James Huckenpahler

Bio

James Huckenpahler is an artist, educator, curator and lifelong Washingtonian. His laptop is his studio, and his practice firmly grounded in the digital realm. While contemporary technologies are generally considered a boon, his work encourages a critical assessment of the ways those tools can also limit our creative choices. He has taught extensively at The Corcoran School of Art and at George Washington University, encouraging his students and broader audiences to consider the ways in which off-the-shelf technology might be used other than the manufacturers intent, and even—echoing DC’s tradition of punk DIY—to build one’s own tools. His work is represented in Washington DC by Hemphill Fine Arts. He is a member of FURTHERMORE, a research and development lab for visual culture and for sustainable art communities, is a fellow of Provisions Research Library, and currently serves on the advisory board of Transformer, non-profit, artist-centered organization that connects and promotes emerging artists locally, nationally and internationally.

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Solo Exhibitions

2011 

Feature-length Painting, House Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

2007 

Mindless Pleasures, Hemphill, Washington, DC

2004 

Places I’ve Never/Always Been, Fusebox, Washington, DC

2002 

Age of Loneliness, Fusebox, Washington, DC

2000 

TRADE, Marilyn Kiang Gallery, Atlanta, GA

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Selected Group Exhibitions

2018

Future Past: Experiments in Photography, Tracey Morgan Gallery, Asheville, NC

CMD+F, Hemphill, Washington, DC

Deep Flash: Art and Transformation, VisArts, Rockville, MD

2017

The Hand Print Workshop: Twenty Years of Partnership in Print, Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA

Local Legends, VisArts, Rockville, MD

2016 

Phantom Practices, Revolve, Asheville, NC

2015 

The Wall in Our Head, Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, Haverford College, Haverford, PA

Flock, Revolve, Asheville, NC

2014 

(re)activate, Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington, DC

Art as Research, George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Give and Take, Ashville Area Arts Council, Ashville, NC

The Wall in Our Head, Goethe Institut, Washington, DC

2013 

Artist-Citizen, Hemphill, Washington, DC

COLLECTIVE SHOW, Neter Artspace, Mexico DF

Manufactured Reality, Barry Gallery, Marymount College, Arlington, VA

2012 

Parks & Passages, The Goethe Institut, Washington, DC

2011 

The Final Girl, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

Project Project, Anne Bondurant Trinkle Gallery, Roanoke, VA

2010 

Catalyst, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

2008

Quart Bag, Civilian, Washington, DC

Pattern Recognition, Adamson Gallery, Washington, DC

15 for Philip, Curator’s Office, Washington, DC

2007 

Supple, Warehouse, Washington, DC

2005

A Summer Group, Charles Cowles Gallery, New York, NY

Corcoran Biennial, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

2004

Align, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA

2003

Art on the Digital Edge, Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD

Situation Room, Boyden Gallery, St. Mary’s College, MD

2002

Artpoint [in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach], Miami, Florida

Surfacing, 57N, Washington, DC

2001

Selections, Rockville Arts Place, Rockville, MD

Team Fusebox, Fusebox, Washington, DC

2000

Objects of Desire, David Adamson Gallery, Washington, DC

Signal | Signal, Troyer Gallery, Washington, DC

1999

Council Room: The Artist Heraldry Show, McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA

Hypersalon, Prints and Multiples, McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA

1998

Crosscurrents 98: Pure-view, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Fiction: Conditions for Creation, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

1996

Ten—the Corcoran School of Art Print Portfolio, Gallery K, Washington, DC

1992

Art and Technology, Hodson Gallery, Hood College, Frederick, MD

1991

Burn Time, Olshonski Gallery, Washington, DC and George Frazer Gallery,
Auckland, New Zealand

1989

Forgetting: A Performance/Installation [students in collaboration with Mel Chin],
Blum Helman Warehouse, New York, NY and Corcoran College of Art and Design,
Washington, DC

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Curatorial Projects

2018

Random Playlist, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

2017

Beltway Public Works: Lending Library, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC
(with Patrick McDonough, Natalie Campbell and José Ruiz)

2016

Intersection Mixtape, public art project at Bates and North Capitol Streets, Washington, DC
(with Patrick McDonough, Natalie Campbell and José Ruiz)

Diamond Dust: Inside the Beltway, Gallery 102, Washington DC
(with Patrick McDonough, Natalie Campbell and José Ruiz)

2015 

#GIFShop, Artist-Run Art Fair, Baltimore MD (with José Ruiz)

Mood Board, Furthermore, Washington DC (with José Ruiz)

Ceci N’est Pas Une T.V., George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2014 

A Layered History, Furthermore, Washington DC (with José Ruiz)

McSAD, Furthermore, Washington DC (with José Ruiz and Patrick McDonough)

2013 

Peace, Love, Insurgency, Furthermore, Washington DC

Personal Effects, Furthermore, Washington DC (with José Ruiz)

2003 

Meat & You, Strand on Volta, Washington, DC

1998 

Fiction: Conditions for Creation, WPA, Washington, DC

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Select Bibliography

2018

Rousseau, Claudia. “East City Art Reviews: CMD + F at Hemphill Fine Arts,” East City Art, July 30, 2018

2015

The Wall in Our Heads: American Artists and the Berlin Wall, 2015, exhibition catalog

2013 

The Inscrutible Women of Pompeii, NC, 2013, self-published ‘zine

2012 

Feature Length Painting, 2012, self-published ‘zine

2008 

Van Tomme, Niels. “James Huckenpahler: Mindless PLeasures.”
Extra, Summer 2008: 34.

2007 

Capps, Kriston. “Render Bender.” Washington City Paper, November 21, 2007

Mindless Pleasures, 2007, exhibition catalog

2005

The 48th Corcoran Biennial: Closer to Home, 2005, exhibition catalog

2004

O’Sullivan, Michael. “Transforming 14th Street.” Washington Post, September 24, 2004,
Weekend Section 40.

2003

O’Sullivan, Michael.  “Digital Doings On the Eastern Shore.” Washington Post,
March 14, 2003, Weekend Section 37.

Situation Room, 2003, exhibition catalog

2002

Howell, George. “Reviews: Mid-Atlantic.” Art Papers Magazine, July/August 2002: 42.

Gopnik, Blake.  “Here and Now.” Washington Post, March 31, 2002, sec. G:3.

2001

O’Sullivan, Michael.  “Distinctive ‘Selections’.”  Washington Post, December 14, 2001,
Weekend Section 60.

2000

Van Houten, Corinne. “James Huckenpahler.” Art Papers Magazine,
November/December 2000:  35-36.

Cullum, Jerry. “Visual Arts.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 7, 2000, illus.

Feaster, Felicia. “Skin Trade.” Creative Loafing, July 5, 2000, illus.: 40.

O’Sullivan, Michael. “On Exhibit.” Washington Post, February 4, 2000,
Weekend Section 24.

Protzman, Ferdinand. “Sending Strong Signals.” Washington Post, January 20,
2000, illus., sec. C: 5.

Signal | Signal,  2000, exhibition catalog

1998

Fiction: Conditions for Creation, 1998, exhibition catalog

Armstead, Kenseth. “Race and Visual Representation.” Art Journal, Fall, 1998:  4.Huckenpahler, James. “Cooks Smell Time” Articulate, Summer 1998: 6.

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Related Professional Activities

2017

Desktop, site-specific 2-channel video installation at Hemphill@1700L, Washington DC

2016 

Presenter, Ghosts in the Machine: Finding Craft in the Digital,
at the photo+craft conference, Asheville, NC

Presenter, Seventh Annual New Media Caucus Showcase,
at CAA Conference, Washington DC

2013-present

Partner, Furthermore, LLC, Washington, DC

2013

Residency, Elsewhere, Greensboro, NC

2012

Residency, Provisions Library, Washington, DC

2010-present 

Fellow, Provisions Library, Washington, DC

2008

Video projection design, “Thicker Than Water,” Warehouse, Washington, DC

Video projection design, “The Marriage of Bette and Boo,” Black Box Theater,
Takoma Park, MD

2007

Video projection design, “Dark Rapture,” Black Box Theater, Takoma Park, MD

Fellowship, DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities

2006

Visiting artist, University of Illinois at The Phillips Collection Center for the
Study of Modern Art, Washington, DC

Visiting artist, Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, DC

2005-2007

Blogger, Covert City

Contributor, Artists Unite

2005

Visiting artist, Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, DC

Panelist, Baltimore/DC Arts Forum, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD

2004

Artist-in-residence, St. Mary’s College, St. Mary’s, MD

2002-present 

Advisory Board, Transformer, Washington, DC

2002

Participant, Project One Porfolio, Hand Print Workshop International,
Alexandria, VA

Panelist, Washington Artists, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

2000-2003

Blogger-in-chief, 5 Things

1999-2002

Advisory Board Member, Washington Project for the Arts\Corcoran,
Washington, DC; Chair, Programming Committee, 2001-2002

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Teaching

2016-present

Thesis Advisor, Curatorial Practice, Maryland Institute College of Art,
Baltimore, MD.

2009-2017

Lecturer in Art, Department of Fine Arts and Art History,
The George Washington University, Washington, DC

2004

Visiting Faculty, Fine Art Department, St. Mary’s College of Maryland,
St. Mary’s, MD

1995

Instructor, Computer Graphics Department, Montgomery College,
Rockville, MD

1989-1996

Instructor, Computer Graphics Department,
Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC

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Education

1990

B.F.A., Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, DC