Michael Velliquette
Encyclopedia
Michael Velliquette received his BFA from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL in 1993. In 1999 he earned his BA followed by his MFA from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI. He now works and lives in Madison, WI
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Continuing his quest for self identity, Velliquette created an installation for the show "the ü in the i" at ArtPlace in Austin, TX, which transformed the gallery into a dream world reminiscent of a children’s TV show set. The installation included a bridge that appears to rise out of the water, two enormous hands that play a game of Cat’s Cradle, and a small hut made from cardboard. At first glance the work seems to be crafted by children, but upon closer observation the viewer notices the structural soundness of the work.
After his large installation pieces, Velliquette focused on making smaller scale paper collages. Although these works were two dimensional, they still included his rainbow palette and his love of camp. These collages are extremely intricate and contain several layers of cut paper with jagged edges. His 2007 exhibition, The Intuitive Jungle, included 12 scenes with beastly creatures that represent elements of the human consciousness like fear, wisdom or rage.
Velliquette’s recent three dimensional paper collages focuses on objects that possess devotional characteristics and reference totems, stupas and altars. Power Tower, for example, is strongly vertical and creates imagery reminiscent of ritualistic icons. He has also been working on what he calls his “Inner Beasts” which are inspired by mythological creatures and represent his own state of mind.
Velliquette continues to explore ornamental abstraction through his collages and drawings. In these works he uses hand-painted heavyweight paper which creates an intense color palette and contrast between the brushstrokes and the sharp edges of the cut paper. Velliquette has been influenced by the practice of stigilization, a method for developing symbols by which a word of intent is translated into a formal design. For example, Good Ciphers 1-12 includes handwritten lines like “Opening to a deeper sense of self” which incorporate gestural rune-like symbols made from the letters of the statement.
Recently he has exhibited at DCKT Contemporary
in New York, NY (2007, 2009). Velliquette was also included in group exhibitions "New American Talent - 21st Exhibition" (2006) at the Jones Center for Contemporary Art
in Austin, TX
and "We Are Electric" (2003) at Deitch Projects
in New York. Michael Velliquette, along with Leslee Fraser and artist Joey Fauerso, opened the Bower artspace in San Antonio, Texas in 2002. After three successful years of exhibitions and programs the space went on hiatus.
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
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Works
Velliquette began his career with hanging mobiles created from felt, Xerox prints, puffy paint, stickers and colored string. The pieces were composed of silhouettes of Velliquette’s profile. These works represent the artist fractured between his professional art career and his campy teenage self.Continuing his quest for self identity, Velliquette created an installation for the show "the ü in the i" at ArtPlace in Austin, TX, which transformed the gallery into a dream world reminiscent of a children’s TV show set. The installation included a bridge that appears to rise out of the water, two enormous hands that play a game of Cat’s Cradle, and a small hut made from cardboard. At first glance the work seems to be crafted by children, but upon closer observation the viewer notices the structural soundness of the work.
After his large installation pieces, Velliquette focused on making smaller scale paper collages. Although these works were two dimensional, they still included his rainbow palette and his love of camp. These collages are extremely intricate and contain several layers of cut paper with jagged edges. His 2007 exhibition, The Intuitive Jungle, included 12 scenes with beastly creatures that represent elements of the human consciousness like fear, wisdom or rage.
Velliquette’s recent three dimensional paper collages focuses on objects that possess devotional characteristics and reference totems, stupas and altars. Power Tower, for example, is strongly vertical and creates imagery reminiscent of ritualistic icons. He has also been working on what he calls his “Inner Beasts” which are inspired by mythological creatures and represent his own state of mind.
Velliquette continues to explore ornamental abstraction through his collages and drawings. In these works he uses hand-painted heavyweight paper which creates an intense color palette and contrast between the brushstrokes and the sharp edges of the cut paper. Velliquette has been influenced by the practice of stigilization, a method for developing symbols by which a word of intent is translated into a formal design. For example, Good Ciphers 1-12 includes handwritten lines like “Opening to a deeper sense of self” which incorporate gestural rune-like symbols made from the letters of the statement.
Recently he has exhibited at DCKT Contemporary
DCKT Contemporary
Founded in 2002, by Dennis Christie and Ken Tyburski, DCKT Contemporary is a contemporary art gallery based in New York's Lower East Side. The gallery represents emerging and established contemporary artists. Its programming ranges from, but is not limited to, painting and sculpture to video art...
in New York, NY (2007, 2009). Velliquette was also included in group exhibitions "New American Talent - 21st Exhibition" (2006) at the Jones Center for Contemporary Art
Arthouse at the Jones Center
Arthouse at the Jones Center is a 5013 conforming non-profit visual arts organization based in Austin, Texas. It is the oldest statewide visual arts organization in Texas, and the only statewide visual arts organization dedicated entirely to contemporary art....
in Austin, TX
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and "We Are Electric" (2003) at Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects was a contemporary art gallery in New York City founded by Jeffrey Deitch.-History:Since opening with a performance by Vanessa Beecroft in February 1996, the gallery has presented nearly one hundred and eighteen solo exhibitions and projects, ten thematic exhibitions, and a few...
in New York. Michael Velliquette, along with Leslee Fraser and artist Joey Fauerso, opened the Bower artspace in San Antonio, Texas in 2002. After three successful years of exhibitions and programs the space went on hiatus.
Permanent Collections
- Progressive Art Collection, Cleveland, OH
- San Antonio Museum of ArtSan Antonio Museum of ArtThe San Antonio Museum of Art is a museum in San Antonio, Texas. In the early 1970s, plans were initiated to purchase the historic Lone Star Brewery complex for conversion into the San Antonio Museum of Art and following a $7.2 million renovation, the San Antonio Museum of Art opened to the...
, San Antonio, TX - The State of Wisconsin Collection, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Madison, WI
- Western Bridge, Seattle, WA
Awards
- Texas Prize Nominee, Arthouse, Austin, TX
- Dozier Travel Grant, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
- Marie Kohler-Knapp Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Solo Exhibitions
- DCKT ContemporaryDCKT ContemporaryFounded in 2002, by Dennis Christie and Ken Tyburski, DCKT Contemporary is a contemporary art gallery based in New York's Lower East Side. The gallery represents emerging and established contemporary artists. Its programming ranges from, but is not limited to, painting and sculpture to video art...
, New York, NY - Inner Beasts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
- LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
- Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
- Ratio 3, San Francisco, CA
- The you in the I, curated by Lawrence Rinder, Artpace, San Antonio, TX
Two-Person and Group Exhibitions
- PaperWork in 3D, Shelburne Art Museum, Shelburne, VT
- David Shelton Gallery, San Antonio, TX
- Psychedelic: Optical and Visionary Art since the 1960s, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX
- Art on Paper 2010: The 41st Exhibition, Weatherspoon Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
- Wisconsin Triennial, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI
- Slash: Paper Under the Knife, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Residencies
- 2009 John Michael Kohler Arts CenterJohn Michael Kohler Arts CenterThe John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a not-for-profit art museum located in downtown Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The original house at the facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the John Michael Kohler House...
, Sheboygan, WI - 2008 SIM Artist Residency, Reykjavik, Iceland
- 2008 Vermont Studio CenterVermont Studio CenterThe Vermont Studio Center is a non-profit organization located in the town of Johnson in the U.S. state of Vermont. VSC conducts the largest fine arts and writing residency program in the U.S., with a significant population of international artists in residency...
, Johnson, VT - 2007 Millay Colony for the ArtsMillay Colony for the ArtsThe Millay Colony for the Arts is an artist residency program in Austerlitz, New York. The colony offers one month residencies to visual artists, writers, poets and composers. The Millay Colony for the Arts was founded in 1973 by Norma Millay Ellis, sister of the poet Edna St...
, Austerlitz, NY - 2004 Artpace International Artist-In-Residence Program, Artpace Foundation for Contemporary Art,San Antonio, TX