John Geary (b. 1967, Atlantic City, New Jersey) was destined to be an artist. From selling Xerox copies of his cartoon drawings to his 4th grade classmates, to being arrested on the Santa Monica Freeway in a realistic devil suit, his creative pursuits have continued unabated. A graduate of UCLA's MFA program in the 1990s, Geary belongs to a generation that ushered in a new era of California-based art. Shortly after graduating he curated the landmark group show, Malibu Sex Party, which put a number of young LA artists on the art world's radar. Geary's oeuvre crosses media and genres freely but his studio practice revolves around sculpture and drawing.
John Geary has been featured in numerours exhibitions in the US and internationally, including Solo shows at Fredericks and Freiser in New York and the Black Dragon Society, C Nichols Project, and RDFA in Los Angeles. He has preformed with the late Glenn Branca at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and at The Roundhouse in London, UK as part of the Frieze Art Fair. His artistic pursuits have taken him around the globe, most recently to Taiwan and Mexico City. John Geary lives and works in Santa Monica, CA.
Recent Press
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CV
JOHN GEARY
EDUCATION
1996 Master of Fine Arts, University of California at Los Angeles
1989 Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
SELECT EXHIBITIONS
2023 Nomad ll, Torrance Art Museum/Del Amo Crossing, Los Angeles, CA
Get Your Ducks in a Row, Neo LA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Art Osaka, Eitoeiko Gallery, Osaka, Japan
Think Pinker, curated by Beth DeWoody, Gavlak Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Bombay Beach Biennale, The Bombay Beach Country Club, Bombay Beach, CA
VFC benefit auction, Los Angeles, CA
Qipo Fair, Claudia Huiza Presents, Mexico City, MX
2022 Catastrophe, Eitoeiko, Tokyo, Japan
Black Kats and Other Creatures, Rio Hondo College, Los Angeles, CA
Negative Sheep, Rory Divine Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
The Street and the Shop, NueuHouse Bradbury, Los Angeles, CA
Joie De Vivre, Blue Roof, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Fummer Sun, Rory Divine Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
Nomad, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
The Other Art Fair, Saatchi @ The Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, CA
The Cat Show, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
2020 Aipac Art Fair, Claudia Huiza Presents, Mexico City, MX
LSH Colab, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Bombay Beach Biennial, Salton Sea, CA
Summer Blues, Row, Los Angeles, CA
Aipac Art Fair, Claudia Huiza Presents, Mexico City, MX
2017 Very Appropriate, Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
October Show, Gallery Serendip ,Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Lift Off, Rio Hondo College, Whittier, CA
Angel Art, Benefit Auction, Neuehouse Hollywood, CA
Bombay Beach Biennial, Salton Sea, CA
2016 Low Hanging Fruit, Design Hause, San Diego, CA
Mas Attack, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2015 6H to 8B, FOCA Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Group Show, C Nichols Project, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Black Dust, C. Nichols Project, Los Angeles, CA
Residency Group Show, Artopia, Taipei, Taiwan
2012 Venice Beach Biennial, Hammer Museum, Venice, CA
Summer Exhibition, Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Curatorial Exchange, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
2011 Chain Letter, Soshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
One Night Stand, Beacon Arts Building, Los Algeles, CA
2010 Performing Public Space, La Casa Del Tunel, Tijuana, MX
2009 Draw the Line, Schlesinger Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Unconscious Production, ALM Project, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Haus Guests, Brewery Project & Haus, Los Angeles, CA
Luck of the Draw, Hunsaker/Slchlesinger Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
FriezeArt Fair, Glen Branca “Hallucination City”, Symphony # 13, London, UK
2006 Major Drawings, Carl Berg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Under the Influence of Warhol, Beyond Baroque, Venice, CA
LA Drive-By 2 – The Glazed Gaze, MOP, Sydney, Australia
Bungle in the Jungle, Sister, Los Angeles, CA
One Hundred Artists See Satan, Grand Central Art Center, Cal State Fullerton
2003 Drawings, Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA
Installational, Pasadena Armory, CA
Anniversary Show, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
Art Auction X, Long Beach Museum, CA
Smoking Pencils , Rolling Papers, Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA
Off the Wall, auction, Pasadena Armory, CA
2002 Who do you think you are?, The Loft, San Pedro, CA
The Shirt Off Your Back, auction, Santa Monica Museum, CA
Wall Space 2, Miller Durazo, Los Angeles, CA
Drawings, Hunsaker/Schiesinger, Santa Monica, CA
2001 Fresh Art, Art in Public Places, Clover Park, Santa Monica, CA, Sept.- Nov.
Stone Soup, Three day Weekend, Dave Muller Studio, Los Angeles, CA, July
Galaxy, Armory Center For The Arts, Pasadena, CA, March
2000 People are (still) Animals, Three Day Weekend, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, CA
Bestiary, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA, July-August
Works on Paper, Post, Los Angeles, CA, May
Immediate Gratification, Post downtown, Los Angeles, CA, March
People are Animals, Three Day Weekend, Art Frankfurt, curated by Dave Muller, Germany
Animal Farm, Miller Durazo, Los Angeles, CA, Feb.
The Spurgeon Experience, Spergeon Building, Santa Ana, CA, Jan.
1999 Hi, Jessica Fredericks Gallery, New York, NY
Prague Indies Fest, Prague, Czech., Oct.
Video Lounge, Knitting Factory, New York, NY, Oct.
Independent Exposure video showcase, Seattle, WA, Oct.
Art Auction 8, Long Beach Museum of Art, curated by Terrence Rogers, CA, Sept.
Equinox Now, LA Edge Festival, Geffen Contemporary/ MOCA, Los Angeles, CA,
Colab, Los Angeles, CA, July
Works on Paper, Acme., Los Angeles, CA, July
No. 1, Gartner, Santa Monica, CA, June
Sig-alert 2, Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, June
Odd Gloss, Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April
Cause and Effect, Miller Durazo Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, March
New York Underground Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, NY, March
Sig-alert, Arizona State University Art Museum (catalogue), Tempe, AZ, January
Video Show, Art In General, New York, NY, January
1998 L.A. Current: Looking At The Light, Armand Hammer Museum, Art Rental and
Sales Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Sept. '98- Feb. '99
Newer Collective Video Showcase, Portland, OR, July
Arizona international Film Festival, Tuscon, AZ, April
Local Heroes, Beyond Baroque, curated by Blum and Poe, Los Angeles, CA, April
Hot Rrrod, Forum Stadtpark, Graz, Austria, Feb.
Slamdance Film Festival , Park City, Utah, January
January Exhibition , Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1997 New Work, Place Pigalle, San Francisco, CA
LIVEDEVIL , Purple Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
Endangered Species , Jernigan Wicker, San Francisco, CA , December
Malibu Sex Party, Purple Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA,
Where The Flavor Is, Trabant Gallery, Vienna, Austria, November
Brainwash Film Festival, "Devil Tour '94", San Francisco, CA, June
Taos Talking Picture Festival, "Devil Tour '94", Taos, NM, April
Ear As Eye, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, CA, February
1996 Holiday Exhibition, Spanish Kitchen, Los Angeles, CA, December
Custom Complex, Helen Lindhurst Gallery, University of Southern California,
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2015 Curator: Group Show, Studio A, Santa Monica, CA
2002 Curator: Salon Art, Belle de Jour, Beverly Hills, CA
2001 Curator: Salon Art, Belle de Jour, Beverly Hills, CA
2000 Curator: Legal Paper Work, Beyond Baroque Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, June
1998 Curator: Beyond the Matter of Space, Beyond Baroque Gallery, Los Angeles, CA,
1997 Curator: Malibu Sex Party, Purple Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA, December
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2022 Zellen, Jody, “Pick of the Week”, What’s On LA. https://whatsonlosangeles.com/johngeary.html
Harvey, Doug, “I’m a Negative Sheep”, Less Art https://lessart.wordpress.com/2022/08/04/im-a-negative-sheep/
2008 Beeney, Erica, “Modest Home,Grand Ideas”, Domino, March p.124
2006 Frank, Peter, “’Major Drawings’ at Carl Berg Gallery”, Artweek, April p.18
Ollman, Leah, “The Definition of Drawing, Expanded”, Los Angeles Times, March 10
2004 Haithman, Diane, “The Show From Hell”, LATimes, Sun. July 25, p.E41
2002 Gilbert, Rick,” ‘Drawings’ at Hunsaker /Schlesinger”, Artweek, April , p.21
2001 Roy, Norman Jean, “Portrait of the Artist”, GQ Magazine, April, p.216
2000 Frank, Peter, “Art Picks of the Week-, Bestiary,…” LA Weekly, August 11-17, p.173
Dambrot, Shana Nys, “Immediate Gratification at Post Downtown”, Artweek, June, p. 22
1999 Johnson, Ken; “Art Brief: John Geary”, The New York Times, August 6, p.B39
Griffin, Tim; Review, “John Geary – Hi”, Time Out- New York, July 29, p.52
Rimannelli, David, “John Geary – Hi”, The New Yorker, July 19 & 26, p.18
Levin, Kim, “Voice Choice: John Geary”, The Village Voice, July 28- Aug. 3, p.19
Frank, Peter; “ Art Picks of the Week- ,Odd Gloss,…” LA Weekly; April, 30, p.158
1998 Harvey, Steve; "Only In L.A.; MiscelLAny", Los Angeles Times, September 5
Zyzzyva, spring issue, (reproduction), p.124
Spaid, Sue, “L.A. Undercover”, UKS- Forum, March / April, p. 40
Hofmann-Sewera, Kathi ; "Orte und Gegenstande", ("Places and Objects"), Kleine Zeitung, (Austria), February 20
Ertl, Barbara; "Hollywood- Traume", ("Hollywood- Dreams"), Kronenzeltung, (Austria), February 17
Nigelhell, Von Franz; "Cultural Industry and the Situation in Graz", Neue Zeit, February 17
Hainley, Bruce; "Malibu Sex Party", Artforum , February, p.98
1997 Carroll, Jerry; "Satan Made Him Do It", San Francisco Chronicle, October 31, p.C2
Wisner, Heather; "Could It Be... Satan", San Francisco Weekly, October 22, p.21
Crain, Mary Beth; "Video Pick Of The Week- Devil Tour '94", L.A. Weekly, September 12, p.94
Hartman, Steve; "Stevening News, LIVEDEVIL, Report & Interview", CBS News, September
1996 Harvey, Steve; "Only In L.A.; The Devil He Says:", Los Angeles Times, November 2
1994 Hartman, Steve; "Stories of the Year", CBS Evening News, December
Harvey, Steve; "Only In L.A.; Drop That Pitchfork!", Los Angeles Times, December 2
Snyder, Tom; "Devil Story", The Tom Snyder Show, CNBC, December 1
Harvey, Paul; "Devil Story", Paul Harvey News, radio program, December 1
Martinez, Marilyn; "The Devil You Say", The Outlook,Santa Monica, December 1, cover photo
CBS News,Various reporters; "The Devil Made 'Em Do It", CBS News, syndicated, Nov.30- Dec.1
Caruso, Maren; "Welcome To Wonderland", Daily Bruin, UCLA, April 26, cover photo