Barry McGee
Barry McGee is a revered figure in the West Coast graffiti subculture (typically associated with the skater and surfer communities). McGee makes drawings, paintings, and mixed-media installations inspired by urban culture that incorporate elements such as empty liquor bottles and spray-paint cans, tagged signs, wrenches, and scrap wood or metal. McGee is also a graffiti artist, having produced work on the streets since the 1980s under the tag name “Twist”; his signature motif is the face of a man with sagging, tired eyes, rendered in an efficient linear style.
McGee and his wife, artist Margaret Kilgallen were featured in the film Beautiful Losers, a 2008 documentary about Street Art and the DIY aesthetic.
Born 1966 in San Francisco, CA
Lives and works in San Francisco, CA
EDUCATION
B.F.A. in Painting & Printmaking, San Francisco Art Institute, 1991
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2023
Earthworm, Perrotin, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2022
Everyday sunrise, Perrotin, Seoul, South Korea
2021
Fuzz Gathering, Perrotin, Paris, France
TAR PIT, Eighteen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2020
Potato Sack Body, Perrotin, Tokyo, Japan
2019
Barry McGee, The Other Side, Perrotin, Hong Kong
2018
Little Savage, Eighteen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Barry McGee, Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society, Bellport, New York, US
Barry McGee, SB Mid Summer Intensive, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, US
Barry McGee, Cheim & Read, New York, US
2016
Barry McGee, MC06, Monster Children Magazine, Sydney, Australia
2015
FUD, Barry McGee & Todd James, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
China Boo, Ratio 3, San Francisco, US
2014
Barry McGee with Clare Rojas, Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Rome, Italy
2013
FOCUS: Barry McGee, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, US
Barry McGee, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, US
Barry McGee, Cheim & Read, New York, US
2012
Barry McGee, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California, US
Barry McGee, Prism Gallery, West Hollywood, California, US
2011
New Work, Modern Art, London, UK
2010
Leave It Alone, Barry McGee & Clare Rojas, Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, California, US
Brush Strokes, aka Lydia Fong with Todd James, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen Denmark
The Last Night (two person show with HuskMitNavn), Alice Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
2009
Mindthegap (two person show with Phil Frost), PRISM, Los Angeles, US
The Last Night (two person show with HuskMitNavn), Alice Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
Mr Brown, Galleria, Alessandra Bonomo, Rome, Italy
2008
A Moment for Reflection: New Work by Lydia Fong, Ratio 3, San Francisco, US
They Don’t Make this Anymore, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Barry McGee & Clare Rojas, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, US
2007
The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
Butler Gallery, Kilkenney Castle, Ireland
Advanced Mature Work, Redcat Gallery, Los Angeles, US
2006
We Have a Friend in Common, Nicolai Wallner Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
The Art of Robert Pimple, Paule Anglim Gallery, San Francisco, US
2005
Easy Tonto, Stuart Shave/Modern Art, London, UK
One More Thing, Deitch Projects, New York, US
John Kaldor Art Projects, Metropolitan Meat Market, Melbourne, Australia
Things Are Really Getting Better, Museum Het Domein, Sittard, Netherlands
2004
Meat Market Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Boston, US
John Kaldor Projects, Sydney, Australia
2002
Prada Foundation, Milan, Italy
Modern Art, London, UK
Paule Anglim, San Francisco, US
2000
UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, US
1999
Hoss, Rice Universtiy Art Gallery, Houston, US
The Buddy System, Deitch Projects, New York, US
1998
Regards, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. US
1995
Installation, Art & Design Studio/ K&T Lionheart LTD, Boston, US
1994
Installation, Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, US
1993
Installation, Museum Laser Segall, Sao Paulo, Brazil
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
V1 XX - Twenty years of V1 Gallery, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2020
MINE IV, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019
MINE III, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017
10th Anniversary, Gallery Target, Tokyo, Japan
The Present Tense: R. Crumb / Barry McGee, Ratio 3, San Francisco, US
Stay Gold – Todd James, Geoff McFetridge, Barry McGee and Thomas Campbell, VI Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Sea Sick in Paradise, curated by Amy Yao, Malibu Village and Dean & Deluca, Malibu, California, US
Big Sky Little Moon: Barry McGee and Clare Rojas, Watrai-um Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2016
New to the Cantor, Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, Stanford, California, US
2015
Auto Body, Bellport, New York, US
2014
Green Circle, Black Diamond, Ration 3, San Fransisco, US
… And Color, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Fransisco, US
Department of Neighborhood Services, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, US
ENERGY THAT IS ALL AROUND, San Fransisco Art Institute Walter and McBean Galleries, San Fransisco, US
2013
Proximities 2: Knowing Me, Knowing You, Asian Art Museum of San Fransisco, San Fransisco, US
(Almost) Free-Formed: Chris Johanson, Barry McGee, and Laurie Reid in collaboration, City College Art Gallery, San Fransisco, US
2012
Postcards from the Edge, 14th Annual Cheim and Read, New York, US
Contemporary Arts Centre, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, US
The Road Ahead, Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California, US
2011
Art in the Streets, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, US
After Hours: Murals on the Bowery, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, New York, US
Freeflow, Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California, US
I Love Art 11, Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
New York Minute, Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow, Russia
In the Moment: Artists, The Luggage Store, San Francisco, US
50 Years of Bay Area Art, San Francicsco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California, US
2010
Outside The Box, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA, US
They Knew What They Wanted, Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, CA, US
Transfer, Brazilian Cultural Pavilion, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo, Brazil
Viva la Revolución: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA, US
Barry McGee & Clare Rojas, Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, CA, US
Pleasure Point: Celebrating 25 Years of Contemporary Collectors, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA, US
2009
75 Years Looking Forward: The Anniversary Show, San Francisco, US Museum of Modern Art mindthegap, Prism, Los Angeles, LA, US
New York Minute, MACRO FUTURE, Rome, Italy
Lyon Biennale, Lyon, France
Born in the streets-Graffiti, Foundation Cartier, Paris, France
Liberation Upon Contact, Ratio 3, San Francisco, US
Barry McGee / Ed Templeton / Raymond Pettibon, Circleculture Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Galaxy: A Hundred or So Stars Visible to the Naked Eye, University of California, Berkeley Art Museum, US
2008
Len Lye : A Colour Box, Arcade Fine Arts, London, UK
Dripsy, Galerie Olivier Robert, Paris Life on Mars, the 55th Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, US
2007
Alpha, Ratio 3, San Francisco EUPHORION, Pierogi Gallery, Leipzig, Germany
Kinky Sex (Makes the World Go ‘Round), Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery, Los Angeles, US
2006
Meditations In An Emergency, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Michigan, US
Spank the Monkey, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK
Summer Show, Stuart Shave/Modern Art, London, UK
2005
On Line, The Louisiana Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
2004
Monument to Now, The Dakis Joannou Collection, Athens, Greece
Beautiful Losers, The Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinatti, US
Beautiful Losers, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, October 3, San Francisco, US
2002
Liverpool Biennale, Liverpool Drawing Now, Museum of Modern Art, New York, US
2001
Holdfast, Barry McGee & Margaret Kilgallen, Deste Foundation Centre for Contemporary Art, Athens, Greece
Un Art Populaire, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France
Widely Unknown, Deitch Projects, New York, US
Venice Biennial, Venice, Italy
2000
Street Market, Parco Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Street Market, Deitch Projects, New York, US
Indelible Market, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, US
1998
Art From Around the Bay, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, US
1997
Drawing Installation-Galerie Tanya Rumpff, Harlem Drawing Today, San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, US
John Bergruen Gallery, San Francisco, US
1996
SECA Art Award, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, US
WAVEFORMS, Santa Cruz, US
Figureheads & Red Herrings, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, US
Acme Custom, Acme Gallery, San Francisco, US
Wall Drawings, The Drawing Center, New York, US
City Folk, Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, US
1995
Degenerate Art, The Lab, San Francisco, US
Post No Bills, Acme Gallery, San Francisco, US
Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland Missed Connections, Market Street Installation, Luggage Store/509 Cultural Center Annex, San Francisco, US
Installation, Street Art Exhibition, Los Angeles, US
The Library, New Langton Arts, San Francisco, US
Big Jesus Trash Can, Victoria Room, San Francisco, US
1993
Twelve Bay Area Painters: The Eureka Fellowship Winners, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, US
Texture of Nature, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, US
Folklore, Luggage Store, 509 Cultural Center, San Francisco , US
Installation, La Raza Graphics Center, San Francisco, US
1992
U.C. Santa Cruz, Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery, Santa Cruz, US
1991
Wet Paint, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, US
3/Play, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, US
Installation, Diego Rivera Galley, San Francisco, US
Wall of Resistance, Wall of Shame, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, US
Art Against the War. A.T.A. Gallery, San Francisco, US
Multicultural Show, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, US
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2012
Barry McGee, University of California, Pacific Film Archive, Distributed Art Publishers
2010
Barry McGee, Alleged Press, Damiani Editore
2008
Gateshead: Barry McGee, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, The Art Newspaper, March, p. 53 Barry McGee, MUSAC, Volume II, p. 318-32
2007
Sarica, Frederico. Don’t Stop: Dumbo and Barry McGee in Conversation, Mousse, September- November, p. 83-85
2006
La ley de la calle se impone en ARCO, que tira de artistas urbanos, de spray y de graffity, El Pais, February 11, p. 60 Azkarraga, Joseba. Punto de Mira, La Razon, February 10, p. 3
Torres, G. David. The Power of Urban Art, ABCDARCO, February 12,
p. 13
Virus, El Zirus. _One More Thing, Series B, p. 78-81
Fallah, Amir H. Barry McGee, Beautiful Decay, December 2006,
p. 90-98
2005
Things are Really Getting Better, Museum Het Domein Sittard
Kold, Anders. Noget tegner sig, Louisana Magasin, November, p. 34
Mendelsohn, Adam E. Review, Time Out New York, July 14
Steyck, C.R. One More Thing, Juxtapoz, Fall special
Deitch Projects, Artnews, October, p. 164
Beck, Olly. Nightmare on Vyner Street, The Critical Friend, p. 6-9
Deitch Projects, The New Yorker, July
Smith, Roberta. Urban Outsider Artists Evoke Society’s Margins, The New York Times, August 3
Lack, Jessica. Riot On An Empty Street, i-D, September
Johnson, Dominic. Review, Frieze, September J.L.
The Guide, Guardian, September 17, p. 37
Heuer, Megan. Barry McGee: One More Thing, The Brooklyn Rail, July/August
2004
Barry McGee, Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University
Safe, Georgina. From a Different Cloth, The Weekend Australian, October 30-31
Perez, Christopher. Review, Contemporary
Barclay, Alison. Just Spraying Alive, Herald Sun, October 26
Roberts, Jo. How’s this for a Twist?, the Age, October 27, pg. 73
Pheasant, Bill. Melbourne’s Meat Market a Work for Modern Art,
The Australian Financial Review, October 28, pg. 48
Prada, Progetto. Fondazione Prada, Milan
Bennett, Oliver. The Quality of Mersey, The Observer Review, September 15
2002
Mandrini, Riccarda. Street Art, L’Uomo Vogue, August
Baker, Alex. Stickers, Street Markets, Fantasy Folks Ruminations from Philadelphia, Tokyo, May/June
Joo, Eungie, The New Folk, Flash Art, May/June
Helfand, Glen. Barry McGee, Artforum.com, May 16
Giovannini, Stefano. Talent Show, Nylon, February
Heartney, Eleanor. Speaking for Themselves, Art in America, February, p. 53-55
Joo, Eungie. The New Folk, Flash Art, May/June
Powers, Bill. Quiet! Dad is Dusting His G.I Joes, The New York Times, December 30
Smith, Roberta. Widely Unknown, The New York Times, December 14
2001
Aletti, Vince. Top 10 of 2001, Artforum, December
Juxtapoz, September/October, p. 6
Schmidt, Jason. The Venice Biennale, V Magazine, September/October
Birnbaum, Daniel. More is Less, ArtForum, September, p. 55-57
Cohen, Michael. Street Market, Flash Art, January/February Strength, March
Amos, Sandy. Street Market, zingmagazine
Valdez, Sarah. Street Market at Deitch Projects, Art in America, December
Avgikos, Jan. Street Market, ArtForum, December
Oliver, Suzanne. Bombs Away, The Face, November, p. 50
Yablonsky, Linda. Street Market, Time Out New York, November 2-9
2000
Street Market exhibition catalogue, Japan: Little More Publishers
Baker, Alex. Indelible Market exhibition catalogue, Philadelphia: Institute of Contemporary Art
Flannigan, Eileen. SoHO Exhibit Sparks Mental Flames, New York Amsterdam News, October 26- November 1
Juicy Fruits, Tokion, November-December 2000
Tokyo Jammin’, October 2000
Siegal, Nina. Exhibit Becomes Opportunity for Arrest, The New York Times, October 10, p. B4
Stecyk, C.R. Some Other Small Planet, Super X Media, April
Venus, Rosa. The Artists in Their Studios, Flaunt Magazine, March
1999
Buddy System exhibition catalogue, New York: Deitch Projects
Mccormick, Carlo. Barry McGee’s Twist of Faith, Paper, p. 33
Leffingwell, Edward. Barry McGee at Deitch Projects, Art in America
Scherr, Apollinaire. Stealing Beauty, San Francisco Magazine, November
Smith, Roberta. The New York Times, April
Blake, Nayland. Barry McGee, Interview Magazine, February, p. 44-46
Kalm, James. Old School, New School, NY Arts
1998
Caniglia, Julia. ArtForum, 1998
1996
Bonetti, David. San Francisco Examiner, September 1996
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art, New York
San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art
Berkeley Museum of Art and Pacific Film Archive
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
The New Art Gallery, Walsall, England
Fondazione Prada, Venice, Italy
AWARDS
1996 SECA Art Award San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
1994 The Creative Work Fund, Walter and Elise Haas Fund
1993 Lila Wallace, Readers Digest International Artist Program Eureka Fellowship, Fleishaker Foundation
1991 Merit Scholarship, San Francisco Art Institute Reed, John. Review, Time out New York, September 29
1990 Carson Paper Award Merit Scholarship, San Francisco Art Institute
1989 Sobel Scholarship, San Francisco Art Institute
TEACHING
1998
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
1996
Young Mission Power, Mission Cultural Center, San Francisco
1992
California Conservation Corps, Franklin Park Mural
Life on the Water/School of the Arts, Installation, San Francisco
McClymonds High School, Artist Resident Program, Oakland, CA
1991
McClymonds High School, Visiting Artist Program, Oakland, CA
COMMISIONS
1995
Muni Key Stop Program, San Francisco Art Commission Wall Installation, 1035 Howars St., Creative Work Fund, San Francisco
1994
509 Cultural Center/San Francisco Redevelopemnt Agency
1992
Mural, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco S.F. Art Commission, Art In Transit Program, San Francisco
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