David Huffman (artist)

David Huffman (born 1963)[1] is an American painter and installation artist. He is known for works that combine science fiction aesthetics with a critical focus on the political exploration of identity.

David Huffman
Born1963 (age 56–57)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCalifornia College of the Arts (MFA)
Known forcontemporary art, painting
Styleabstraction, figuration
MovementAfrofuturism
Websitedavid-huffman.com

Early life and education

David Huffman was born and raised in Berkeley, California. His mother was an activist who supported various local causes in the 60s, including the Black Panthers[2] for whom she designed the iconic Free Huey flag.[3]

Huffman was exposed to science fiction early, in the form of television shows such as Star Trek, Astroboy and Shogun Warriors.[4]

Huffman studied in New York and San Francisco receiving his MFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts.[5]

Work

Huffman says "I mine events, whether historical or contemporary, from various sources, where my metaphoric stories of conflict, enlightenment, fear and resolution combine...each body of work is discreet in materiality, but continues the dialog."[4] Works combine and recombine: pop culture iconography across eras, formal explorations in the medium of paint, science fiction aesthetics and identity politics[6][7] in an evolving lexicon that interrogates "the politics of race, activism, and painting itself".[8]

Huffman's early work includes African-American space travelers he calls "traumanauts".[9] These figures enter futuristic landscapes where paint combines with images of cosmic debris and ecological decay to create surreal tableaux.[10]

Later works continue to explore the politics of race in works that limit his iconography to the image of the basketball in combination with an abstracted deep space created of layered tones of browns and blacks.[11]

The basketball is also central to Huffman's installation work. His Basketball Pyramid works feature sculptures created of hundreds of basketballs built into life sized pyramids.[12]

Awards and fellowships

Among the honors which Huffman has earned are:

Eureka Fellowship, Fleishhacker Foundation (2008)[13]

Artadia Award (2006)[14]

Palo Alto Public Arts Commission Award (2005)[15]

Selected exhibitions

Huffman's solo exhibitions include Worlds in Collision at Roberts & Tilton Gallery in 2016,[16] Everything Went Dark Until I Saw Angels, in 2014, and Floating World, in 2012, both at Patricia Sweetow Gallery,[7] Out of Bounds at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery in 2011,[15] Dig it! at Patricia Sweetow Gallery in 2008,[17] and Land of the New Rising Sun at Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery in 2005[18] His first solo was Broadsides in 1995 at the Los Angeles' Jan Baum Gallery.[19]

Collections

Huffman's work is held in many permanent collections including:[15]

Teaching

Huffman has taught at Santa Clara University and is currently a professor at California College of the Arts.[20] He is faculty in the Graduate Fine Arts Program at California College of the Arts.[20]

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References
  1. "SFMOMA Artists: David Huffman". San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. Baker, Kenneth (2006). "BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Artist profile / DAVID HUFFMAN" (Friday, February 10). San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  3. Carpenter, Sarah (October 13, 2016). "Echoes: Oakland exhibit traces history of Black Panthers Party". Laney Tower. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  4. Gill, John, ed.; Tawadros, Gilane ed. (2006). Alien nation. London: Institute of Contemporary Arts. pp. 22–23, 36. ISBN 9781899846474. Retrieved 17 April 2018.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  5. "SPACE IS THE PLACE". Disjecta: Contemporary Art Center of Portland. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  6. Baker, Kenneth (2004). "Mixing painting and identity politics with 'traumabots'" (Saturday, May 8). San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  7. "Patricia Sweetow Gallery : Everything Went Dark Until I Saw Angels". Art Enthusiast. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  8. "David Huffman's 'Urban Vernacular' at Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco". Blouin. April 17, 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  9. Scarboro, Jennine. "Interview with David Huffman". Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  10. Buuck, David (2009). "David Huffman at Patricia Sweetow Gallery". Artweek. 40 (1): 11–12.
  11. Murray, Derek Conrad. "David Huffman". Art in America. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  12. "Making Space". Euphrat Museum of Art. Euphrat Museum of Art, De Anza College. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  13. "Eureka Fellowship Program :: Past Grantees :: 2008-2010". Fleishhacker Foundation. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  14. "Awards / Past Awardees". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  15. "David Huffman Biography". Artnet Worldwide Corporation. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  16. P, Natalie. "Worlds in Collision as David Huffman Elevates a Basketball to the Artistic Spectrum". Widewalls. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  17. "David Huffman". ArtSlant, Inc. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  18. "David Huffman". Glance. 13 (2): 33. Spring 2005.
  19. "David Huffman "Broadsides"". Los Angeles Times (Sunday): 362. May 21, 1995.
  20. Norrena, Jim. "Faculty-Alumnus David Huffman's "Out of Bounds" at SFAC Gallery a "SHIFT" Toward Dialogue About Race in America". California College of the Arts. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2015.

Official website

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