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Biography
Born 1976, York, Nebraska
Lives and works in Joshua Tree, California
photograph by Mark V. Lord
Aaron Sheppard speaks eloquently about constructing and
projecting identity, religiousity, sexuality, and a
counter-factual historicism. His filter is the culture's
love of fame and/or pornography, mixed with the romance
and perversion of classical allegorical portraiture. His
lavish materiality finds a narrative function for neon
light tubes, thick heavy paint, and extreme mannerism
in his mostly nude figures, forcing people to deal with
the inconvenient object and not just the idea of it.
Art history is used as a case study for cognitively
accepting the chaotic simultaneity of paradoxical life
experiences, expressive of the messy exuberane of memory
and desire. As observed by his spirit-guide, the incend-
iary philosopher Georges Bataille, "The need to go
astray, to be destroyed, is an extremely private, distant,
passionate, turbulent truth." And Aaron sincerely
recommends going astray.
-Shana Nys Dambrot
I think of the artist Aaron Sheppard as the person who is
willing to jump off the rocks into the water first, the
height does not scare him, nor the sensation of cold
ocean water, or whatever lurks beneath the choppy waves…
or maybe it does, but he is still determined to make the
dive, to be in the moment of discovery, of danger, of
sensation. Courage and joy, danger and beauty, these
elements all playinto a life fully experienced. Immersive
and intense, Aaron’s work embraces this way of living…
The artist combines the delectably ribald with a sense the
painterly modernism in a wide-ranging body of work that in-
cludes assemblages, installations, performances, and mixed
media works.
Fragmenting static ideas of sexuality and gender identity,
he uses his own body and image as subject repeatedly.
Aaron layers this syntax with motifs from diverse sources
including 20th century art, erotica, literature, mythology,
popular culture, folktales and religion. The oeuvre may be
seen as delightfully exhibitionist because it is constantly
seems engaged in the sexy theatrics of display. However,
there is also a sense of extreme vulnerability and it is
this profound fragility that makes Aaron’s work powerful.
-Rosa JH Berland
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Resume
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Areas of Specialization
Painting, Performance, Sculpture, Drawing, Video, Installation
Education
2006-09 MFA, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
1995-99 BFA with Hon., Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC
Selected Exhibitions
2017 HONEY IN THE HOLE, 12" of Sin Vol. VI, Las Vegas, NV
XXYXO, La Matadora Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA
MERMAIDS AND MATADORAS, La Matadora Gallery, JT, CA
SENSITIVE WHITE BOY SYNDROME, Sin City Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
ATMOS@ALTES, Berlin, Germany and PVAC, USA
MIRRORED STRANGER, ACE Hotel, Palm Springs, CA
THE JOSHUA TREENIAL, Joshua Tree, CA
N&N, Hinterzimmer, Karlsruhe, Germany
2016 TIMELINE OF TASTEE, Cowgirl, New York, NY
TALES OF THE FLESH 2, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
PERFORMANCENIGHT, Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden
Künste, Karlsruhe, Germany
FUR & BUR-GRR, Sin City Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
2015 THANKS FOR LETTING ME SIT ON YOU, Salon De Luncheonette,
Brooklyn, NY
LIKE, OUT OF WATER (pt2), Joshua Treenial, Joshua Tree, CA
LIKE, OUT OF WATER (pt1), Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL, Las Vegas, NV
SKULL, Donna Beam Gallery, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2014 PINK BOX, 6th Annual Perform Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
2013 MOIST GILDING, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
SEEING VOICES, Donna Beam Gallery, UNLV
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL, Las Vegas, NV
2012 BACON, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
THE GLOBAL CLIMACTERIC, Jaus, Santa Monica, CA
2011 TISCH IM RAUM, Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Vienna, Austria
LOCALS ONLY: AARON SHEPPARD, CENTERpiece Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
CONCEPTUALIZING THE BODY, Amelie A. Wallace
Gallery, SUNY College, Old Westbury, NY
2010 YONIC INVERSION, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
2009 THE FIRST SIX YEARS, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
TALES OF THE FLESH, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
AARON SHEPPARD, Fringe Festival, Adelaide, Australia
DRUNK, Alios, Las Vegas, NV
SOME FUTURE SOMETIME, Reed Wipple Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
LIPSTICKAFORKINME, Donna Beam Gallery, UNLV
2008 MAID IN CHINA(TOWN), Chinese Biennale, Ku Art Center,
Beijing, China
ON BEING GOOD, Reed Wipple Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING A LIVING AND MAKING A
KILLING, MCQ Fine Art, Las Vegas, NV
MIDWAY, Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas, NV
MIDWAY, Grant Hall Gallery, UNLV
2007 AOTM BOMBSHELL, Yokohama Boogie: Under the Influence,
ZAIM, Yokohama, Japan
TOPOLOGO, Double-D Gallery, New York, NY
3DIMENTIA, Contemporary Arts Center, Las Vegas, NV
2006 LOST IN SPEGAS, DUMBO Arts Festival, DUMBO Arts Center,
Brooklyn, NY
ROOM #11515, Stardust Casino, Las Vegas, NV
NUNSLAUGHTER, JMX Productions, Los Angeles, CA
GRAND OPENING, A6 Gallery, Henderson, NV
ARTPULSE LAUNCH, New York, NY
2005 EX-CORPSE, XC Projects, Scope Miami International
Art Fair, Miami, FL
DESIGN THIS!, Volume 1E Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
MADE IN AMERICA, Pickled Art Center, Beijing, China
2004 ABRACADAVER, Here Art Center, New York, NY
US vs. THEM, Peekskill Project, Vara Art and Hudson
Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY
HEART OF RED FISH MAN, Multiplicity, Ilnacullin, Garnish
Island, Ireland
ANATOMICALLY CORRECT, Broadway Gallery, New York, NY
PEOPLE I'VE KNOWN AND THOSE I'VE NEVER MET, Volume 1E Gallery,
Brooklyn, NY
2003 SNATCH N' STIFF FESTIVAL, CBGB & OMFUG (Main Stage
and 313 Gallery), New York, NY
2002 THIS IS BLINDSNATCH, Fake!, Post Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
OXYGEN, White Box Gallery, New York, NY
MAXXXED OUT, Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
T&A, GV/AS Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2001 PLAY - : - -, The Scene Gallery, New York, NY
ART HEALS, The Eyebeam Atelier, New York, NY
THE SHOW, Clemente Soto Cultural Center, New York, NY
2000 NEW SAMBA, 291 Gallery, London, England
IMAGING THE WUNDERBOARD, London Biennale, Center for
Freudian Research and Analysis, London, England
VIVA LOST ELVIS, Monk Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
SINDROHM, CBGB & OMFUG, New York, NY
1999 POWDER DUST, Power Studios Gallery, Miami, FL
PESCADITO SALSAFRITO, Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC
1998 UNTITLED, Center for Collaborative Art and Visual
Education, Washington, DC
POPSTARS, Club Alcatraz, Washington, DC
UNTITLED, Bound Gallery, Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD
FATHERS AND SONS, Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE
1997 BILLBOARDS OF PANGEA, Squirrel-Bate Quasi-International,
Washington, DC
1995 AARON SHEPPARD, Surya Gallery, Lincoln, NE
UNTITLED, Miscellanea, Lincoln, NE
UNTITLED, The Coffee House, Lincoln, NE
1994 UNTITLED, The Business of Art Center, Manitou Springs, CO
UNTITLED, The Art of Craft Gallery, Denver, CO
UNTITLED, The Gallery, Overland Park, KS
Public Collections
Marjorie Barrick Museum, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The 705, Las Vegas, NV
Sheldon Museum of Art, Lied Center for the Performing Arts,
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Virginia Cable & Wireless Corporation, Vienna, VA |
