Stuckism in the United States

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Left to right: Charles Thomson with US Stuckists, Nicholas Watson, Terry Marks, Marisa Shepherd, Jesse Richards and Catherine Chow in Marks' New York apartment in 2001. The paintings on the wall are by her.

The Stuckist art group was started in London in 1999 to promote figurative painting and oppose conceptual art.^[1] The Stuckist movement begin in the United States the following year, when the first US Stuckist group was founded, since which others have been established across the US. Activities include art shows and demonstrations, some political in nature. There has also been international collaboration with UK Stuckists.

[edit] UK origin

The Stuckists were founded in the United Kingdom by Charles Thomson and Billy Childish with ten other artists in 1999 to oppose conceptual art and champion painting as the radical medium of self-discovery. The name was derived by Thomson from an insult by Tracey Emin to her ex-boyfriend Childish that he was "stuck", which he had recorded in a poem. The Stuckists have since become an accepted part of the UK art scene and are studied in the educational system, but still remain largely ostracized by the art establishment for their stringent criticisms of it, particularly of the Britart, the Saatchi Gallery and the Turner Prize. They have also launched the period of Remodernism—"A renewal of spirituality and meaning in art, culture and society".

[edit] Foundation in the United States

The Stuckism group in London was mentioned in the US media in 1999. In 2000, Susan Constanse founded the first US group The Pittsburgh Stuckists—the second group to be founded outside the UK. This was announced in the In Pittsburgh Weekly (November 1, 2000):

These are the first mentions of Stuckism in the US media.[1]

• CNN International (25.9.99) “a radical new art movement” Global broadcast on first show STUCK! STUCK! STUCK!
• Hotair, Chrissy Iley, Virgin Atlantic (Oct-Dec 99) “there is a serious point to all this... the Stuckists... are fundamentally opposed to the way that Brit Art favours the conceptual over all aesthetic considerations. `Brit Shit', as they refer to the work of Emin and her cohorts, has become all shock and no value.” The inflight glossy magazine.
• ARTnews, New York (June 00) “against works by young British artists, which they call ‘Brit shit’” Thomson painting.
• Resonance, Seattle (issue 28, Jan 00) Double page on Childish: five paintings (b/w)
• In Pittsburgh Weekly (1.11.00) “The new word in art is Stuckism. A Stuckist paints their life, mind and soul with no pretensions and no excuses.” Susan Constanse show ‘Personal Thunderstorms’ (Pittsburgh Stuckists).
• Pittsburgh City Paper (22.11.00) “the international anti-movement Stuckism. It sticks up for authenticity and spirituality found in non-professional art against the conceptual star system” Susan Constanse show (Pittsburgh Stuckists).
• National Public Radio: interview with Childish/Thomson.

As of January 2007, 25 US Stuckist groups have been founded. Activities have included solo and group shows (including a traveling show), as well as demonstrations akin to those which gave the UK Stuckists a launching pad for media attention.

[edit] Demonstrations

[edit] Seattle Pigs on Parade

In May 2001, the Seattle Stuckist group (J. Puma, Z.F. Lively, Amanda Perrin and Brett Hamil)protested with placards, such as "Art-vertising is bad for the soul" and "Tacky and lame", against "Pigs on Parade", large fiberglass pigs which had been installed in the city and decorated by artists to make money for charity. Their objection was to commercial devaluation of art through "an insidious trend in corporate art-vertising. It appeals to the lowest public tastes by providing a kitschy, totally predigested and inoffensive McArt for the masses", especially as social or ethical comment is banned from the designs. King 5 News mentioned the group (with a "glib chuckle"), but otherwise the event went unreported. There was a certain amount of public support, and Hamil concluded:

For some reason, Stuckists are saddled with the task of vocalizing what everyone already knows, and yet that doesn't make it any less valid. It just makes it that much more regrettable that no one's said it yet.^[3]

[edit] Clown Trial of President Bush

Jesse Richards

Tony Juliano

To "highlight the fact that the Iraq war does not have the support of the United Nations, thus violating a binding contract with the UN", The Clown Trial of President Bush took place at 7 p.m. on March 21, 2003 on the steps of the New Haven Federal Courthouse, staged by local Stuckist artists dressed in clown costume, led by Jesse Richards, Nicholas Watson and Tony Juliano. One of the participants was "a public defender for the state of CT. He thought it would be cool to dress up with us as clowns and do the thing. He ended up playing the clown judge. The courthouse that he works at is a block away from the federal courthouse where we did this."^{[4] [5]}

Simultaneously the Stuckism International gallery run by them opened a War on Bush show, including work from Brazil, Germany and the UK, while the London equivalent staged a "War on Blair" show.^[6] The Yale Herald reported it with the headline, "Stuckists scoff at 'crap,' war". Richards took the opportunity to comment, "Duchamp would go over to the Yale University Art Gallery and he would say, 'This is crap,' and he would go paint a picture."^[7]

[edit] Shows

Group shows

• 2001 Travelling show (Richmond, Los Angeles, Seattle, Orlando, New Haven)
• 2002 Stuckism (Fringe Gallery, New Jersey)
• 2002 We just Wanna Show Some F****** Paintings (Stuckist Gallery, New Haven)
• 2003 The War On Bush (Stuckist Gallery, New Haven)
• 2005 Addressing the Shadow and Making Friends with Wild Dogs: Remodernism (CBGB's 313 Gallery New York)

CBGB, New York

US Stuckists Jesse Richards, Tony Juliano and Terry Marks were included in the Stuckists' first show in a national museum, The Stuckists Punk Victorian in the Walker Art Gallery, England, during the 2004 Liverpool Biennial.

Solo shows

Some solo shows promoted as Stuckist include:

• Terry Marks (New York)

[edit] US Stuckist groups

These are shown in order of foundation with date of founding and founder(s).

• The Pittsburgh Stuckists (2000), Susan Constanse [2]
• The Central Kentucky Stuckists (2001), Jeffrey Scott Holland
• The Seattle Stuckists (2001), Brett Hamil, Jeremy Puma [3]
• The New Haven Stuckists (2001), Jesse Richards, Nicholas Watson [4]
• The New Orleans Stuckists (2001), Barry Goubler

Terry Marks. Nightmare in a mirror, shown in The Stuckists Punk Victorian, 2004.

• The New York Stuckists (2001), Terry Marks [5]
• The Minnesota Stuckists (2001), Dan Murphy [6]
• The Delaware Stuckists (2001), Wilson Lakanuki
• The San Diego Stuckists (2001), Joe Morse [7]
• The Chicago Stuckists (2001), Richard J. Cronborg [8]
• The Connecticut Stuckists (2002). Tony Juliano [9]
• The Florida Stuckists (2002), Selena'liunde [10]
• The San Francisco Stuckists (2003), Frank Kozik
• The Long Beach Stuckists (2003), David Mark Dannov [11]
• The Albany NY Stuckists (2004), Mark Wilson
• The Philadelphia Stuckists (2004), Anthony D. Palumbo
• The St Louis Missouri Stuckists (2004), Kim Richardson [12]
• The Kentucky Mooleyville Sculpting Stuckists (2005), Meg White, Don Lawler [13]
• The Minneapolis Stuckists (2005), S.R. Michaud [14]
• The Reno Stuckists (2006), Peggy Clydesdale [15]
• The Chicago Loop Stuckists (2006), Yoshi (Gakumei Yoshimoto)
• The Los Angeles Stuckist Group (2006)[16]
• The Olympia (Washington) Stuckists (2006) Joseph Coon and Vince Verbatim
• The Oklahoma City Stuckists (2006), Colin Newman [17]
• The Colorado Springs Stuckists (2006), David Graham [18]
• The Tulsa Stuckists (2006), Allen Herndon [19]
• The Phoenix Stuckists (2006), Chris Hardy [20]
• The Central Illinois Stuckists (2007), Robin Grant
• The Orange County of California Stuckists (2007), Nick Treadway [21]
• The Amarillo Texas Stuckists (2008), Mardy Lemmons [22]
• The Missouri Valley Stuckists (2008) Floyd Anthony Alsbach [23]
• The Savannah Stuckists (2008), Zach Ryals [24]

[edit] See also

• Art manifesto

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] Further reading

• Ed. Frank Milner (2004), "The Stuckists Punk Victorian" National Museums Liverpool, ISBN 1-902700-27-9

[edit] External links

• Stuckism International official site
• UK Stuckists on Tate's purchase of The Upper Room
• US National Public Radio interview (2001) with Thomson and Childish Includes audio and slide show
• Stuck in L.A.