astronomy and Physics department.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016 CAMD Faculty Exhibition at the Kimmel Center, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA
2015 With For and Against, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
2011 Crazy Beautiful II, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
2010 The Authentic Visual Voice, Stedman Gallery, Rutgers University, Camden, Nj
Crazy Beautiful II, Kenise Barnes Gallery, Larchmont, NY
2009 Faculty Show, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2008 Core 25 Anniversary Benefit, Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX (Catalogue)
2007 Group Show, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Crazy Beautiful, Kenise Barnes Gallery, Larchmont, NY
Faculty Show, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2006 Site Unseen, Site Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
2005 Sublime American Design, New York, NY
2004 Industrial Design, Nexus Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Sublime American Design, New York, NY
2000 LIMP: an exhibition of sculpture in non-rigid media, Bruce Maudlin MFA Gallery, Houston, TX
Ten Year Anniversary Exhibition, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1999 PostMark: An Abstract Effect, SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM (Catalog)
Gallery Artists, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1998 Organic Produce, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX
A Cool Show, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX
New Work: Gallery Artists, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
Lemonade, Wells Fargo Plaza Lobby Gallery, Houston, TX
A posteriori, Charles Uniform Tango, Dallas, TX
1997 New Work: Gallery Artists, Inman Gallery, Houston, Tx
Morph: Meta(Morph)osis and Bio(Morph)ism in Contemporary Sculpture, curated by Frances Colpitt,Blue Star Art Space, San Antonio, TX
1995 Seductive Surfaces, Sally Sprout Gallery, Houston, TX
Simple Things, curated by Joan Davidow, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX(catalogue)
Core Fellows Exhibition, The Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX(catalogue)
Sight Unseen, Ecole des Beaux Arts, Grenoble, France
1994 Small Objects, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
Core Fellows Exhibition, The Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX(Catalogue)
1993 Sortie, The Henry Gallery, Seattle, WA
1992 Summer Selections, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1991 Works in Progress, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
McCarthy and Stoddard, Reuben Sanders Gallery, Wichita, KS
1990 Banff Artists, The Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1989 Key, Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Center, Alberta, Canada
Artists in Residence, The Other Gallery, the Banff Center, Alberta, Canada
M.F.A. Show, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
1988 Woods Gerry Gallery, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
1987 Sol Koffler Gallery, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Pulse, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
AWARDS/RESIDENCIES
1993-95 Core Fellowship Residency, Museum ofFine Arts, Houston, TX
1992 Provost Initiative Teaching Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1991 Artist in Residence Fellowship, Hambidge Gap, Rabun, GA
1990 Artist in Residence Fellowship, Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Otis, OR
1989-90 Artist in Residence Fellowship, The Banff Center, Banff, Alberta, Canada
1988 Award of Excellence, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence,RI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2014 June in Chinatown, The Artblog, Roberta Fallon, June 15th
http://www.theartblog.org/2014/06/june-in-chinatown-great-member-shows-at-vox-raucous-new-dreamz-at-space-1026-and-more/
2008 Core 25 Anniversary Catalog, Museum ofFine Arts, Houston; Alison Greene, Tom Lawson, Lane Relyea, Claire Barliant, Joseph Havel, Peter Marzio, photo
2007 Roberta Fallon, “Breezy Does It”, Philadelphia Weekly,July 11, 2007
2001 The Art to Come: 159 Artists, Paco Barragan, pp. 192,193, photos
1999 Whitney, Kathleen, "Postmark: An Abstract Effect", World Sculpture News, spring 1999, p. 78
Clemmer, David, "Group Show, Postmark: An Abstract Effect", THE magazine, p. 49
Collins, Tom, "Art Outa SITE", Geronimo, May, p. 17, Lopez, Antonio, "Site Santa Fe", Arte Contemporary, Summer, p. 16, photo
1998 Colpitt, Frances, review, Art in America, July, p.102-103, photo
Tyson, Janet, "Cool rules: artworks that say, when in doubt, chill", Arlington Star Telegram, Star Time, Aug. 7-13 (photo)
Tyson, Janet, "Cool in the Abstract", Arlington Star Telegram, Aug. 13th, p. 1C
Massey, Annabelle, "For Art's Sake", The Met, Aug. 12th
"Eight Days", Fort Worth Weekly, Aug. 6-13th, photo
Rees, Christina, "Driven to Abstraction", The Dallas Observer, Aug. 27-Sep. 2, p.
Schnellenbach-Bogle, Stacy, "Cool Enough", Fort Worth Weekly, Aug. 20-17, p. 22
Rankin, Jennifer, Arlington Morning News, Aug. 8, pg. (photo)
Daniel, Mike, "Simply Cool", the Dallas Morning News, Aug. 7, p.
Rees, Christina, "The Corporate Curator", Dallas Observer,May 7, pl. 66
Hicks, Alice, "Curious tactile and visual pleasures: Kirk McCarthy and Cynthia Lin, Public News April 8, p. 8
1997 Anspon, Catharine, "Many Voices, Many Rooms", Public News,July 16, pp. 16-19
Kutner, Janet, "Artworks Poke Fun at Their Antecedents", The Dallas Morning News, February 24, p.19
1996 Diaz, Alejandro, "In Vogue", Artlies, Vol. 10, April-June 1996, p. 32
Johnson, Patricia, "Energy and Color mark CAM exhibit, The Houston Chronicle, June 25, p.1D (photo)
Goddard, Dan, "Morph soften Blue Star's hard edges", The San Antonio Express News, February 18,
p.6 (photo)
Freeman, David, "I Meta Morph on the Bio", Voices of Art, Vol. 4 No. 1 March/April p. 10-13 (photo)
Boydstun, Steven, "Morph or Less", Voices of Art, Vol. 4 No. 1, March/April, p. 18-21 (photo)
1995 Davidson, Brett, "Kirk McCarthy", Circa CA., fall 1995, pp. 36-37(photo)
Davenport, Bill, "Houston: Kirk McCarthy at Inman Gallery", Artlies, August/September, p. 24-25
Mitchell, Charles Dee, "Three Views of Art Outside New York", Dallas Morning News, April 22, p. 1C, 3C
Chadwick, Susan, "Fellows Shine in Glassell's Core 1995", The Houston Post, March 31, pp. D1-D6