Steve MacDonald
Artist Statement/Bio
Tell me, O Muse, why the needle makes its encounter with the canvas, leaving a trace of red thread, minute and delicate but vast in its repetition? The reoccurrence of red thread becomes a wandering but deliberate journey bearing stories of science-fiction; romance in a waking dream. Enter the allegorical cast of icons: the unicorn, the hunting birds, Pegasus, electro bunnies, diamonds, the gentle fawn, the seductive orchid amidst a changing Utopia….so begins our Odyssey in red thread.
Steve MacDonald creates embroidered paintings and coo-coo clocks on fields of golden canvas. His work is inspired by an eclectic blend of mythological elements, science-fiction, and Japanese landscapes. Together his composite themes spawn a curious strand of modern day neo-folklore, provoking active and spontaneous references…“Clash of the Titans” meets “Tron,” for example. Each piece depicts a different segment of an evolving, and intricate fable. This visual journey stands to prove that all that glitters is gold.
Steve MacDonald is a San Francisco based artist who uses his antique Singer sewing machine not only to create paintings and coo-coo clocks, but he also brings the magic of his embroidery to an assortment of urban accessories including bike messenger bags, hoodies, frame pads and more. His most recent exhibits include; Checkpoint/Bicycle Art Show, a group show at the Red Ink Studios, San Francisco, Ramblin Worker, a solo exhibit at Di Pietro Todd, San Francisco, and Goodbye Exclusive World, a group show at the Outrageous Look Gallery, Brooklyn. Steve MacDonald’s next big project is to leave his trademark embroidery on the upholstery throughout the Max Fish watering hole, New York City.
Biography: Education
1998 MFA, University of California, Berkeley, CA
1995 BFA, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
1993 Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Summer Residency,Gatlinburg, TN
Upcoming Exhibits
Max Fish, 2nd Annual Swipple Show, New York, NY - February 2006
Bucheon Gallery, San Francisco, CA –March 2006
Outrageous Look, Brooklyn, NY – July 2006
Exhibits
2005
Anno Domini, FRESH PRODUCE, San Jose,CA
SomaARTS Gallery, Visual Aid’s Twelfth Annual BIG DEAL Benefit Show, San Francisco,CA
Smart Gals Speakeasy, Featured Artist, Los Angeles,CA
Jupiter Hotel, Affair @ the Jupiter Hotel, Portland, OR
Red Ink Studios, Check Point/Bicycle Art Show,
San Francisco,CA
Bucheon Gallery, Is There Really Summer in San Francisco? San Francisco,CA
diPietro Todd, RamblinWorker Show, San Francisco,CA
Outrageous Look, Good-bye Exclusive World, Brooklyn,NY
Max Fish, Swipple Show, New York, NY
2004
Mikorp Gallery, The White Show, San Francisco, CA
12 Galaxies, Handmade Fashion Show, San Francisco, CA
Kansas City Downtown Alternative Space, KCAI Alumni Show, Kansas City, MO
Artists (web) Space - On-Line Exhibition, Cuckoo Clocks & Power Lines, www.swipple.com
2003
The Attic, (Untitled) Solo Show, San Francisco, CA
EDO, (Untitled) Group Show, San Francisco, CA
2000
300 Meserole, Roof Top Summer Film Festival, Brooklyn NY
1999
Max Fish, The Horse Show, New York, NY
1998
Pacific Film Archive, Eisner Prize Winner Film Show,
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley Art Museum, MFA/UCB, Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, (catalog) Berkeley, CA
1997
Worth Ryder Art Gallery, Level Playing Field, Berkeley, CA
1996
Worth Ryder Art Gallery, New Graduate Student Exhibition, Berkeley, CA
1995
Kemper Museum of Art and Design, Senior Exhibition,
Kansas City, MO
KCAI Student Gallery, The Chicken Coop Show, Kansas City, MO
1994
KCAI Student Gallery, Confluence Group Sculpture Exhibit, Kansas City, MO
KCAI Auditorium, Sculpture, Fashion Show and Rude Dinner, Kansas City, MO
KCAI Student Gallery, The Ashtray Show, Kansas City, MO
Country: United States
E-mail: ramblinworker@yahoo.com
Site: ramblinworker