Biography
Life and education
Frank Gillette was born in 1941 in Jersey City, NJ. He attendedVideo Art pioneer
Gillette was one of the first artist to explore video as a vehicle for social and political change. Described as an "abstract painter turned media activist", Frank Gillette's fascination withRaindance Corporation
''Awards and recognition
Frank Gillette is the recipient of fellowships from theSelected works
''Keep, 1968''
4-channel video, black and white, 20 min each.''Wipe Cycle'', 1969
Video installation with one''The Rays'', 1970
Video, black and white, 20 minutes. Produced with Paul Ryan.''Hark! Hork!'', 1972-1973
Video, black and white, sound, 19:25 min. Taking its title from a scene in James Joyce's ''Finnegans Wake,'' in which Finnegan awakens from a dream, ''Hark! Hork!'' evokes natural and subconscious landscapes.''Tetragramaton'', 1973
Video, black and white, 138 min. Six videotape playback decks, one audio deck, 30 television monitors, 10 (h) x 20' (diameter) x 25 minutes. Six different prerecorded channels of video information are simultaneously displayed on the monitors, with two different channels displayed on each stack of ten in the illustrated arrangement. Taking its title from the four consonants of the ancient Hebrew name for God, ''Tetragramaton'' contemplates the relationship between man, technology, and ecological systems.''Muse'', 1974
Three-channel video, black and white, 26:00 min each. Characteristic of much of Gillette's work—which treats video as a field of light, movement and reflection—''Muse'' extends beyond optical sensation to engage the viewer in metaphysical contemplation.''Quidditas'', 1974-1975
Video, color, sound, 19:00 min. Originally designed as a three-channel work, ''Quidditas'' is a study of Cape Cod's woodland and coastal landscapes.''Rituals for a Still Life'', 1974-1975
Video, black and white, sound, 24:54 min. A stunning graphic composition of form and surface, ''Rituals for a Still Life'' links Gillette's video and collage work. Here he constructs a series of enigmatic collages that have as their background a television monitor showing his videotapes.''The Maui Cycle'', 1976
Three-channel video installation, color, sound, 45:40 min. In this three-channel work, Gillette employs systematic formal strategies to chart the rich texture and aura of the Hawaiian landscape.''Mecox'', 1976-77
Three-channel video installation, color, sound. 18:06 min (each channel). Rhythmically composed, ''Mecox'' is an artificial system that gracefully charts the patterns of a natural ecosystem. In this three-channel work, Gillette presents a microcosm of Mecox Bay, a salt marsh on Long Island, by reconstructing it within a contained aquarium''Symptomatic Syntax'', 1981
Video, color, sound, 27:20 min. ''Symptomatic Syntax'' is a recreation of an ecological environment in which natural forms — leaves, flower petals, butterfly wings — form an ever-changing, visually compelling series of compositions.''Riverrun'', 2017-2018
Three-channel video installation, color, sound. ''Riverrun'' (2017-2018) is a three-channel video installation by Frank Gillette. The work focuses on humans’ experience with the natural world positions through art historical genres. Each channel is titled individually and has a slightly different duration, creating variations in time when projected: ''Still Life'' (left, 23:29 min), ''Counter-Statement'' (center, 23:28 min), and ''Landscape'' (right, 24:00 min). This is the most recent large scale video installation by the pioneer video artist. ''Riverrun'' was premiered at the exhibition ''Frank Gillette: Excavations and Banquets'' (February 9 – April 21, 2019) at the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, and is in its permanent collection.Exhibitions
Selected list of solo exhibitions
2024. “Frank Gillette: The Symbiotic Blues" (October 24 - December 6, 2024). Level of Service Not Required - Fine Art Gallery, La Jolla, California https://www.losnotrequired.com/gillette 2019. ''Frank Gillette: Excavations and Banquets'' (February 9 – April 21, 2019). Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York 2004. Universal Concepts Unlimited, NYC 2002. Universal Concepts Unlimited, NYC 2000. Universal Concepts Unlimited, NYC 1999. Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY 1999. Laumont Editions, NYC 1999. Art-Life MOCA, LA 1994. Florida State University Museum, Tallahassee 1992. B-4-A Gallery, NYC 1991. Attitude Art, NYC 1989. Catherine Turner Gallery (Special Photographer's Company), London 1987. Zenith Gallery, Washington, D.C. 1986. Loughetton Gallery, NYC 1986. Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston 1985. American Academy in Rome / London Video Arts, London 1983. Lawrence Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia 1983. Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC 1982. Leo Castelli Gallery, NYC 1982. Woodstock Arts Center, Woodstock, NY 1982. Honolulu Academy of Art, Honolulu 1981. E.C. Windward Gallery, L.A. / San Francisco Art Institute, S.F. 1980. Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 1980. The Kitchen, NYC 1979. University Art Museum, Berkeley, CA 1979. Honolulu Academy of Art, Honolulu 1979. Leo Castelli Gallery, NYC 1978. Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX 1978. The Kitchen, NYC 1978. Robinson Gallery, Houston, TX 1977. Leo Castelli Gallery, NYC 1977. Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC 1976. Leo Castelli Gallery, NYC 1975. Long Beach Museum of Art, CA 1975. Anthology Film Archives, NYC 1974. Art/Tapes 22, Florence, Italy 1974. The Kitchen, NYC 1974. Lowe Art Museum, Miami, FL 1973. Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY 1969. Howard Wise Gallery, NYC 1964. Granite Gallery, NYCGroup exhibitions
Gillette's work has been included in numerous group shows including: ''Art in Motion. 100 Masterpieces with and through Media.'' ZKM , Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe (2018); ''Radical Software. The Raindance Foundation, Media Ecology and Video Art''. ZKM , Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe (2017): ''The American Century Art & Culture 1900-2000 Part II'', Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC (1999); ''TV as a Creative Medium'', Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC (1994); ''Raindance: 20th Years'', The Kitchen, NYC (1991); ''Video Skulptur'', Kunsthaus, Zurich (1990); ''Video Skulptur'', Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne (1989); ''American Video Landscape'', Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco (1989); ''Video Skulptur'', Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin (1989); ''American Landscape Video'', Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (1988); ''Primitivism in 20th Century Art'', The Museum of Modern Art, NYC (1984); "''New American Video Art: A Historical Survey, 1967-1980'', Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC (1984); "La Biennale di Venezia", Venice (1982); Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1982); Musee de Beaux-Arts, Montreal (1978); "Documenta 6 ", Kassel (1977); Biennale São Paulo, Brazil (1976); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1976); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1976); ''Whitney Biennial'', Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC (1975); The Museum of Modern Art, NYC (1974); Kunsthalle, Cologne (1975), Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (1974); ''Circuit'', Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (1972); ''Air'', Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (1971); ''Vision and Television'', Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Boston (1970); ''TV As A Creative Medium'', Howard Wise Gallery, NYC (1969).Authored Publications and Monographs
''Between Paradigms: The Mood and Its Purpose'' (1973). ''Frank Gillette; Video: Process and Meta-Process''. (1973) Edited by Judson Rosebush. Catalog of an exhibition held at the Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse, NY. ''Aransas: Axis of Observation'' (1978). Catalog of an exhibition held at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX. ''American Landscape Video : The Electronic Grove'' (1988)''.'' Catalog of an exhibition held at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA. ''Of Another Nature'' (1988). ''Frank Gillette: Axis of Observation I'' (2018)''.'' Monograph edited by Suzanne Anker and Sabine Flach.References
External links