PAINT (MOSTLY WATERCOLOR) ON ROCKS
AND LEAVES AND STUFF,
PHOTOS TAKEN AND ARCHIVAL
COMPUTER PRINTS (GICLÉES) AVAILABLE
AN ART PROJECT BY NORM MAGNUSSON
(click here to read the "Decorating nature" book proposal on issuu.)
A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE 'DECORATING NATURE' SERIES
A video interview with the artist:
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
(ARTIST'S RESUME ON BOTTOM OF PAGE)
The artist gives a gallery talk at "Nature, Inc." exhibition at ROCA in April, 2015.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Norm Magnusson is mildly renowned all over the world.
He has shown in galleries and museums in New York and New Zealand, London and Paris and all over the United States. His work is in private and museum collections around the world, including NY’s MoMA (Franklin Furnace Artist’s Book Collection) and he’s been reviewed everywhere from the NY Times to the Washington Post to the Utne Reader, the Center for Sustainable Practices in the Arts magazine, GreenMuze and TrendHunter.com and many other national and international magazines, websites and blogs.
His “historical markers” and “decorating nature” series have both gone viral on the internet. He’s received a NYFA Fellowship for sculpture, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant for painting, and a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council grant and a NYSCA grant (through the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities), both for public art installations.
For the last 5 years, on August 29, the date of its world premier in Woodstock, NY, Magnusson has produced an anniversary concert of John Cage’s 4’33” at the WAAM Museum in that town.
He is the co-founder of FISHtheMOUSEmedia, a developer of educational apps for iOS; where his “Animal alphabet” app was widely acclaimed and honored with a prestigious Gold award from the Parents’ Choice Foundation.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
fig. 103: occasionally, leaves fall all the way from the sky.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
A gallery talk at "Funism: the art of Norm Magnusson" at SUNY Ulster in September, 2015.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
fig. 15: mountain laurel with peacock syndrome.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
PRINT DETAILS:
Archival computer prints, up to 108" x 72", each one individually inscribed and signed by the artist and printed on 100% post-industrial waste, archival and acid-free paper.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
SELECTED PRESS ACCLAIM:
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
fig. 155: seed pods of the Peacock Maple in early spring.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
fig. 3: stripeticoccus bacteria on maple leaf
fig. 23: bark of the invasive zebra birch, introduced to the New World in 1789.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
fig. 8: metamorphic rock undergoing underwater metamophosis
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
MORE SELECTED ARTWORKS
(most are watercolor directly on the leaf (or other object), some are acrylic)
fig. 167: a warm winter day reveals a ravaged liriodendron leaf.
fig. 163: leaves of the "brighter horizons" tree stand out amidst autumnal decay
fig. 160: a colorful attempt to hide the ravages of age.
fig. 173: leaf spot is a common affliction of mountain laurel.
fig. 172: leaf of the Round Eye tree.
fig. 171: you never know what's on the other side of any given leaf.
fig. 138: beauty follows fast after some Spring showers.
fig. 142: some leaves lose themselves in others.
fig. 141: togetherness
fig. 127: late summer/early fall.
fig. 144: a tuft from the neighbor's hydrangea floated over in that last storm.
fig. 138: beauty follows fast after some Spring showers.
fig. 146: autumnal color chaos.
fig. 120: the vernal equinox has some amazing effects on the plant kingdom.
fig. 157: spring hopes sometimes fall to winter's late ravages
fig. 113: Some yellow poplar leaves develop faux thorns to repel predators.
fig. 104: Black walnut leaves are more colorful than those of their cousin, the English walnut.
fig. 95: some oak leaves self-censor.
fig. 91: certain mosses secrete a pheromone that reacts beautifully with maple leaves
fig. 118: Frequently, the last leaf to fall is the most colorful.
fig. 121: down near the playground, a yellow poplar, or 'tuliptree' drops its magnificent fruit.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
(A special section devoted to the 'suite' prints, which have been requested by many collectors.)
fig. 134a: (clockwise from top left) winter, spring, fall, and summer
fig. 134b: Cape Cod's Ridgevale beach is home to many colorful specimens.
fig. 134c: a few of the many faces of the Tulip tree leaf.
fig. 134d: pixellation is found throughout nature.
fig. 134e: stripetococcus infestation can strike the leaves of any tree.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
fig. 117: A sea of red fungus spreads over this green leaf.
fig. 105: Leaves of the Anglerfish tree resemble the teeth of the eponymous fish.
fig. 100: brassica mel mellis produces a sweet nectar on the edges of its leaves.
fig. 99: a fresh bloom of the "exploding rainbow" flower.
fig. 92: certain mosses secrete a pheromone that reacts beautifully with maple leaves
fig. 90: it's said that if you arrange the leaves of the bluepoint tree in a circle,
you will attract true love.
fig. 81: spectrumcirculitis on a London plane tree outside Paris' Faculté de Médecin.
fig. 72: white-dot fungi fill every surface of a tree stump.
fig. 58: yellow remembers orange.
fig. 57: gingko leaves are individually beautiful but collectively stunning.
fig. 25: a 17 year old river rock.
fig. 22: to get by in a white world, some leaves will go so far as to change their appearance.
fig. 13: fantail fungus spreads over the face of a streamside stone.
fig. 21: the different colored needles of the eastern hemlock rarely intermingle.
fig. 6: leaf of the rare Christmas maple
This series has been written about on more than 50 blogs and websites. Here are a few highlights: (click on them to read)
A feature on Magnusson on 365Days365Artists.com
A little shout out on the Sustainable Artists and Designers site
and so many more . . .
Norm Magnusson b. 1960, American
Awards / fellowships
NYFA (sculpture) 2015
NYSCA through CSRC (installation) 2014
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (installation) 2008
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, (painting) 1998-1999
Public art projects
2014 “O, pioneers” The Lawn on D, Boston, MA
2014 “Miners” Snyder House Historical Site, Rosendale, NY
2014 “On this site stood” Center for Sustainable Rural Communities, Schoharie, NY
2013 “Hidden gallery walk” Palenville, NY
2013 “I want to sleep with America” Woodstock, NY
2012 “Far and wide” Woodstock Artists Association Museum, Woodstock, NY
2012 “Historical tense”, Artspace, New Haven, CT
2011 “O+ Festival”, Kingston, NY
2010 “The art of inspiration”, Sculpture installation, Time Warner Bldg, N.Y., NY
2010 “Sculpture Key West Invitational,” Key West, FL
2009 “Sculpture Key West 2009,” Key West, FL
2008 “Strange bedfellows” Le Petit Versailles, NYC
2007 “On this site stood,” The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT.
2006 “The Byrdcliffe Outdoor Sculpture Show,” Woodstock, N.Y.
2006 “Unexpected Catskills” Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, Woodstock, N.Y.
2005 “Karen DeWitt,” Historical marker with political content installed on
Heart’s Content Road in Greene County, N.Y.
2004 “Do unto others,” “Practice what you preach” Two :30 videos that aired 96 times on national
tv leading up the Nov., 2004 election.
2003 “Jesus loves you, Bush doesn’t” Viral internet project
2000 “Pull toy” Cow Parade, Riverside Park, N.Y., N.Y.
Solo Museum Exhibitions
2011 “Public service public art project” The Pember Museum, Granville, NY
2007 On this site stood" The Main St. Sculpture Project of
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT.
2003 “Metaphorical Menagerie” The Pember Museum, Granville, N.Y.
2001 “Image and Allegory,” The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
2000 “Norm Magnusson -- American Painter” The Springfield Art Museum, MO
Solo Gallery Exhibitions
2013 “Funism” SUNY Ulster, Muroff-Kotler Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
2013 “Decorating nature” Evolve Design Gallery, Woodstock, NY
2009 “Descent into the political” Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA
2008 “America's Seven Cardinal Virtues” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
“Youth Culture in America” Muddycup Gallery, Kingston, N.Y.
2006 “America’s Seven Deadly Sins” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2004 “Figures of speech in paint” Inquiring Mind Gallery, Saugerties, N.Y.
2003 “Vacation” Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
2002 “After the 11th” BridgewaterFineArts, N.Y., N.Y.
2001 “The Animal Alphabet” Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y. 2001
1999 “Central Park Animals - Then and Now” The Arsenal Gallery, Central Park, N.Y. , N.Y.
1998 “American Paintings” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, N.Y.
1997 “Norm Magnusson” J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
1997 “Travelogue” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1996 “Norm Magnusson” Picturesque Gallery, Akaroa, New Zealand
1995 “Bestiary” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1994 “The Normandy Paintings” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1993 “Recent paintings” The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, NYC
1992 “Norm Magnusson” The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, NYC
Group Museum Exhibitions
2015 “The Stories we tell” Samuel Dorskey Museum, New Paltz, NY
2015 “Nature Inc” The Rockland Center for the Arts , Nyack, NY
2013 “Current hues of the Hudson” The Museum at Bethel Woods, Bethel, NY
2011 “Far and wide” Woodstock Artist’s Association Museum, Woodstock, NY
2009 “Food” Muroff Kotler Visual Arts Gallery, SUNY Ulster, Stone Ridge, NY
2005 “Over the top - Under the rug” The Shore Institute of Contemporary Arts
2003 “Genetic expressions: Art after DNA” Hecksher Museum, Huntington, NY
2000 “Animals in Art” The Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska
Selected Gallery Group Shows
2014 “re:Purpose” WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY
“Works on paper” Atwater Gallery, Rhinebeck, NY
“Playing with a full deck” GCCA, Catskill, NY
2013 “Museum of controversial art” BAU Gallery, Beacon, NY
“The Kingston Museum of Controversial Art” KMoCA, Kingston, NY
“Cut & Paste” Muroff-Kotler Gallery, SUNY Ulster, Stone Ridge, NY
“These animals are driving me to abstraction” WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY
“Winter solstice show” Ai Earthling Gallery, Woodstock, NY
2012 “FU” WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY
“Zoom In” imogen Holloway gallery, Saugerties, NY
“From Wall St. to Main St.” GCCA, Catskill, NY
2011 “SpoOk”, Oo Gallery, Kingston, NY
“SpOor”, Oo Gallery, Kingston, NY
“Change of climate”, Suite 503 Gallery, NY, NY
“Rock City Pop Up”, Van Brunt Projects, Woodstock, NY
“Route 28 or thereabouts” Van Brunt Projects, Beacon, NY
2010 “Define the decade” GCCE, Catskill, NY
“SKW inside” Lucky Street Gallery, Key West, FL
“Mill Street Loft invitational”, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
“Group show” Kleinert James Art Center, Woodstock, N.Y.
2009 “Decorating nature” Gallery 668, Battenville, N.Y.
“spctclr vws” One Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY
“Inaugural” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, NY
2008 “Hudson Valley Invitational” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
“Animal allegories” Gallery 668, Battenville, N.Y.
“Wild thing” Ira Wolk Gallery, Napa, CA
2007 “Variations on a rainbow” Le Petit Versailles, N.Y., N.Y.
“About face: artists not afraid of U-turns” GCCA, Catskill, N.Y.
2006 “New Hudson Room” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2005 “Compared to what” Gallery OneTwentyEight, N.Y., N.Y.
“This is not an archive” Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.
2004 “Ambush” VanBrunt Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Happy Art for a sad world” Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
2002 “Reactions” Exit Art, N.Y., N.Y.
2002 “Biennial” Bradford Brinton Memorial, Big Horn, Wyoming
2000 “Animals as Symbol” Curated online exhibition, Guild.com
“Salon” HereArt, N.Y., N.Y.
1999 “Urbiculture” Sylvia White Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“A big show of small work” Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y.
“Portraits 2” Jorgenson Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Wish you were here” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Framed” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
1998 “Open your heart” Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“A big show of small works” Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
“Anima Mundi” Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
1997 “Whit, Whimsy & Humor” Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, N.Y.
“Winter show” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“PhotoSoho” Buhl Foundation, New York, N.Y.
“Art walk ‘97 Show” J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francico, CA.
“A big show of small work 2” Bridgewater/Lustberg, NYC
1996 “A big show of small work” Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
“Summer exhibition” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1995 “Creative Conflict” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“High/Low/Art Soup” Renee Fotouhi Fine Art, East Hampton, N.Y.
“Animal Kingdom” The Union League Club, New York, N.Y.
“Open your heart” Christinerose Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Preview of 1995” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1994 “Then and Now” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York,N.Y.
“Summer 1994” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Accidental Tourist” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Garden in the Gallery” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1994 “Group Show” Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France
1993 “Celebration of Victor Hugo” Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France
“Group Show” Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France
Curation
2014 “re:Purpose”, WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY
2013 “The Museum of Controversial Art”, BAU, Beacon, NY
2013 “The Kingston Museum of Controversial Art”, KMOCA, Kingston, NY
2012 “FU”, WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY
Lectures/Workshops/Classes
2014 “Descent into the political” Kleinert-James Gallery, Woodstock, NY
2014 “Nature art” Rockland Country Day School, Congers, NY
2013 “Decorating Nature” Rhinebeck Science Foundation, Rhinebeck, NY
2010 “Define the decade” Greene County Council on the Arts, Catskill, NY
2009 “Animal alphabet” Woodstock Day School, Saugerties, NY
2008 “Art that’s changed the way I see the world around me” Woodstock Day School
2001 “Image and Allegory” The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
2000 “Metaphorical menagerie” The Springfield Art Museum, MO
Selected Bibliography
“Magnusson’s Decorating Nature” Woodstock Times, January 15, 2015
“Edible imprint: ‘Historical’ marker: Scottie Webb” Edible Hudson Valley, Summer, 2014
“ ‘Historical’ signs are really an art installation” Times Journal, June 3, 2014
“Woodstock artist opens local exhibit at the Schoharie Hive” Schoharie News, June 2, 2014
“Animal allegories”, Animal Imagery Magazine, Spring 2012.
“The I-75 Project: Offering up food for thought at every rest stop”, HolyKaw.alltom.com, Nov. 15, 2011.
“The I-75 Project”, ArtOlution (art/revolution) October, 2011
“The I-75 Project”, Idea.IdeaBing.com, Sept. 27, 2011
“America’s Seven Deadly Sins: The Political Art of Norm Magnusson”, Tikkun.org, Sept. 24, 2011.
“Work in progress: Interstate 75”, CSPA Quarterly issue 6, 2011
“#110 The I-75 Project, activism with a smile”, ThisGivesMeHope.com, Aug. 4, 2011.
“Political art dots local museums’ landscape” Granville Sentinel, May 12, 2011.
“Artist erects social markers in Granville, NY” Rutland Herald, May 6, 2011.
“Rewriting history with a wink” Utne Reader, April 13, 2011
“Street signs and pixilated leaves: the art of Norm Magnusson” Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2010
“Art of Social Conscience: The I-75 Project by Norm Magnusson” LaughingSquid.com, Oct. 25, 2010
“Just a little bit subversive”, CommonDreams.org, Oct. 21, 2010
“Gentle, public activism: Magnusson’s I-75 Project”, TheSocietyPages.org, Sept. 22, 2010
“Markers of American Decline”, ProvisionsLibrary.com, Sept. 22, 2010
“Signs of trouble on the I-75”, osocio.org, Sept. 9, 2010
“Decorating nature by Norm Magnusson”, Wine and Bowties, Feb. 20, 2010
“Artist adds colors to nature” GreenPacks, Feb. 19, 2010
“Mother nature’s forest canvases, kicked up a few colorful notches” Greenwala, Feb. 16, 2010
"Decorating nature series", GreenMuze, 15 February, 2010
“Political descent”, Woodstock Times, November 5, 2009
”Norm Magnusson’s ‘historical markers’”, Woodstock Times, July 31, 2008
“Norm Magnusson” Sculpture, June 2008
“On this site stood a man with a message” The New York Times, Sep. 30, 2007
"Signposting America," Eyeteeth: A journal of incisive ideas, Aug. 18, 2007
“Standing ground – The Aldrich goes Americana, sort of”, Bedford Mag., July 2007
"Parting shot: Norm Magnusson," Chronogram, August, 2007
“Magnusson’s markers highlight social issues,” Ridgefield Press, July 12, 2007
“I saw the sign”, Modern Painters, June 2007
”Norm Magnusson - On this site stood,” American Towns, June 3, 2007
“On this site stood: culture jamming history,” Art Threat, May 29, 2007
“Énoncé de l’artiste,” Esse arts + opinion, Spring-summer 2007
"Painting politics," The Woodstock Times, August 3, 2006
“A blossoming of political art” The Huffington Post, June 6, 2006
“Art that pushes the limits of studio walls,” Atlanticville Press, September 7, 2005
“Caution: angry artists at work,” The New York Times, August 27, 2004
“Vacation,” The New York Times, September 12, 2003.
“Norm Magnusson,” The Week, August 29, 2003.
"Images of a beautiful era, and of scientific breakthroughs," The NY Times, July 27, 2003
"Pember Museum has Art Exhibit," The Granville Sentinel, February 19, 2003
“Artist’s ‘funism’ provides lesson behind each animal,” Springfield News Leader, Oct.18, 2000
"The Artist’s Way," Adweek, August 16, 1999
"Norm Magnusson," Review, March 1, 1997
"Travels with Magnusson," Where New York, February, 1997
"Ecological awareness with paint and a brush," The Villager, February 12, 1997
"From the Big Apple to Akaroa," The Press (Christchurch), March 27, 1996
"Fun-ism in art," The Beta Theta Pi Magazine, Spring 1996
"Museum/Gallery Notes," Wildlife Art News, Sept./Oct. 1995
"Norm Magnusson," Cover, September, 1995
"Viel Rauch um nichts," Der Vogel, August 18, 1995
"Raw News," Raw Vision, Summer 1995
"Animal Rites," The Villager, June 28, 1995
“Norm Magnusson," The New Yorker, February 28, 1994
“Scene Change,” The Villager, February 16, 1994
“Dimanche, les ecoliers invitaient aussi a voter," Le Courier Cauchois, March 27, 1993
“La peinture sur le chemin des ecoliers," Le Courier Cauchois, January 23, 1993
“A la decouvert d’un peintre americain avec les ecoliers de Villequier,"
Paris Normandie, 1/22/93
“A Self-taught Village Artist Creates a ‘Funism’ Style," The Villager, Sept. 9, 1992.
“Enjoyable and Accessible Art," The Villager, August 19, 1992
Museum Collections
Anchorage Museum of History and Art - Anchorage, Alaska
The Museum of Modern Art - New York, N.Y.
(Franklin Furnace/Artist’s book collection)
The Springfield Art Museum - Springfield, Missouri
The Pember Museum - Granville, N.Y.
Selected Private Collections:
Mr. William Burback Garrison, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Kristen and Johann Eveland New Canaan, CT.
Mr. Kenneth Cole New York, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Ione and Marshall Crenshaw Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Ms. Kim Dickens Los Angeles, CA
Mr. Joe Reece New York, N.Y.
Ms. Jill Sobule Los Angeles, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Andy and Kate Spade New York, N.Y.
Mr. Theo Spencer New York, N.Y.
Dr. & Mrs. Harlan Waksal Telluride, Colorado
Tanya Wexler & Amy Zimmerman New York, N.Y.
Public/Corporate Collections
AmSouth Bank - Birmingham, Alabama
Fidelity Insurance - Boston, Mass.
Kenneth Cole - New York, N.Y.
Kohler – Kohler, WI
Simmons, U.S.A. - Atlanta, Georgia