Karl Erickson

Karl Erickson (born 1973) is an American artist and professor. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, he works in a variety of digital mediums, including video, animation, and audio/visual performance.
Erickson's art contains themes of transformation, language, and environmentalism. He often uses “trans-species kinships”. to investigate how communication can be used to connect different entities such as plants, machines, animals, and humans.
== Career ==
Karl Erickson is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to that position, he taught at the College of Staten Island, LaGuardia Community College, Parsons School of Design at the New School, Rutgers University, and Ball State University. He also served as Program Coordinator for Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, organizing several large installations including The Minded Swarm, Circulation and Light Visit, and Taking a Bullet. In 2007, Erickson was named the Executive Director of the Dumbo Arts Center. In 2008, Erickson was named Director of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City. There, he produced their annual MoCCA Festival and co-created two exhibitions, From Richie Rich to Wendy the Good Little Witch: Harvey Comics and The Art of Archie Comics. The latter exhibition earned him a feature in Archie Digest Magazine #260 March 2010 in the seven-page story MoCCA Madness
== Artwork ==
His work has been written about in publications including The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Field Projects, Art F City, Radiator Arts, Flash Art International, New Art Examiner, ArtForum.com, Time Out Chicago, Cool Hunting, New City Art, and several artist projects. His own writing has been published in Field Projects, Notes on Looking, If the Head Fits, Wear It, The Uncanny Pioneer Valley, Dumbo Arts Center, X-tra Contemporary Art Quarterly, Cakewalk, In These Times, Artnet.com, and New Art Examiner. In 2020, he published his first peer-reviewed research paper, “Trans-Species Communication,” Practice Sharing – an online presentation of expanded approaches to language-based practice within the field of artistic research.
== Selected Exhibitions ==
==== Solo/Two-Person/Collaborative Exhibitions ====
2023
* Know No Now , TSI/Harland Snodgrass Gallery, Alfred University, Alfred, NY
2020
* Oh, bel_Air Sound Studio & Project Window, Chicago, IL (invited)
2019
* Are You Connect?, Electronic Arts Gallery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (invited)
* Karl Erickson and Laurie Nye, Day & Night Projects, Atlanta, GA (juried)
2014
* Monotonic Surfaces: An Account of the Arctic Regions, The Center for Strategic Art and Agriculture, Brooklyn, NY
2013
* Architecture and Morality, (with Andrew Falkowski), The Suburban, Oak Park, IL
2012
* 1st One Way, Then Another (with Andrew Falkowski), Box 13, Houston, TX
2009
* Be Almost Miraculous, Sea and Space Explorations, Los Angeles, CA
* Give the Past the Slip (with Andrew Falkowski), The Suburban, Oak Park, IL
2008
* Age of Empire (with Andrew Falkowski), Kristi Engle Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (catalog)
2007
* The Art of War (with Andrew Falkowski), High Energy Constructs, Los Angeles, CA
2005
* My Other Car is a Unicorn, Kristi Engle Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2002
* Karl Erickson, The Suburban, Oak Park, IL
==== Group Exhibitions ====
2022
* IDMAA 2022: WEIRD MEDIA Conference and Exhibition, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota, (curated by Patrick Lichty. Juried by Roger Boulay, Negin Ehtesabian, Brandon S. Gellis, Machiko Kusahara, Cynthia Beth Rubin, and Wade Wallerstein)
2021
* SECAC Juried Exhibition, Bolivar Art Gallery, School of Art / Visual Studies, University of Kentucky, (juried by Joey Yates Curatorial Director at KMAC Museum)
2020
* The End is Semipermeable, online exhibition, (juried by Tina Guo, Bao Nguyen, and Andri Schatz)
* Material Synthesis, Diffractive Media Space, https://www.ericsouther.com/copy-of-dmabout, (juried by Eric Souther)
* Megalith, part of The Wrong Biennial, https://megalith.metamerlabs.io/exhibits/ (curated by Metamer Labs: Jeremy Cahill & Seong-Young) (juried)
2019
* Screen2019: Climates, UMASS, Amherst, MA (juried by Colleen Keough)
* Performing Media Exhibition, Indiana University South Bend Art Gallery, South Bend, IN
2017
* Betwixt & Between, Muncie Makes Lab, Muncie, IN (curated by Erin Williams)
* look to the future-past, isthisit?, www.isthisitisthisit.com, (curated by Marilyn Roxie)
* Monkey Thunder 7, Gordy’s Fine Art, Muncie, IN
2016
* Art Faculty Biennial Exhibition 2016, Ball State University, Muncie, IN
* Monkey Thunder 6, Gordy’s Fine Art, Muncie, IN
* Giant Steps, King Street Station, Seattle, WA
2015
* VIEWS, New York Media Center by IFP, Brooklyn, NY
2014
* Group 6.0: Everything & Nothing-Part 1, Spazio 522, New York, NY
2013
* A Study in Midwest Appropriation, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL (curated by Michelle Grabner) (catalog) 
2011
* To Tell The Truth, Monya Rowe Gallery, New York, NY
* Through the Warp, Regina Rex, Queens, NY 
* Signify, Sanctify, Believe, The Free Church of Public Fiction, Los Angeles, CA
2010
* 1°, Studio Theater Gallery, Middlesex County College, Middlesex, NJ
* Arbitrariness of Signs, Momenta Art, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Sara Reisman)(catalog)
* Welcome to the Neighborhood, William H Cooper Manufacturing, Chicago, IL
2009
* Schools Out, Marmion Academy, Aurora, IL
2008
* This Shadow is a Bit of Ideology, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL (curated by Anthony Elms)
2007
* Big Secret Cache, Angstrom Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
* Picnic Apparitions, Park Projects, Los Angeles, CA
* Paper Bombs, Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006
* Interstellar Low Ways, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL (curated by Anthony Elms)(catalog)
* Street Signs and Solar Ovens, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA (curated by Mark and Robby Herbst) (catalog)
* Louis Morris, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA (curated by Stuart Horodner)
* Fair Exchange: Los Angeles Artists Engage the L.A. County Fair, Millard Sheets Gallery, Pomona, CA (curated by Irene Tsatsos) (catalog)
2005
* Fine Words, Butter, No Cabbage, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL (curated by Anthony Elms)
2004
* A More Perfect Union, The Suburban Oak Park, IL
* A More Perfect Union, Max Fish, New York, NY
* Rebel, Rebel, New Chinatown Barbershop, Los Angeles, CA
* Spacemakers, Lothringer Dreizehn, Munich, Germany
2003
* Free Air, Crazy Space, Santa Monica, CA
* Drive Into the Sunset, Western Front, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2002
* Heaven Knows I Am Miserable Now, Low, Los Angeles, CA
* Messy Fingers, Track 16, Santa Monica, CA
2001
* Love, Freezing Cold, Los Angeles, CA
==== Selected Screenings ====
2021
* Performing Media Festival, Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN, on-line stream, https://youtu.be/GHQKktBh6DM, February 19, 2021 (juried)
2020
* Adjusting the Lens: Experimental Film and Video Festival, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN, December 5 (juried by Chalet Comellas Baker and Clinton Sleeper)
* Indie Memphis,"Aniexpialidocious (Animated Shorts)" program, Memphis, TN, October 21-29, (juried)
* Death Factory RETURNS, August 8, (invited) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/702564607
* Live Artist Show, Twitch online streaming event, hosted by Mary Jeys, July 19, 21 & 26 (invited) 
2019
* Indie Memphis, “Departures: Animated Shorts” program, Memphis, TN, November 2 (juried)
* Reverie, The Baumann, Brooklyn, NY, August 15 (juried by Triple 9 Arts)
* Here Comes Everybody, Episode 31-2, Experimental Public Access show
* Broadcast in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Portland, Olympia, Seattle & Chicago.
2018
* Kansas City Performing Media Festival, Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City, MO, September 29 (juried)
* That One Film Festival, Plyspace, Muncie, IN, April 7 (juried)
2016
* Trouble Found Me, Blacklight Film and Video at Sediment Arts, Richmond, VA, October 16
* Video Thunder, Muncie, IN, October 6
* Volta NY, presented by Field Projects, New York, NY, March 2-6
* Spaceness, Seaview, WA, February 19-21
* danubeVIDEOARTfestival, Grein, Austria, February 19-21
2015
* Form and Substance, Intercontinental Hotel in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach, December 2 – 5
* Trips, New York Media Center by IFP, Brooklyn, NY, September 3
2014
* Monotonic Surfaces: Live Video and Sound, ApexArt, NY, June 26
* Out to See, organized by Elisabeth Smolarz, South Street Seaport, NY, March 2
2013
* The Uncanny Pioneer Valley, Parsons Hall Project Space, Holyoke, MA, Nov. 25
* Video By Night, CREON Gallery, New York, NY, October 2
* Energy Strategies, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA, May 6
2012
* Artist Film Club (Scenes a Faire), Nitehawk Cinema, October 18 
2004
* Backyard Invitational, Lazy J, Los Angeles, CA
2000
* Video Parking Lot, Vedanta Gallery, Chicago, IL
==== Performances ====
2021
* Stupid Lepton A/V Performance, Memphis Concrète Experimental Music Festival, June 26, 2021
* Stupid Lepton A/V Performance, Memphis Concrète, on-line stream, February 19, 2021
2019
* Lay Your Body Down: Yin-Yoga Drone, with Daniel Chamberlain and Mark Perretta, Plyspace, Muncie, IN, June 30
* Venusian Krefeld, Lang Lab, South Bend, IN, February 28 2018 In C with Rhodes Orchestra, Dr. Evan Williams, music director, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, October 22
2018
* Untitled with Eric Souther, KnobCon 7, Schaumburg, IL, September 8
* Lay Your Body Down: Yin-Yoga Drone, with Daniel Chamberlain and Mark Perretta, Plyspace, Muncie, IN, July 25
* How To Heal With Color, Midwest Media Arts Audio-Visual Performances, The Oilwick, Indianapolis, IN, June 16
* Autonomous Reality Communities, Free Electron, LangLab Performance Art Theater, South Bend, IN, April 20
2017
* Motherless Mind-Children, Come Together: Bring Your Own Beamer, Muncie Makes Lab, Muncie, IN, November 18
* (Not My) Alien (Nation), David Owsley Museum of Art, Muncie IN, March 24
2014
* Meditation Rave Drone, Group 6.0: Everything & Nothing-Part 1, Spazio 522, New York, NY, May 10
* Cross Species Courting Rave Drone, with Eric Lindley, Winter Shack, Brooklyn, NY March 1
* Meditation Change Drone, Meat Cleavers and Screen Savers for the New Age, Kunsthalle Galapagos, Brooklyn, NY Feb. 10
2010
* A Van Down By The River: A Motivational Talk, Coral Street Arts House, Philadelphia, PA, July 1
2008
* Fat Farmer Bob and his Colourful Crazy Beard present Baby Boomers Fucked Everything: A Psychedelic Light Show, with Steve Anderson and Robby Herbst, music by The Faraway Places, Southern Exposure, San Francisco July 4
* Farmer Bob and his Colourful Crazy Beard present Drained and Boned: A Happy Goodtime Glance into the Dark Nighttime of the American Soul: a psychedelic lightshow, with Steve Anderson and Robby Herbst, Outpost for Contemporary Art, May 22
* Dude Dogg at Mandrake (bass player for art-rock band), August 23
* Dude Dogg at Pehrspace (bass player for art-rock band), April 25
2007
* Motivational Talk as part of Art Spa, Sea and Space Explorations, Nov. 25
* The Military Industrial Complex is Sucking the Living Blood of This Nation: A Psychedelic Lightshow, with Robby Herbst, Machine Project, Los Angeles, July 4
2006
* Fourth of Doom: A Psychedelic Lightshow, with Robby Herbst, Machine Project, Los Angeles, July 4
Category:1973 births
Category:American people
Category:Artists
Category:Professors