James Huckenpahler
b. 1969, lives/works in Washington DC
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 has been a member of FURTHERMORE, a research and development lab for visual culture and for sustainable art communities, a fellow of Provisions Research Library, and on the advisory board of Transformer, non-profit, artist-centered organization that connects and promotes emerging artists locally, nationally and internationally.
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
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023
The Barlow Gilotti Collection, Katzen Museum, Washington, DC
2021
Union, Otis Street Arts Project, Mt. Rainier, MD
2019
Confluence, Otis Street Arts Project, Mt. Rainier, MD
2018
STRETCH, Greater Reston Arts Center, Reston, VA
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
2006
Redefined: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, 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
Curatorial Projects
2023
ALBERTOPALOOZA, Otis Street Arts Project, Mt. Rainier, MD
2020
Instruction Manual, AFA Gallery, Alexandria, VA
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)
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
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.
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
2013-2017
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
Visting 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
Teaching
2016-2019
Thesis Advisor, Curatorial Practice, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD.
2009-present
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 Education 1990 B.F.A., Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, DC