BLAKE SANDBERG
American Painter Born in Austin, Texas Lives and works in New York City, New York
“smart” and “charismatic”
- New Yorker Magazine
“Great hair” - John Waters
Solo Shows
'Technosphere' Installation and billboard painting shown, Marfa, Texas, 2005
'Shock and Awe' Escapist Gallery, Austin, Texas, 2004
'All Business / All Pleasure' Ballroom, Marfa, Texas, 2003
'Made in Voyage' Aaron Payne Fine Art, Brooklyn, New York, 2003
'Blake Sandberg Postcards' the Log Cabin, New York, 2003
'Some Prints' TERMINAL, Tokyo, Japan, 2001
'Full Cycle Series' Gas Hall, Blue Star Art Complex, San Antonio, Texas, 1999
'The Gag Series' Dumbo Summer Arts Festival, Brooklyn, NY, 1999
'New Paintings of Houses, Limbs, and Food' New Gallery, The University of Texas, 1997
Group Shows
"10152011" The Slab, New York, 2011
Scope Art Fair Michael Seinberg Fine Art, New York, 2007
Drawings shown at Michael Steinberg Fine Art, New York, 2006
‘You Are Here’ Ballroom, Marfa, Texas, 2005
‘Social Order’ Buia Gallery, New York, 2003
Simon Watson presented works by Blake Sandberg at The Chanel Store, SOHO, New York, 2002
'Reactions' Exit Art, New York, 2001
'Spunky' Exit Art, New York, 2001
'GEN ART Show' New York, 2000
'Shoes, Shoes, Shoes: Photographs, Drawings, Objects' Frederieke Taylor TZ' Art, 2000
Included with works by de Kooning, Warhol, Christo, Guston, and Dali
'Summer Show' Geoff Young Gallery, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 2000
'Annual Student Art Show' University of Texas at Austin, 1997
'Ray Johnson Memorial Art Show' Wheeler Gallery, University of Massachusetts, 1996
Publications
"Notes on the ‘Dramatics' or Dynamics of the Object" ,
Performing Arts Journal, PAJ 63(September 1999):105-111
Collections
Beth Rudin de Woody, New York
Anthony Haden Guest, New York
Genvieve A Blouin, Montreal, Canada
Geoff Young, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Peter Saul, New York
Paul Auster, New York
Lisa Zane, Los Angeles
Donald Bachelor, New York
A.G. Rosen, New Jersey
Gavin Brown, New York
Frederieke Taylor, New York
Carlo McCormick, New York
Dorit Chrysler, New York
Dean Valentine, Los Angeles
Peter Halley, New York
John Medeski, New York
Christopher Henry, New York
Brad Roberts, New York
Leeta Harding, New York
Nicholas Taylor, New York
Kimiko Ivic, Toronto
Simon Watson, New York
Bill Murray, New York
Molly Kemp, Austin, TX
Michael Holman, New York
Oliver Platt, Hollywood, CA
Charlie Finch, New York
Eiichi Izumi, Tokyo
Nina Koh and Aaron Payne, New York
Adrian Turner, New York
Jefferey Deitch, New York
Scott Harding, New York
Pierre DeGuzman, New York
Mary-Claire Sharp, Palm Beach, Florida
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"BELOW RADAR," Documentary on CH 57 (Manhattan
Neighborhood Network) "OUTSIDE MY WINDOW"
"Spunky," The New Yorker, October 22, 2001
Johnson, Ken, "Spunky," The New York Times, Oct. 19, 2001
Click picture to see more photos
PHOTO: SAMM COHEN
Blake Sandberg showed an extraordinary interest in drawing and painting at a very young age. He turned his childhood room into a studio
space. Growing up in various cities across South Texas his family supported his interest in art, buying him pencils, paints, and lots of paper.
While living in the small town of Port Lavaca, Texas his parents enrolled Blake in private classes from a local artist. There he learned
fundamentals of color theory, perspective, composition, and mixing color. He also was introduced to life drawing, a passion of the instructor
who took her students on trips to draw from live models, locations around the city, and live animals.
These fundamentals enriched Blake's natural drive to make artwork. After moving to San Antonio he attended Linda Pace's San Antonio Art
Institute, receiving more formal training and encouragement. There he also benefited from the McNay Art Museum, shows at The San
Antonio Museum of Art, and the contemporary art galleries.
Blake's family also enriched his knowledge of art and art history giving him books and trips to see the museums in San Antonio, Houston
where Blake spent ample time at The Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Art, and the Contemporary Art Museum, The Dallas MFA, and The
Kimble in Fort Worth. He also was greatly inspired on a trip to The Washington D.C. where he visited The Smithsonian and National Gallery.
A trip to London and Paris exposed Blake to many artists and significantly to works of DADA and Futurist painters. He visited the
collections of The Louvre, The Musee d'Osay, The Pompidou, The Musee Picasso, The Tate and The National Gallery in London.
When Blake entered The University of Texas at Austin as a Fine Arts Major he spent much of his time painting on his own. He won the only
scholarship given to art majors his second year at the school. He was encouraged by painting professors Peter Saul, Richard Jordan, and
Michael Ray Charles in his independent studies.
In 1997 Blake left Austin and moved to New York City, immediately inserting himself into the art scene. He renting a store-front studio space
on Ave B in the East Village. There he created numerous paintings and by 1998 was already showing his work. In 1999 his work was
included as the only young artist included at a group show in Soho at Frederieka Taylor T/Z Art. His paintings were shown alongside works
by Warhol, Phillip Guston, de Kooning, Christo, Dali, and other fine art luminaries.
By 2000 he had outgrown his Ave B studio and relocated his studio onto Broadway below Canal street. There he created more large
canvases and elaborated on his "Technosphere" series.
Included in an Exit Art group show in 2001 Blake's work was singled out by writers in both the New York Times and The New Yorker.
Blake was at his studio the morning of 9/11 when the events of that day unfolded. Living and working in the neighborhood of the Trade
Center disaster effected Blake personally and physically. He developed Chronic Bronchitis after being exposed to the dust and burning
fumes from Ground Zero. Blake's career was also damaged by the Trade Center's destruction and the economic fallout that ground the art
world to a halt.
Since 2002 Blake has spent more time traveling and has shown work in Austin and Marfa, Texas. He has also visited Europe and traveled
around the United States several times.
In 2003 Blake's work was shown in his first Solo show "Made-In-Voyage" at Aaron Payne Fine Art in Brooklyn. Since 2003 to the present
Blake has continued painting and showing work in a number of exhibitions.
Currently Blake is painting and drawing preparing for a survey show on artists using text and a solo show later this year.
space. Growing up in various cities across South Texas his family supported his interest in art, buying him pencils, paints, and lots of paper.
While living in the small town of Port Lavaca, Texas his parents enrolled Blake in private classes from a local artist. There he learned
fundamentals of color theory, perspective, composition, and mixing color. He also was introduced to life drawing, a passion of the instructor
who took her students on trips to draw from live models, locations around the city, and live animals.
These fundamentals enriched Blake's natural drive to make artwork. After moving to San Antonio he attended Linda Pace's San Antonio Art
Institute, receiving more formal training and encouragement. There he also benefited from the McNay Art Museum, shows at The San
Antonio Museum of Art, and the contemporary art galleries.
Blake's family also enriched his knowledge of art and art history giving him books and trips to see the museums in San Antonio, Houston
where Blake spent ample time at The Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Art, and the Contemporary Art Museum, The Dallas MFA, and The
Kimble in Fort Worth. He also was greatly inspired on a trip to The Washington D.C. where he visited The Smithsonian and National Gallery.
A trip to London and Paris exposed Blake to many artists and significantly to works of DADA and Futurist painters. He visited the
collections of The Louvre, The Musee d'Osay, The Pompidou, The Musee Picasso, The Tate and The National Gallery in London.
When Blake entered The University of Texas at Austin as a Fine Arts Major he spent much of his time painting on his own. He won the only
scholarship given to art majors his second year at the school. He was encouraged by painting professors Peter Saul, Richard Jordan, and
Michael Ray Charles in his independent studies.
In 1997 Blake left Austin and moved to New York City, immediately inserting himself into the art scene. He renting a store-front studio space
on Ave B in the East Village. There he created numerous paintings and by 1998 was already showing his work. In 1999 his work was
included as the only young artist included at a group show in Soho at Frederieka Taylor T/Z Art. His paintings were shown alongside works
by Warhol, Phillip Guston, de Kooning, Christo, Dali, and other fine art luminaries.
By 2000 he had outgrown his Ave B studio and relocated his studio onto Broadway below Canal street. There he created more large
canvases and elaborated on his "Technosphere" series.
Included in an Exit Art group show in 2001 Blake's work was singled out by writers in both the New York Times and The New Yorker.
Blake was at his studio the morning of 9/11 when the events of that day unfolded. Living and working in the neighborhood of the Trade
Center disaster effected Blake personally and physically. He developed Chronic Bronchitis after being exposed to the dust and burning
fumes from Ground Zero. Blake's career was also damaged by the Trade Center's destruction and the economic fallout that ground the art
world to a halt.
Since 2002 Blake has spent more time traveling and has shown work in Austin and Marfa, Texas. He has also visited Europe and traveled
around the United States several times.
In 2003 Blake's work was shown in his first Solo show "Made-In-Voyage" at Aaron Payne Fine Art in Brooklyn. Since 2003 to the present
Blake has continued painting and showing work in a number of exhibitions.
Currently Blake is painting and drawing preparing for a survey show on artists using text and a solo show later this year.