Christopher Stout (pronouns: he/him/they) was born and raised in Maryland and lives and works in New York City. He/they is a Queer abstract reductive artist, living in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan, and working from his artist studio near South Park Slope, Brooklyn.
(Note: there is a helpful primer on Queer abstraction in the Artist Statement section of this website.)
Stout was also the founder and director Art During the Occupation Gallery (2015-2018) in Bushwick, which was not affiliated with his/their personal art practice. Art During the Occupation Gallery served as a contemporary art gallery showing subversive and difficult work by New York City artists. The gallery provided a platform for discourse on work that is challenging to authority paradigms, feminist, queer, anti-establishment, hyper- aggressive, mystic, and/or joyously sexual.
Stout was also the founder of Bushwick Art Crit Group (2013-2016), Bushwick NYC's artist lecture and exhibition series. BACG's mission was to foster an understanding Contemporary Art through the lens of the art & artists in Bushwick.
Stout has accomplished around 200 gallery performance/exhibitions, with 19 solos and 18 completed bodies of work, including Portraits of Narcissism, Ecdysis, Sacred Impiety, Unbridled! (1&2), Coma State (The Long Unpleasant Dream...), I am too ______ to be the Demographic, VIGIL a Day with(OUT) ART, New Work (Momentum), Power Symbols (Black White Gold + Gray), Linear Anagram, A.O., Come Out 2 Show Them, Tenets of Search, Sonic Opera, Standing on the Shoulders of Queer Martyrs and Saints, Chosen Family, and Wonderment of Otherness. In addition, Stout holds collectors and work in 23 of the continental 48 states.
Christopher relocated to New York from "the long winding road" of San Francisco in spring of 2007. Previously, Christopher was a provocative and prominent member of San Francisco's creative culture. In addition to his/their painting, photography, and performance-based art, Christopher was also the Visual Program Director at Blue Room Gallery, one of the city's largest not-for-profit contemporary art spaces.
In addition, Christopher was also a founding member and lead staff writer for San Francisco Art Magazine, where he/they published editorial/review pieces documenting San Francisco's emerging "New Mission" art scene. His/their op-ed on the proper artistic response to 9/11 has been republished academically.
Christopher Stout actively donates his/their art to support New York City not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with Queer and visual arts empowering mission statements, including the Ali Forney Center, Equity Gallery, and Visual AIDS.
Christopher's modus operandi is, "love and solidarity for the arts, and love and solidarity with New York artists." |
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AS A NEW YORK CITY-BASED ARTIST, 2007—2021
• PUSHMI — PULLYU (PUSH ME PULL YU), TBA, June 2023
• Wonderment of Otherness, Lichtundfire, September 2021
• The Sound Art Drawings, Artfare, April 2021
• Standing on the Shoulders of Queer Martyrs and Saints, Lichtundfire, October 2019
• Sonic Opera, Lichtundfire, May 2018
• Tenets of Search, Covert Operations Gallery, January 2018
• Come Out 2 Show Them, Lichtundfire, April 2017
• A.O., Art Helix Gallery at Select Fair, NYC Frieze Art Week May 2015
• A.O., ArtHelix Gallery, May 2015
• Linear Anagram, Special Project at Fountain Fair, Armory Week March 2014
• Power Symbols, Special Project at Select Fair, Miami Basel Week December 2013
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AS A SAN FRANCISCO-BASED ARTIST, 2001—2006
• New Work, SF LGBT Fine Art Gallery; September 2006
• Coma State (The Long Unpleasant Dream…), Build Gallery; May 2005
• Vigil, A Day with (OUT) Art, SF LGBT Fine Art Gallery; December 2004
• Unbridled!, Build Gallery; November 2004
• Unbridled!, Brickhouse Gallery; February 2004
• Portraits of Narcissism, Blue Room Gallery; September 2002
• Sacred Impiety, Build Gallery; May 2002
• Ecdysis, Hot Lunch Gallery; September 2001
• Portraits of Narcissism, Moulton Studios; February 2001 |
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & ART PROJECTS, NEW YORK, 2007—2022
• Among Friends, Equity Gallery, May 2022
• New York Artist Equity (NYAE) Juried Member Invitational, January 2022
• Postcards from the Edge, an online auction supporting Visual AIDS, January 2022
• III, Equity Gallery, October 2021
• Pride: a Celebration of Diversity, Identity, and History, Culture Lab LIC, June 2021
• The Elements of Pattern and the Spaces in Between, SFA Projects, April 2021
• Love Wins, HOMOCATS Studio, February 2021
• Quantum Sphere, Lichtundfire, November 2020
• Covert—19, Lichtundfire, August 2020
• Gay Guerrilla, Arcade Project Curatorial, July 2020
• Edge of Abstraction, Lichtundfire, November 2019
• Inversions, MW Projects, November 2019
• Collective Palimpsest, Lichtundfire, September 2019
• Infinite Rhizome, Lichtundfire, May 2019
• Among Friends / Entre Amigos, The Clemente, May 2019
• Member Invitational, Equity Gallery, December 2018
• Chimera, Gibney Dance, December 2018
• Minimal Impact, Lichtundfire, October 2018
• Among Friends, Dumbo Open Studios Presentation, April 2018
• Encore, Lichtundfire, March 2018
• Love Fest (Seriously), Lichtundfire, February 2018
• Yellow Chair, David & Schweitzer Contemporary, December 2017
• Bound by Matter, Lichtundfire, November 2017
• 1947-2017 Anniversary Exhibition, Equity Gallery, September 2017
• Draft__, MW Projects at Doing/Living, August 2017
• Chaos/Control, MW Projects at Doing/Living, August 2017
• Tools & Currency, The Clemente, August 2017
• Draft, Lichtundfire, May 2017
• Chewing Tar, Lichtundfire, October 2016
• Chewing Tar, Hampden UMASS Amherst, Hampden Gallery, March 2016
• Ripening, Visiting Artist at the LIU Post MFA Graduate exhibition, October 2015
• LiveStream Public, June 2015
• Bushwick Open Studios, June 2015
• Arlene's Grocery, LES group exhibition, May 2015
• Making History, AiB/BOS at Storefront Ten Eyck, May 2015
• Type Indicators, ArtHelix, February 2015
• New Work :: New York, Momenta Art, January 2015
• Hrönir: Un-Lost Things, Brooklyn Fire Proof Gallery, November 2014
• Bushwick Open Studios, May 2014
• Mutual Benefit, Brooklyn Fire Proof, May 2014
• Artist Solidarity, Brooklyn Fire Proof, September 2013
• Kings Are We, Just Panic and Get It Over With, 287 Spring Gallery, July 2013
• Bushwick Open Studios, June 2013 (Selected in Top 12 Bushwick Artists to Watch)
• Ovum, New Work at Momenta Benefit, May 2013
• Work from Power Symbols, Shifting Territories at Brooklyn Fire Proof Gallery, May 2013
• White Monochromes, Strange Loop Gallery; March 2013
• New Work, Postcards From the Edge, Sikkema Jenkins; January 2013
• Work from Power Symbols, Strange Loop Gallery; December 2012
• Work from Power Symbols, Urban Zen Foundation; December 2012
• Work from Power Symbols, ClampArt; November 2012
• New Work, NUTUREart Benefit at Charles Bank Gallery, November 2012
• GO! Brooklyn, October 2012
• Bushwick Open Studios, June 2012
• New Work from Power Symbols, Hous Projects; September 2011
• Additional Matter, Lyons Wier Gallery; August 2011
• Altered States, Hous Projects; June 2011
• New Work, Performance Art at Christopher Henry Gallery; June 2011
• Bushwick Open Studios, June 2011
• New Work, Performance Art at Surreal Estate; July 2010
• Work from Power Symbols, X-initative at Dia:Chelsea; March 2010
• e32, Artist’s Lecture; February 2010
• Work from Power Symbols, ENVOY Enterprises; February 2010
• Work from Power Symbols, Daneyal Mahmood Gallery; November 2009
• Work from Power Symbols, Art Salon on Bank; September 2009
• Work from Power Symbols, Daniel Cooney Gallery; September 2009
• Work from Power Symbols, Art Salon on Bank; March 2009
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & ART PROJECTS, CALIFORNIA, 2000-2006
• New Beginnings, Satsuma Gallery; July 2006
• New Work, AOF Gallery; March 2006
• Ecdysis, Blue Shield of California Foundation Gallery; September 2005
• Alone Together, Premier of new body of work, I am not the demographic, Gallery on Brannan; June 2005
• Foundation, Gallery on Brannan; May 2005
• Ecdysis, Blue Shield of California Collection Gallery; February 2004
• Precious Things, Group Exhibition: Brickhouse Gallery; December 2004
• Cardinal 8, Premier of new series, Coma State, the Long Unpleasant Dream, Gallery on Brannan; June 2004
• Unbridled!, AOF Gallery; CA, March 2004
• Portraits of Narcissism, Blue Room Gallery; March 2003
• Portraits of Narcissism, Blue Room Gallery; January 2003
• Sacred Impiety, Blue Room Gallery; November 2002
• Portraits of Narcissism, Blue Room Gallery; October 2002
• Vanity, Blue Room Gallery; September 2002
• Ecdysis, Sutter Health Corporate Gallery; June 2002
• Studies for Sacred Impiety, AOF Gallery; March 2002
• Offline, SFAM Group Art Exhibition: Build; December 2001
• Untitled, Cataclysmic Studios; October 2001
• Ecdysis, Hot Lunch Gallery; San Francisco, CA, October 2001
• Untitled, Sunset Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA, October 2001
• Art, Wine, & Attractive People; Lair of the Minotaur; August 2001
• One-Minute Art Show, Group Art Exhibition: Your Local Gallery; August 2001
• Ecdysis, Sutter Health Corporate Gallery, June 2001
• Portraits of Narcissism, AOF Gallery; March 2001
• Liquid Thinking (Interactive Design Agency) Corporate Gallery, fall 2000
• Liquid Thinking (Interactive Design Agency) Corporate Gallery, spring 2000 |
New York, NY visual, gallery exhibition, art fair, curatorial, and lecture projects have been discussed in the following art, lifestyle, and cultural publications:
All-Arts, Art Fuse Magazine, Art in America, Art21 blog, Artcritical, ArtFCity, Artfile Magazine, Artforum, Artnet, Artsheep, Artspace, Artsy, Bedford + Bowery, Blouin Art Info, Brooklyn Art Blog, Brooklyn Magazine, Bushwick Daily, Bushwick Daily, Cheap and Plastique, The Conversation Project, Curatious, Dazed, Details Magazine, DNAinfo, Entertainment Weekly, Flavorpill, Getty Images, Gothamist, Hamptons Art Hub, Hyperallergic, James Kalm Report, Luna x Luna Magazine, Mashable, Milk, New York Magazine, The New York Times, NY Observer, NY1, NYC-Arts (PBS), Out Magazine, Painting Is Dead, Paper Magazine, Performance Is Alive, Politico, Posture Magazine, Social + Diarist, State of the Arts NYC, The Conversation Project, Time Out New York, W Magazine, WagMag, White Hot Magazine of Contemporary Art, and Widewalls.
Recent Notable Awards and Designations:
"Curator to Watch” for his Armory week presentation during SPRING/BREAK Art Show with artist Rick Herron (Artsy, March 2017)
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-16-curators-watch-springbreak
Ranked #32 in “The 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture” by Brooklyn Magazine (art critic Paul D'Agostino, Brooklyn Magazine, March 2016)
Ranked #01 in “Who is Who” in Bushwick Daily for his work as founder of the 3-year artist lecture and exhibition project Bushwick Art Crit Group (Katie Killary, Bushwick Daily, September 2014)
https://www.bkmag.com/2016/03/01/the-100-most-influential-people-in-brooklyn-culture-2/
One of “12 Artists to Watch” for his presentation during Bushwick Open Studios at Brooklyn Fire Proof (Holly Shen, now Director/Dept. Head, Visual Arts at Brooklyn Academy of Music, May 2013)
https://bushwickdaily.com/arts-culture/2532-a-newbies-guide-to-the-bushwick-art-scene-select-galleries-studios-who-is-who-and-where-to-submit/
San Francisco, California Bibliography includes articles in San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Art Magazine, Oakland Tribune, the Studio City Sun, SFist.com, SF Weekly, and 7x7 Magazine. |