Geoff McFetridge (b. 1971, Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is interested in how images exist in-between or outside of language, and in turn how this encourages more open-minded approaches to cognition. In his paintings, images become language; in the artist’s words, “it should feel like something, rather than look like something.” In the pictorial spaces he creates, definitions are less finite and can slip between interpretations. As indicated by their titles, many of his paintings whimsically play with the bodily experience of design, using simplified figures to both think about forms and collective experiences.
McFetridge received his BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design and his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. McFetridge was part of the infamous Beautiful Losers exhibition which debuted in downtown New York in 1991 and went on to tour the world. He has continued to exhibit in international galleries including Cooper Cole, Toronto (2019); Half Gallery, New York (2018); V1 Gallery, Copenhagen (2016); PlayMountain, Tokyo (2013); and Heath Gallery, Los Angeles (2011). McFetridge has also been included in museum exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Santa Monica Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Yale University Art Museum, and The Geffen Contemporary at MoCA Los Angeles. McFetridge currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California, USA.
CV
Born 1971, Calgary, Canada
Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA
Education
1995
MFA, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, USA
1993
BFA, Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Canada
Solo and Two Person Exhibitions
2019
Geoff McFetridge, Cooper Cole, Toronto, Canada
2018
The Beringians, Half Gallery, New York, USA
2017
Test For Positive Thinking, Rental Gallery, East Hampton, USA
2016
The Quiet Of Not Listening, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2015
It Looks Like It Says, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA
2014
Meditallucination, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen
2013
My Head Disappears When My Hands Are Thinking, PlayMountain (in collaboration with Heath Ceramics), Tokyo, Japan
2012
Floating, COOPER COLE, Toronto, Canada
The Original Awesome, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo University Gallery, San Luis Obispo, USA
Around Us & Between Us, Ivory & Black SOHO, London, UK
2011
Us as a Logo, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
My Head Disappears When My Hands Are Thinking, Heath Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2010
The Westest, Half Gallery, New York, USA
2008
Bury Me In The Sand, Mollusk, San Francisco, USA
In The Mind, Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park PACCAR Pavilion, Seattle, USA
2007
Bend the Void, MU, Eindhoven, Netherlands
2006
That Line Rhymes, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2005
All Smiles Have Teeth, Kemistry Gallery, London, UK
2004
The Mind Trip: There & Black & New, Nike Spirit Room, Berlin, Germany
The Mind Trip: There & Black & New, AD21, Tokyo, Japan
2001
A Way of Life, Parco Gallery X, Tokyo, Japan
A Way of Life 1, George’s, Los Angeles, USA
The Rock Machine, Colette, Paris, France
2000
The Rock Machine, Houston Gallery, Seattle, USA
The Rock Machine, George’s, Los Angeles, USA
1999
30 Days 30 Shows, George’s, Los Angeles, USA
Selected Group Exhibits
2016
Juxtapoz x Superflat, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2015
Art On Paper, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA
Incognito, Santa Monica Museum Of Art, Los Angeles, USA
V1 at Volta 11, Volta, Basel, Switzerland
10 Year Anniversary Groop Show, Mollusk Surf Shop, Venice, USA
2014
Miami Art Project, Art Basel, Miami, USA
Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA
2013
Chicken or Beef? , curated by Jesper Elg, The Hole, New York, USA
Miami Project Art Fair, with Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA
Folklore, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA
2011
Graphic Design: Now in Production, Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis, USA
Graphic Design Worlds, La Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy
New Works, Heavyweight Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Art in the Streets , The Geffen Contemporary at MOCCA , Los Angeles, USA
STATUS – Somewhere Between Position and Condition, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010
Summer Drawing Show, Family Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
King Kong, Family Pop Up, New York, USA
Wallworks, International Print Centre, New York, USA
These Friends, THIS, Los Angeles, USA
The Happening: Art, Film, and Music Festival, Bondi Pavilion, Sydney, Australia
The Happening: Art, Film, and Music Festival, The Brisbane Zoo, Brisbane, Australia
The Happening: Art, Film, and Music Festival, The Epsy, Melbourne, Australia
2008
Two Lines Align, Red Cat Gallery in Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, Los Angeles, USA
2007
California Design Biennial, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, USA
2006
Making Do, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, USA
1000 Things, Mu, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Highmath, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2005
Sea Donkeys on Airplane Wings, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2004
Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art & Street Culture, curated by Christian Strike and Aaron Rose, Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach; The Contemporary Art Museum, Baltimore; The University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, USA; Fondazione La Triennale, Milan, Italy; Le Tri Postal, Lille, France; Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz, Poland; La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain; Arhus Kunstbygning, Denmark
The Moonshine Festival, The Surf Gallery, Laguna Beach, USA
Time Is a Map of Our Failures, Colette, Paris, France
2003
National Design Triennial, Cooper Hewitt, New York, USA
California Design Biennial, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, USA
2002
Communication What, Vasi Communication, Studio Cafumo, Venice, Italy
STREETWISEONE, Apart Gallery, London, United Kingdom
I Love to Meet You, Palazzo Fortuny (in collaboration with Venice City Council and Studio Camuffo), Venice, Italy
2001
Move, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
1998
Group Show, George’s Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Public Art Projects
2015
Ottawa Light Rail Transit Project (Lyon Station Design), Ottawa, Canada
2014
Nike SB West LA Courthouse Mural
Oakley Berrics Skate Park Mural, Downtown Los Angeles, USA
2013
Walker Art Center Fence Mural, Minneapolis, USA
2008
Nike Vine Theater Project
Awards
2019
Medal of the AIGA, The American Institute of Graphic Arts
2016
National Design Award, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2015
Award for Graphic Design, D&AD
2010
Award for Magazine & News Paper Design, D&AD
2009
Volvo Eco Design Award, California Design Biennial
2008
Awards for Press Advertising and Art Direction, D&AD
2007
Swerve Festival Best Video Award
2006
Star of Design, PDC Design Award, Cooper Hewitt National Design Triennial
2005
MTV Video Awards Identity Gold Award
Gold Cannes Cyber Lion, & Gold Cannes Lion & Adweek Best Spot of the Year
Award for Magazine & News Paper Design, D&AD
2004
Awards for Animation, D&AD
2001
Awards for Animation, Illustration for Advertising, and Mixed Media Campaigns, D&AD
Featured in Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase with ESPN Winter X-Games, animated spot ‘Loose Clothing’, Cannes International Festival of Creativity
2000
Design Distinction Award, The International Design Magazine
Selected Lectures
2018
The DO Lectures, FForest, Cardigan, Wales
2016
Cooper Hewitt, New York, USA
Google SPAN, Los Angeles, USA
2013
Insights Design Lecture Series, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, USA
2011
UCLA Design Lecture Series, Los Angeles, USA
OFFF, Barcelona, Spain
2010
A+D Lecture Series, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, USA
2009
The DO Lectures, FForest, Cardigan, Wales
2007
Chicago MCA, Chicago, USA