Kaloust Guedel (born October 31, 1956) is a

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

artist of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

descent. He is a self-educated artist and theorist. Guedel is known as the founder of the

Excessivism Excessivism is an art movement. In 2015 American artist and curator Kaloust Guedel introduced it to the world with an exhibition titled ''Excessivist Initiative''. The review of the exhibition written by art critic and curator Shana Nys Dambrot ...

movement. He lives and works in Los Angeles, California since 1975.

Works

Kaloust Guedel's work explores contemporary issues often taking a critical stand on various societies shortcomings. Throughout the years, it has explored subjects as genocide, war, abuse and others. Regardless of the styles and technics he has employed, his work has been consistent with contemporary sensibility and has reflected the consciousness of its time. Guedel is the first artist who used vinyl as a medium in paintings. He has been featured in publications like ''Masters of Today'' and has been known to explore capitalism and excess in his minimalist conceptual artworks. Kaloust Guedel presented the

movement in an exhibition "Excessivist Initiative" in LA Artcore Brewery Annex, and the Excessivism Manifesto was published in Downtown News weekly in September 2015. Downtown News, Excessivism Manifesto, September 28, 2015 page 10.

Immersive paintings

Later he discovered

inlay Inlay covers a range of techniques in sculpture and the decorative arts for inserting pieces of contrasting, often colored materials into depressions in a base object to form Ornament (art), ornament or pictures that normally are flush with th ...

technique as a method of investigation of immersion with his new group called Immersive paintings. When he placed one of his three-dimensional works into a painting by carving its shape out of it and inserting it into the hollow space that corresponded with the shape of the object, the result was unexpected. An ancient technique known as

was discovered by chance. The use of

is a key element of this artistic concepts. The inserted object has more visual weight, while the surrounding space, which is less conceptually important, is seen as the body of the painting. Use of the

produces a silhouette of the subject; most often, it is used with a contrasting background, or texture to draw attention to the main subject, which is then seen as the relationship between the two objects.

Selected exhibitions

Coronation of Vagina, 45ft x16ft, 2016-2017

*Armenian Museum of America, Watertown, MA, 2022 *

The National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT) is a museum in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. A joint project of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National Museums Independent Administrative Institution, it stands on a site formerly occupied by a research facility of the Universi ...

, Japan, 2019 *Nagasaki Fine Art Museum, Nagasaki, Japan, 2017 *Yokohoma Civis Gallery At Azamino, Yokohoma, Japan, 2017 *

Saatchi Gallery The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art and an independent charity opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, starting with US artists and minimalism, moving to the D ...

, London, UK 2013 *Bienal Internacional de Curitiba 2013, Curitiba, Brazil *Texas National/ Stephen F. Austin State University, Curated by

Dave Hickey David Hickey (December 5, 1938 – November 12, 2021) was an American art critic who wrote for many American publications including ''Rolling Stone'', ''ARTnews'', ''Art in America'', ''Artforum'', ''Harper's Magazine'', and ''Vanity Fair''. He ...

, Nacogdoches, TX, 2012 *Viridian Artists Gallery, Curated by Elisabeth Sussman, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, N.Y., 2012 *Busan Cultural Art Center (BIAF), Seoul, S. Korea, 2008 *Beijing GuanYinTang Art Street (GIAF), Beijing, China, 2008 *Seojong Center (GIAF), Seoul, S. Korea, 2008 *Museum of Modern Art, Yerevan, Armenia, 2005 *Forest Lawn Museum, Los Angeles, CA, 2003 *

Butler Institute of American Art The Butler Institute of American Art, located on Wick Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, was the first museum dedicated exclusively to American art. Established by local industrialist and philanthropist Joseph G. Butler, Jr., the museum h ...

, Youngstown, OH, 1986

Awards and commendations

* Laura Friedman, Assemblymember, 43rd Assembly District, April 19, 2019 *

Anthony Portantino Anthony J. Portantino (born January 29, 1961) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 25th Senate District which encompasses portions of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valley ...

, Senator, April 19, 2019 *

Marquis Who's Who Marquis Who's Who ( or ) is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in America'', ''Who's Who of American Wome ...

in American Art Lifetime Achievement, 2017 * ArtSlant 1ST 2015 PRIZE SHOWCASE WINNER *

Adam B. Schiff Adam Bennett Schiff (born June 22, 1960) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who has served as a U.S. representative since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented since 2013. Schiff's district (numbered as the 27 ...

, Member of Congress, April 25, 2013 *

Ara Najarian Ara James Najarian (born September 11, 1960) is a Council member and four-time Mayor of Glendale, California. Najarian lost his 2016 primary race running for Board of County Supervisors during which he had the endorsement of the League of Conse ...

, Council Member Chair, June 18, 2009 *

Frank Quintero Frank Quintero (born Juan Francisco Quintero Mendoza ) is a Venezuelan singer-songwriter, guitarist and drummer specialized in pop music.

, Mayor of Glendale, April 25, 2003 * New American Paintings, Number 31, by The Open Studios Press, 2000

Bibliography

*Digital Journal, ''An Innovative Approach to Bringing Historical Roots to Contemporary Art'', Sept. 27, 2022 *Boston Herald, ''How A Los Angeles Artist Transforms An Ancient Chinese Technique Into Contemporary Painting'', September 08, 2022 *''Fashion Thinking: Creative Approaches to the Design Process'', by Fiona Dieffenbacher, 2021 *Irony, imbalance and study at the heart of excessivism, Fahrenheit Magazine, March 13, 2021 *New American Paintings, 2020 Featured Artists / Recent Work, 2020 *Artillery Magazine, THE NOTHING THAT IS, by Genie Davis, November 20, 2019 *The Best modern and Contemporary Artists, by Salvator Russo and Francesco Saverio Russo, 2017 *Art & Museum, (page 48) Autumn 2017 *HotArtStuff, WALLS: A quest for immersive space in DTLA's newest collaborative studio/project, PRODUCE HAUS, By Shana Nys Dambrot, March 22, 2017 *Diversions LA, All That Glitters, by Genie Davis January 6, 2017 *Artillery Magazine *Light And Space, *West Hollywood Lifestyle, Expansive Space Inside The Historic 7th Street Market Features New Work *LA Art Party, Celebrate the Art of Zadikian, Kaloust Guedel, and KuBO! by Kathy Leonardo *Artcopyblog, KALOUST GUEDEL’S EXCESSIVISM AND THE RISE OF DONALD TRUMP, by Brenda Haroutunian, JUNE 26, 2016 *WideWalls Magazine, Excessivism - A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic, January 2016 *Նոր Ուղղութիւն Արուեստում՝ Պարտադրում Է Ժամանակակից Մարդը, Asbarez, (Armenian), by Ani Tadevosyan, January 13, 2016 *Abstre Sanat Akımı, Soyut Resim, Abstract, 2016 *Gallereo Magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, Nov. 20, 2015 *CaliforniaNewswire, New Art Movement, Excessivism, is a Commentary on Economic Materialism, Nov. 02, 2015 *Miemi Herald, Excessivism is Best Kept Secret in the Art World, Nov. 02, 2015 *Downtown News, Excessivism Manifesto, September 28, 2015, page 10 *The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, September 23, 2015 *Effetto Arte, July/August, 2015 *Bare Hill Publishing

Installation & Site Specific #2, 2015, Hardcover : *Asbarez, Ani Tadevosyan, May 15, 2015 *Artweek LA May 13, 2015 *Reuters, Why Donald Trump's Bid for Presidency Related to New Art Movement is Essential? Artist Kaloust Guedel Explains, Dec. 14, 2015 *«Excess The New Norm» Գալուստ Գեոդելի Նկարչական Գործերի Անհատական Ցուցահանդէսը, Asbarez, by Ani Tadevosyan, October 29, 2014 *Bienal Internacional De Curitiba 2013 (Exhibition Catalogue), 2013 *Գալուստ Գէօդելի Նկարը Լոնտոնի «Սաաթչի» Ցուցասրահում, Asbarez, by Ani Tadevosyan, August 15, 2013 *Hetq, Saatchi Gallery in London to Display Work of Kaloust Guedel, by Anush Kocharyan, 24 May 2013 *Yerevan Magazine, Nare Garibyan, September/October, 2012 *Eyes On: Abstracts by Blaze Hill Press, page 53 *Armenian Observer, Ruben Amirian, Jan. 11, 2012 *International Dictionary of Artists by World Wide Art Books, 2011 *"L'inhumanité de l'homme envers l'homme : voyage au bout de la nuit" / Exhibition : "Man's Inhumanity to Man : Journey Out of Darkness" April-2010 *New American Paintings, 15th Anniversary edition by Open Studios Press, 2009, cover *LA Daily News, Susan Abram, April 23, 2009, page 1 *Man's Inhumanity to Men: Journey Out of Darkness ... (Exhibition Catalogue), 2009 *Afisha, Larisa Pilinsky, Nov. - Dec. 2008 *Masters of Today by MOT, 2008 *Trends by MOT, 2008 *GIAF (Exhibition Catalogue), 2008 *BIAF (Exhibition Catalogue), 2008 *The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, March 1, 2008 *The Armenian Reporter, March 1, 2008 *Glendale News-Press, Art:the remix - Four artists will display works in New Mixed Media show at Brand Library and Art Galleries, By Joyce Rudolph Oct. 07, 2006http://articles.glendalenewspress.com/2006-10-07/entertainment/gnp-artmix07_1_brand-library-art-galleries-forest-lawn-museum-brand-show *Peter Frank, "Pick of the Week: New Mixed Media," LA Weekly, 2006 *Panorama, May 28, 2004 *Texas National, Stephen F. Austin State University (Exhibition Catalogue), 2003 *From Ararat To America- Contemporary Armenian Artists /Forest Lawn Museum (Exh. Catalogue), 2003 *Voice of America (Radio Interview in Armenian), July 7, 2003 *News-Press, April 29, 2003 *Los Angeles Independent, April 23, 2003 *The Artists Blue Book by Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson, 2003 *Arts & Entertainment, April 23, 2003 *17th Annual Greater Midwest International, Central Missouri State University (Exhibition Catalogue), 2002 *The Artists Blue Book by Ask Art, 2001 *New American Paintings by Open Studios Press, December 2000 *Gallery Guide, March 1991 *Artspace, summer 1991 *Artscene, December 1990 *50th National Midyear Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art (Exhibition Catalogue), 1986

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guedel, Kaloust 1956 births Living people 21st-century American sculptors 21st-century American painters 21st-century American male artists American male painters American male sculptors American contemporary painters American conceptual artists American abstract artists American people of Armenian descent Abstract painters Artists from Los Angeles Art in Greater Los Angeles Modern painters Neo-Dada Painters from California Soviet emigrants to the United States Sculptors from California