ARTIST STATEMENT 2024 I have always identified myself as an artist. My grandmother told me I was a reincarnated artist and I believed her. I was fortunate to grow up in the AZ desert. My grandfather taught me to read rocks. Hiking and dirt biking around acres of desert and gazing at magical sunsets and in awe of the starlit skies. Since childhood I felt I’ve had a symbiotic relationship with nature.
In college, I took mostly art classes. While in school, and after, I worked as a printmaker for an art press where I learned from older artists. While at the art press, I worked on fashioning my own style doing monoprints, sculpture and paintings. Fortunately, my concentration on the abstract vision of nature matched what galleries and art centers were searching for and my work began to be exhibited all over the southwest. Soon, I started to show in Los Angeles and have since exhibited all over America; and from India to Budapest. I moved to LA and then to New York. When my husband, Bruce Bauman, the novelist, and I received a dual live-work residency at the 18th Street Art Center in Santa Monica. When the residency ended, we stayed in LA. I’d missed the ability to immerse myself in nature's gifts of an ocean, mountains, and desert in close proximity which inspires and energizes my art.
In 2000, we were awarded a residency at the Sanskriti Center in New Delhi, India, with its spectacular colors and multiple varied landscapes, which added a new dimension to my work. I started a method of painting where I used the Mandala symbol, familiar in both Eastern and Western tradition. I began doing controlled pours, using gravity to actively move the paint. When I got home, I wanted to expand and work on perfecting this new method and vision. After much experimentation, I designed my “gravity easel” which I fabricated. I manipulate the table using gravity to create natural phenomenas in sizes up to 6’x10’. I worked and exhibited constantly, despite the bad luck of having 19 operations for oral cancer in 22 years.
In 2018, I was diagnosed with a near lethal cancer. I underwent more surgeries and radiation. I was lucky to survive. I’d taken care of myself since the age of sixteen. Now, my husband became my caretaker because I couldn’t eat or speak. Making art again felt almost like a fantasy. I wasn’t sure what would happen to me if I couldn’t make art. I still sold my work during this time, but that was not the same as creating. I needed new art but all my strength went into recovering.
Finally, after almost 4 years I began to slowly return to my studio. I started, slowly, using a smaller version of my gravity easel. I didn’t know what to expect. How would the cancer have changed my art? I’ve never run out of ideas. Looking at images from the Hubble telescope excited me. Nature and science always have. I decided to jump in and let whatever had stored up and changed within me to infuse my art practice. I tried using new surfaces such as plexiglass as well as my usual gesso boards. I began designing fiberglass sculptures for the first time in decades. It took some time to recover my confidence and recall the muscle memory of my practice. Soon, it all came back. I moved from my small table to my original easel. I designed fiberglass sculptures that meshed with my paintings for the first time in decades. They are wild and life affirming. In my paintings, people have always seen vastly different things, but mostly they say it’s somewhere or something in nature. I am eager to see what people will bring to my new work. I am grateful to Tressa Williams for her encouragement and affording me to the opportunity to exhibit.
Years ago, I called a show “Cracks in the Light,” taken from a quote by Leonard Cohen: “There’s a crack in everything that’s how the light gets in.” The last five years have brought new cracks and different light. No doubt, my art has changed. What has not changed is that my art is part of an infinite universe because, in the end, everything -- our beings and our art, are just bits of cosmic dust.
BIOGRAPHY Suzan Woodruff was born in Phoenix, AZ. From an early age, she began exploring the desert, immersing herself in endless spaces and spectacular natural vistas that would later become essential to her art. She was raised by her gold-prospector grandparents who taught her how to “read” rocks and by her mother, who lived a distinctly Arizona-bohemian lifestyle. She remains an avid hiker, biker, boogie boarder and readaer of rocks as well as books. Woodruff received an art scholarship to attend Arizona State University. She soon began exhibiting her work and left Arizona for Los Angeles and New York. Woodruff lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband, novelist Bruce Bauman, and their two dogs.
RESUME
EDUCATION 1981 Apprentice to Shinkichi Tajiri, Berlin, Germany 1976-80 Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2024 Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2021 Klappinge Kalmar LAN, Sweden 2017 Nancy Toomey, San Francisco, CA 2016 George Billis Gallery LA, Los Angeles, CA 2015 Launch, Los Angeles, CA 2015 David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 2013 Katherine Cone Gallery, Culver City, CA 2011 William Turner Gallery, Bergamot Station, SM, CA 2009 William Turner Gallery, Bergamot Station, SM, CA 2009 ABBA Fine Art, Miami, Fl 2009 Victorine Gallery, Newport, RI 2008 The Art Factory, Budapest, Hungary 2007 William Turner Gallery, Bergamot Station, SM, CA 2006 Berman/Turner Projects, Bergamot Station, SM, CA 2005 George Billis Gallery, LA, CA 2005 William Turner Gallery, Bergamot Station, SM, CA 2003 George Billis Gallery, NY, NY 2003 William Turner Gallery, Bergamot Station, SM, CA 2003 Scope Fair LA, George Billis Gallery, 2003 Hill Gallery, Toronto, Canada 2001 George Billis Gallery, New York, NY 2001 William Turner Gallery, Burning Woman Paintings, Venice, CA 2000 Art Konsult, Meditation & Mandala Paintings, New Delhi, India 2000 18th Street Arts Center/Highways, Burning Woman Performance, CA 1998 University of Arizona, Tarantella: Painted Word, Tucson, AZ 1995 European Museum, Nassau, Bahamas 1986 John Cline Gallery, Phoenix, AZ 1985 Duke University, Durham, NC
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2023 Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2023 Nancy Toomey Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA 2021 FP Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2016 Nancy Toomey Fine Art, San Francisco, CA 2016 LACE, LA, CA 2016 Santa Fe New Mexico Museum of Art SF, NM 2015 Women’s Made Gallery, Chicago, IL 2015 Notes Towards a Feminist Archive, Sydney, Australia 2014 Coral Gables Museum, Coral Gables, FL 2014 Art Space Virginia Miller, Coral Gables, FL 2014 Toomey-Tourell, SF, CA 2013 Ben Maltz Gallery, Otis College, LA, CA 2013 Art Hamptons, Victorine Gallery, Newport, RI 2013 Houston Art Fair, Victorine Gallery, Newport, RI 2013 Group Show, Katherine Cone Gallery, Culver City, CA 2012 The Summer of Jack, Katherine Cone Gallery, Culver City, CA 2012 Art Space Virginia Miller, Coral Gables, FL 2012 Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA 2012 OCMA, Orange County, CA 2012 Toomey Tourell Fine Art, SF, CA 2006-13 Santa Monica Museum, Incognito, SM, CA 2011 William Turner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2011 Stephen Cohen Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA 2010 William Turner Gallery, SM, CA 2010 Brett Wesley, Las Vegas, NV 2009 Deep Dive, Bridgehampton, NY 2009 Pharmaka Gallery, LA, CA 2009 Melissa Morgan, Palm Desert, CA 2008 ABBA Fine Art, Miami, Fl 2007 Flow, Riverside Museum, Riverside, CA 2007 George Billis Gallery, NY, NY 2007 MODAA, Culver City, CA 2004 Incognito, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA 2004 Inaugural Exhibition, George Billis Gallery, L.A., Los Angeles, CA 2003 George Billis Gallery, New York, NY 2001 Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2001 Fresh Paint, Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, MI 2001 Off The Hook, SK Gallery, Group Show, Venice, CA 2001 Meditation Paintings, Highways Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2001 Wonder, Aguirre Gallery, San Mateo, CA 2000 Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA 1998 NAWA New Members Presentation, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY 1997 The Tarantella, PS 122, New York, NY 1995 Apex Gallery, New York, NY 1992 Bornstein Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1990 Bornstein Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1989-93 L.A. Art Fair, Bornstein Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED COLLECTIONS Met Life, LA, CA Tsardia, Newport Beach The Cone Collection, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD The Ritz Downtown, LA, CA The House of Saud, Saudi Arabia Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith Todd Wagner, CA, Texas Gary Bauer Collection, Houston, TX Wynn Collection, Las Vegas, NV Apex Art Gallery, Tribecca, NY Ibrahim Alkazi, The Sepia Collection, NY,NY Stevens Collection, NY, NY Sanskriti Foundation, New Delhi, India Mel Ilberman, CEO SONY Music Int'l, NY, NY Fred Wistow, Warner Brothers Corporate Council, NY, NY Richard Del Belso, Warner Brothers, LA, CA Corporate Collection, Double Tree Resorts, Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Center for The Arts, Scottsdale, AZ American Bank, Corporate Collection City of Mesa for Cultural Center, AZ IBM, Corporate Collection Sperry Rand Aerospace, Corporate Collection TransAmerican, Corporate Collection
SELECTED PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS 2024 William Moreno, Artillery Magazine 2024 Interview, Canvas Rebel 2024 Shana Nys Dambrot, 13ThingsLA 2024 Interview, Canvas Rebel 2023 Architectural Digest 2016 Genie Davis, ArtScene 2016 DiversionsLA 2016 Interview, Museum of Nonvisible Art 2015 American Painter List of artist to watch 2014 Drew Lenihan, ArtLTD 2014 a. Moret, ArtLTD 2013 Art Ltd Review- Echo Maker 2013 Huffington Post, Suzan Woodruff, Making the World 2013 Cracks in the Light, Retrospective Book, Katherine Cone Gallery Pub. 2013 Joan Quinn Profiles, Interview with Joan Quinn 2013 LA Review of Books 2013 Fabrik 2013 LA Magazine, Woodruff on Turrell 2013 Art Talk KCRW, Edward Goldman 2013 Artweek 2013 LA, I’m Yours 2013 Guest of a Guest 2012 ARTWEEK LA 2012 Art Pulse 2012 LA, Art Star 2012 ARTWEEK LA-13 questions 2011 LA I’m Yours (Interview) 2011 Fabrik 2011 Huffington Post 2011 White Hot 2011 Newport Magazine, Newport, CA 2008 ARTWEEK LA, 2011 Art Ltd. (Cover) 2008 Budapest Sun (Cover) 2007 Flavorpil 2006 LA Weekly, Pick of the Week 2006 Malibu Press 2005 Money Magazine 2004 Flavorpill 2003 LA Weekly, Pick of the Week 2003 Venice Magazine 2001 LA Times 2001 D’Art International 2001 Artweek Magazine 2000 Outlook, New Delhi 2000 Delhi Today
PROFESSIONAL AND TEACHING 2002 SMARTS, artist in residence, Franklin Elem. School, SM, CA 2001 Josephine Press, Nontoxic workshop, SM, CA 1998-00 Women's Studio Workshop, Nontoxic workshop, Rosendale, NY 1997 Columbia Univ. Guest lecturer, Nontoxic workshop, NY, NY 1996 Roadkill Press, Printmaking Workshops, Kent, CT 1982-86 Phoenix Art Press, Master Printmaker
SELECTED COMMISSIONS, AWARDS, RESIDENCIES 2017 Moulin à Nef, Auvillar France 2000 Fellowship Residency, Sanskriti Kendra, New Delhi, India 1997-03 Fellowship Residency, 18th St. Arts Complex, Santa Monica, CA 2000 Daughters of Discordia-book cover, Suzanne Owens, BOA Editions 1998-99 Chelsea Magazine- cover 1997 Merry Go Round Corporation 1996 Fellowship Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts 1995 Fellowship Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts 1987-92 Karl Bornstein Gallery, Phoniex-Los Angeles, Numerous limited print editions 1987 KALA Artist in Residence, SF, CA 1987 Fellowship to collaborate with sculptor Shinkichi Tajeri 1986 NEA Fellowship Grant, Arizona Commission for the Arts