FRED GUTZEIT SIG - NATURE: Recent Paintings and Prints
Start -The Process- Finish
“SigNature”
How could I represent human consciousness as I had been abstracting from nature? It seemed like I was looking for: human-nature! All my life, in my artwork, I’ve in some way included ‘line.’ I had tried to use my own signature as the beginning of an artwork. Gradually, I’ve come to think of how we write our names, signatures, handwriting, etc.as an emblem of consciousness. A year ago in November, I did a series of drawings from signatures--using the first and last name’s initials. I have developed these drawings into a dozen initial (no pun) watercolors--and have continued to develop the idea as paintings.
To date there are 60 pieces in this body of work: 26 framed watercolors ; three prints (two are the same but one is an extreme enlargement to be mounted on an outer wall), including a 120” x 120”, wall hanging; eight framed photographs; 16 small panel/maquettes; six large acrylics on canvas; and one embroidered dish towel. This is a complete body of work about identity. Our signatures are self portraits. Graffiti and tags are stylized signatures. The embroidered dish towel is an identity. This personal calligraphy is to me a sign of consciousness. It’s the ego fit to the limit of the body--the character of our handwriting. For this body of work I’ve taken people’s signatures, employing the first and last initial for the most part (“YI-sig” is based on Chinese characters). These have been my ‘Cezanne apples’ and ‘Mont St. Victoire’–motifs to work from. Musings on science that touched on quantum mechanics, string theory, and current speculation about “multiverses”-- brought me to wonder about consciousness. How could I represent human consciousness in thinking about nature? It seemed like I was looking for--human-nature! All my life, in my artwork, I’ve in some way included “line”. I had tried to use my own signature as the beginning of an artwork. I’ve come to think of how we write our names, signatures, handwriting--as an emblem of consciousness. I did a series of drawings from signatures--using the first and last initials of friends’ names. ~Fred Gutzeit 
Résumé (Ohio)
Solo Exhibitions
2013 Tregoning & Company, Cleveland, OH 2007 Mansfield Art Center/Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 1977 Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH 1966 The Cooper School of Art, Cleveland, OH Group Exhibitions 1996 Spaces, Auction, Cleveland, OH Cleveland Institute of Art, Faculty Show, Cleveland, OH 1988 Cleveland Institute of Art, “Geometric Abstraction: Cleveland Tradition,” Cleveland, OH 1982 Cleveland Museum of Art, “May Show,” Cleveland, OH 1976 Akron Art Institute, “Contemporary Images in Watercolor,” Akron, OH 1974 Cleveland Institute of Art, “Alumni Invitational Exhibition,” Cleveland, OH 1971 Cleveland Museum of Art, “May Show,” Cleveland, OH Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, NY 1966 The Cooper School of Art, Cleveland, OH 1965 Butler Institute, “Biennial,” Youngstown, OH |
Résumé (Ohio) continuedGroup Exhibitions
1996 Spaces, Auction, Cleveland, OH Cleveland Institute of Art, Faculty Show, Cleveland, OH 1988 Cleveland Institute of Art, “Geometric Abstraction: Cleveland Tradition,” Cleveland, OH 1982 Cleveland Museum of Art, “May Show,” Cleveland, OH 1976 Akron Art Institute, “Contemporary Images in Watercolor,” Akron, OH 1974 Cleveland Institute of Art, “Alumni Invitational Exhibition,” Cleveland, OH 1971 Cleveland Museum of Art, “May Show,” Cleveland, OH Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, NY 1966 The Cooper School of Art, Cleveland, OH Oberlin College, Faculty Show, Oberlin, OH 1965 Butler Institute, “Biennial,” Youngstown, OH Collections – selected George Gund, Cleveland, OH Cleveland, Art Association, Cleveland, OH Ralph and Linda Woehrman, Cleveland OH Reviews and Articles Helen Cullinan, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH, September 15, 1977, p. 11B Helen Cullinan, Sunday Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH, September 11, 1977, Section Six p. 10 with reproduction Gallery, The Cleveland Press, Cleveland, OH, September 9, 1977, with reproduction Scholarships and Awards Mary C. Paige Traveling Scholarship Jack Johnson Award for Excellence in Printmaking Otto F. Egge Award for Scholastic Excellence Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art and Music, Norfolk, CT (Scholarship) Cleveland Institute of Art, awarded by National Scholastics Magazine (Scholarship) Visiting Artist and Lecturer 2003 Cleveland Institute of Art. Three day visit with drawing students, including reviews with Drawing Majors, slide lecture of own work and MFA study in NYC region 1997–01, 09 Miami University, Oxford, OH. One recent, plus five consecutive summer (one week, intensive) credit courses: three Beginning Watercolor, one General Watercolor, and two Advanced Watercolor workshops. 1994 Cleveland Institute of Art. One day visit. Slide lecture of own work and critique with drawing students. 1980 Ohio Arts Council, Columbus, OH. Slide lecture: “Alternative” Exhibition Spaces in New York City. Cleveland Institute of Art. Two day visit including slide lecture on “current art” in New York and meeting with students to critique their work. Cleveland State University. Delivered five, two hour slide lectures on “current painting” in New York. Cuyahoga Community College, Parma OH. Slide lecture to painting students on current art trends in commercial galleries and “alternative” exhibition spaces in New York City. 1977 Cleveland Institute of Art, Gallery talk and meeting with painting students as part of “Distinguished Alumnus” Exhibition. 1970 Cooper School of Art, Cleveland OH, Slide lecture of own work and judging of student work in Fine Arts. Teaching Experience (selected) 1995–97 Cleveland Institute of Art, Painting, Drawing, and Design. 1984, 85 Lacoste School of the Arts in France, (Sponsored by the Cleveland Institute of Art), Painting, and Painting Techniques 1980 Cuyahoga Community College, Parma, Life Drawing 1966-67 Cooper School of Art, Print Making 1965-66 Oberlin College, Life Drawing, Print Making, and Design. 1964-65 Cleveland Institute of Art, Print Making Lithography Education 1959–62 Cleveland Institute of Art, Certificate of Graduation, four years of study, Major: Painting. Minor: Printmaking. Study included Graphic Design and Photography. |