The Curious, The Useful, & The Strange

The Curious, The Useful & The Strange is a group show featuring the work of Axis Gallery’s five new members.

Over 35 years in existence, Axis Gallery in Sacramento is one of Northern California’s longest-running artist collectives.

"Come Together" Closing Reception August 15

‌On Sunday, August 15 from noon-5pm I'll be holding court for the final day of Come Together, an installation of drawings and other work at Iris Project in Venice, CA. Please stop by to see the show & have a beverage with me on the lawn!
Visitors must wear a mask to enter the gallery.

Iris Project | 953 Amoroso Place, Venice, CA 90291

*If you cannot make it to the gallery, you can click here to view a slideshow of the exhibition.

Come Together - Solo Exhibition at Iris Project

Saturday, July 24 from 12-3pm, I’ll be hanging out and drawing at Iris Project. Stop in and say hello!

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Come Together, Solo exhibition at Iris Project from July 10 - August 15, 2021.

Come Together features dozens of drawings & works on paper, preparatory drawings, sketchbooks, and videos.

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99 Typewriter Drawings Available from Curious Publishing

The book features the best of my “Typewriter Drawings” from the past year.

Click the button below to learn more and get one before they sell out. $25.

Curious Publishing presents 99 Typewriter Drawings

Back in January, I shared a digital catalog of drawings with a small number of my email newsletter recipients and readers of this blog. (you can read it here). I received a handful of requests for a physical book, but I didn’t think that it was really a possibility.

...until now!

99 Typewriter Drawings documents a recent series of drawings exploring offbeat combinations of image and text.
Each began with a typewritten fragment of text from a literary source such as Joseph Campbell, Andy Warhol, or self-help, and concluded with an improvised ink drawing.

Most spreads in 99 Typewriter Drawings include a QR code that opens a video on your phone, such as the one here.

Many of the drawings also appeared in time-lapse videos that were edited and uploaded to the web. The published videos, which are autonomous artworks of their own, are linked via QR Code in most spreads, allowing you to access another dimension of work instantly.

99 Typewriter Drawings is a full color, 5.5” X 8.5” perfect bound book of drawings completed between 2020-2021.

$25 from Curious Publishing

Available July 10, 2021

PRE-ORDER SALE: GET THE BOOK FOR JUST $15 IF YOU PURCHASE BEFORE JUNE 30

Interview - Shoutout LA

I did a short interview with Shoutout LA a little while ago and it was just published. Check it out!

https://shoutoutla.com/meet-frank-j-stockton-artist/
(The link opens in a new window, but the entire interview is pasted below)

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We had the good fortune of connecting with Frank J. Stockton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Frank J., let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I’m inspired by people who take the initiative to see their creative projects through.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Ten years ago, I was an editorial illustrator living in Brooklyn when I saw the paintings of Philip Guston for the first time. The raw imagery and tactile surfaces shocked me and I knew the moment I saw them that I was born to paint.
A series of abstract paintings based on the neighborhood of Park Slope earned my acceptance to grad school at UCLA in 2012. I was in over my head for the entire first year — it was like learning a new language. I can’t overstate how much I learned from fellow grads like Brooks Turner, Kim Truong, Emily Sudd, Paul Sepuya, Sarah Sarchin, Anthony Miserendino, Calvin Marcus, Ravi Jackson, and Bridget Beck, and from professors like Patty Wickman, Lari Pittman, and Roger Herman.

Most of my work uses line and color to depict fantasy and/or doomsday scenarios. I trust my intuition and in the collision of ideas above all else.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This summer I’m showing some new drawings at a gallery called Iris Project in the Venice Walk Streets, a pedestrian-only neighborhood with no city streets between homes.

I have a three year-old on the West Side, so my favorite spots are all outdoors and family-friendly. Burton Chase Park is right on the water in Marina Del Rey. It’s got a lot of grass, walking paths, and is nestled into the arena. There are lots of sailboats to look at, and plenty of sea lions lounging on the surrounding docks. The UCLA Sculpture Garden is also a wonderful place to explore. There are dozens of beautiful sculptures to look at and lots of grass and shade. Solstice Canyon is an easy hiking trail in Malibu that features the ruins of an old mansion nestled up against a waterfall and creek. You have to arrive really early because there aren’t enough parking spots.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Vanessa reminds me to celebrate the victories, big and small. I couldn’t do it without her.

Website: www.frankstockton.com

Instagram: @fjstockton

Twitter: @frankstockton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrankJStockton

Other: https://foundation.app/frankstockton

Iris Project Gallery: https://www.irisproject.com/

Summer 2020 Fundraiser

I’m excited to share that I am participating in an online art sale fundraiser to benefit the Cooperative Community of New West Jackson.

The Cooperative Community of New West Jackson has an innovative approach to community building and outreach that deserves support and attention right now. Please check out the link to learn about the good work they are doing.

My donated work for the fundraiser. Frame provided by Iris Project gallery in Venice Beach, CA.

Online Art Sale Fundraiser
Goes live on Saturday, July 25th at midnight, but with the password you can access it right now: https://www.skow2015forlife.com/ Password: SKOW2015

The Skowhegan Class of 2015 stands together in solidarity and support of civil justice and amplifying Black voices. We invite you to join us in the active fight against systemic oppression. 100% of the proceeds from this art sale will go to the Cooperative Community of New West Jackson.

Each of the artworks in the fundraiser are priced at just $300, and offered directly from the artist. The pictured work on paper by yours truly is 9x11 inches in a frame generously provided by Iris Project in Venice, CA. https://irisproject.com/

Participating Artists:
Alex Jackson, Anna Maria Gomez Lopez, Anna Queen, Annesofie Sandal, Cal Siegel, Charlotte Lagro, Elisa Harkins, Erica Wessmann, Erik Patton, Frank J. Stockton, Ginny Huo, Gonçalo Sena, James Maurelle, Jamie Williams, Jane Westrick, Jeff Prokash, Jesse England, Jim Leach, Jordan Seaberry, Madeline Hollander, Maia Cruz Palileo, Mathilde Ganancia, Neil Carroll, Nick Fagan, Nobutaka Aozaki, Oscar Rene Cornejo, Rachel Granofsky, Scott Anderson, Sophie Grant, Stephen Cottingham, Sean Glover.


The sale is first come, first served. Please click through the link and take a look. The password is SKOW2015.

It's been too long since the last time I reached out. Looking at my calendar, I see that it's been nearly a year since my last newsletter -- far too long. 2020 has been unexpectedly challenging for so many reasons, as you know. But I look forward to writing again before too long.

Group Show in Berlin, Germany - June 2019

At the end of this month, I am packing some artwork into a suitcase and heading to Berlin. As a part of the B-LA Connect Exchange, the SomoS Art House in Berlin will be hosting Nothing Special Los Angeles for a one-week exhibition. As the proprietor of this little space, I will be presenting the work of six California-based artists (including myself). The show will include work by:

Mark Flores, Julienne Fusello, Anthony Miserendino, Jeff St. Andrews, Frank J. Stockton, and William E. Jones.

Click here to view the Nothing Special's website. Please sign up for the mailing list if it looks like something you're interested in following. Nothing Special is also on Instagram as @nothingspeciallosangeles. B-LA Connect is on Instagram @b_la_connect. I will return to LA from Berlin on June 13.

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Nixed Index - 2019 Summer Exhibition at George Caleb Bingham Gallery in Columbia, MO

Another artwork starring the Scout, You're An Eagle Now is on display in Columbia, Missouri, this summer. Nixed_Index, curated by Nathan Halwel and Wilson Minshall of the University of Missouri's George Caleb Bingham Gallery, features work by "...13 emerging artists whose work visually engages with themes of reproduction..." I've written a little bit about this series already on Instagram, which you can read about, here.

Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction 2019

I donated a small painting for the Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction happening on Sunday, May 19. The Scout is an fragmentary image of an Eagle Scout borrowed from a vintage greeting card given to me as a gift. The Scout is the protagonist of most of my work from 2018. I think of him as a young Odysseus or Luke Skywalker, even. He's the archetype character from Campbell's Hero With 1,000 Faces, imperfectly shaped by hand. The Scouts was a rite of passage for many of my peers where I grew up. I was never a Scout, but I used to draw for the magazine.

Here's a link to the Paddle8 auction page where you can view and bid on works. All proceeds from the auction go to the Venice Family Clinic, which is a boon to the rapidly changing Venice Beach (and American) landscape. It's important that people like us contribute to the betterment of our fellow humans today, more than ever.

Event Horizon - Group Show at CMAY Gallery in Los Angeles

I'm happy to be in a group show with some fantastic painters opening this Saturday at CMAY Gallery on Wilshire Blvd. Extrapolating from the press release, "Event Horizon" was curated around a concept of artists who play in equal measures iconography and expressiveness. The chosen cohort consists Carlson Hatton, Hadley Holliday, Mira Schnedler, and myself. The works I am showing revisit the weeping super hero motif that is at the center of my "True Believers" series. A blubbering strongman's chubby tears take center stage in the two main works, and carry over to four other 12 x 9" auxiliary paintings. The show will be on display through June 29.

Upcoming Artist Talk on Instagram Live Feed

I was invited to give an Artist's Talk at Team One agency on Thursday, May 18th (today!). The hour-long talk is going to be about the evolution of my art practice over the years, my influences, and some of my thoughts on parenthood, creativity, and art. As an experiment, I've decided to do an "Instagram Live Feed" of the event, from about 3:30 until 4:30 pm, Pacific Standard Time. Feel free to watch and listen in here.

Happy 2019

Hello friends, and happy New Year!

2018 was a year of the highest highs and lowest lows for me in my professional and personal life. The year began with the birth of my first child, and the opening of my second solo show, Big House, at DENK gallery. In early August, Samuel Freeman Gallery presented a solo booth of my work at the Seattle Art Fair, and I was flying high until the sudden passing of my father from lymphoma turned my world upside-down. I’ve managed to stay relatively productive in the studio in the time since, but the heartbreaking loss of my dad underscored what is important to me in life beyond painting, which includes my family, friends, and the Los Angeles artist community.

• Odysseus Outwits the Giant & Untitled - New Paintings

• Big House Catalog w/ Limited Edition Linoleum-Print Dust Jacket Cover

• Nothing Special - Gallery Project Space

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New Paintings: Odysseus Outwits the Giant & James Joyce, Muscle Cars, Palm Trees

James Joyce, Muscle Cars, Palm Trees, 28 x 32 in., Oil on canvas, 2016-2018

Odysseus Outwits the Giant, 25 x 46 in., Oil on canvas with Artist's Frame, 2018

The series that kept me most occupied over the summer is a small group of paintings that stem from the You Are An Eagle Now work shown at the Seattle Art Fair. I cast the Eagle Scout as protagonist in several new “gutter” paintings that guest-star an appropriated image of James Joyce as the one-eyed proxy for Polyphemus. Follow me on Instagram (@fjstockton ) to see new works and works-in-progress.

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“Big House” Catalog w/ Limited Edition Linoleum-Print Dust Jacket Cover

The Big House printed catalog with Ltd. Edition Dust Jacket Cover. Contact for Availability.

I recently self-published a catalog documenting the installation and key works from the Big House show at DENK. Big House was comprised of 15 multi-paneled, mixed-media works composed as one cohesive installation of painting.

Each dust jacket for the Big House catalog features a spray-painted, hand-printed linoleum cut of the Two Palms motif, signed on the front and limited to an edition of 100. $250

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Nothing special los angeles - new exhibition project space

The Nothing Special features new work by Mark Flores & William E. Jones.

I’ve been working hard to tidy up a an area in my studio building to be used as a project space for showing the art of friends and colleagues. Nothing Special Los Angeles, is intended to become a space for conversations around contemporary art. You can follow Nothing Special on Instagram here, or just search for @nothingspeciallosangeles

The first show will feature new collages by artist and filmmaker William E. Jones, and a new dimensional painting by Mark Flores. William and Mark have been making work side-by-side for over 20 years, but have never done a two-person show together. I'm very grateful and excited to feature these new works in Nothing Special's inaugural show.

I will host public receptions from 3-6 pm on Sunday, January 13 and February 17, and by appointment.

Warmly,

Frank J. Stockton

Seattle Art Fair - August 2-5, 2018

On August 2-5, 2018, I will exhibit a booth of paintings at the Seattle Art Fair. The installation, entitled You're An Eagle Now, is a combination of 10 large and small works featuring bald eagles, Boy Scouts, and sinks of dirty dishes. I’ll be present for the duration of the fair. Stop by and say hello! Here is a link for complementary VIP passes to the fair, courtesy of Samuel Freeman: http://seattleartfair.com/tickets/samuelfreeman18-vip

You're an Eagle Now - Studio Preview

On July 23, 2018 from 7-10 pm, I will host a casual viewing party of You're An Eagle Now, an installation of paintings to be exhibited at the Seattle Art Fair next month. Food, libations, and a box fan will be provided to help keep you cool. Kindly RSVP if you would like to attend

Double-Jointed Spiral

In a previous newsletter I mentioned that I was organizing a collection of notes into a ‘zine. Double-Jointed Spiral is a collection of ideas and notes on art and painting, presented as poetry. DJS is organized into five chapters distinguished by color, bound by paperclips. Email me if you’d like to purchase one for $25 shipped in the U.S.A.

A New Addition to the Family!

On Tuesday, January 2nd, Vanessa and I welcomed our first baby into the world. He was born weighing 6 lbs., 12 oz., and has gained about two pounds in his first month. His hobbies include eating, sleeping, and rolling from front-to-back during tummy time. My new hobbies include changing diapers, staying awake into the wee hours of the morning, and taking him for walks around the neighborhood.

Exhibition Announcement: "BIG HOUSE" Solo Show at DENK Gallery

Hi everyone,

I’m delighted to announce that an upcoming solo show at Denk Gallery in the Downtown Arts District of Los Angeles opens soon.

January 20 - Feburary 17, 2018
Denk Gallery http://www.denkgallery.com/exhibitions/frank-j-stockton
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 20th from 7-9pm

AMERICAN GENRE: CONTEMPORARY PAINTING EXHIBITION AND SYMPOSIUM

American Genre: Contemporary Painting at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art in Portland, ME is a survey of contemporary art exploring the role of three historical painting genres as a framework of knowledge for understanding and contextualizing contemporary painting practices.

Swimmer, oil on un-stretched canvas, 57.5 x 72 in., 2017 (cropped)

When I attended the show’s opening back in July, I felt a tremendous sense of humility and gratitude to see my painting, Swimmer (2017), hanging alongside the work of some of my favorite painters working today.

On Friday, September 15th the Institute will host a daylong symposium and panel discussion featuring a handful of participating artists and writers, along with the critic Barry Schwabsky and the show’s curator, Michelle Grabner.

For further information on the show, click here: https://www.meca.edu/event/american-genre-contemporary-painting-exhibition/ For information about the symposium on September 15, click here: https://www.meca.edu/event/ica-meca-american-genre-painting-symposium/