Key takeaways
- Carroll Dunham's art is known for seamlessly blending abstraction and figuration, creating a unique visual language.
- Dunham's paintings feature biomorphic forms, bold colors, and psychological themes, reflecting his continuous artistic progression.
- The artist's conceptual approach and exploration of the relationship between abstraction and figuration have influenced the contemporary art scene.
- Dunham's innovative use of wood panels and found materials adds depth and texture to his work.
- The artist's signature style and iconic character development, such as the Eyeless Hun figure, have become central to his artistic identity.
Carroll Dunham
Carroll Dunham (born November 5, 1949) is an American painter known for his innovative exploration of abstraction and figuration. He earned a BA from Trinity College in Connecticut in 1972 and, the following year, moved to New York City, where he worked as an assistant to artist Dorothea Rockburne. Dunham's career gained critical acclaim in the 1980s when he began exhibiting with Baskerville + Watson, a period marked by a renewed interest in painting.
Dunham’s work is characterized by a conceptual approach that merges abstract forms with figurative elements, creating a distinctive visual language. His bold use of biomorphic shapes, vibrant colors, and layered meanings has left a significant mark on contemporary art, challenging traditional boundaries.
Drawing inspiration from early 20th-century surrealism, his paintings feature abstract forms that subtly suggest human figures, inviting viewers to engage both intellectually and emotionally. Dunham’s work explores the interplay between the real and the imagined, using shapes and forms that hint at human presence without direct representation. By blending natural shapes and vibrant colors, his art creates a surreal dialogue that reflects the complexities of human experience and subconscious thought.
His paintings have been showcased in prestigious exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennials and major institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Today, his works are part of renowned collections such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Tate Gallery in London.
Artistic evolution in 1980s New York
In the 1980s, Carroll Dunham became an integral part of New York's vibrant art scene, immersing himself in its dynamic creativity. Working with Dorothea Rockburne, he delved into process-oriented art, while drawing inspiration from postminimal painters like Robert Mangold and Brice Marden, whose conceptual approaches resonated with his evolving artistic vision.
As a key figure among North American Neo-Expressionists, he expanded the stylistic boundaries of the New Image Painting movement by incorporating influences from Philip Guston, Arshile Gorky, comics, science fiction, and pop culture. Over time, Dunham developed a unique visual language, prominently featuring tree motifs—initially in the background of his late-1990s works and later as central elements, often paired with images of bathers. His art combines subjective emotion with a deep awareness of art history, fostering a dialogue between abstraction and figuration for over four decades. Original and unpredictable, Dunham continues to defy categorization within any single artistic trend or movement.
Playful provocations: bold exploration of color, form, and narrative
Dunham developed a distinctive and personal style, known for its colorful scenes depicting interactions between cartoonish and biomorphic figures in playful, often sexually suggestive narratives. In the early stages of his career during the 1980s, he created these compositions on found plywood, allowing the wood's natural grain to shape his fantastical creatures. These early works combined figure and medium in an almost Surrealist way, resulting in figures reminiscent of graffiti. Over time, his paintings evolved to feature more pronounced cartoon-like figures painted in a looser, larger style, while maintaining their psychological depth and stylistic richness.
Dunham’s work employs a unique stylization of the human figure, playfully and crudely engaging with painting conventions. Using thick black outlines and simple elements—such as a blue sky, green trees, and pink flesh—he juxtaposes cartoonish depictions of nature with sexually grotesque imagery, providing a space for experimentation with color and line. His approach to painting rejects a singular authorial identity, instead offering a complex fusion of formal technique and philosophical exploration.
Revolutionizing art: Carroll Dunham's innovative use of materials
Carroll Dunham made a significant impact on contemporary art with his innovative use of wood panels and found materials. Moving away from traditional canvases, he painted directly on wood, drawing inspiration from the natural patterns of the wood to create unique biomorphic forms.
This approach allowed him to combine procedural techniques with an imaginative, associative potential, setting his work apart from the flat, monochromatic paintings of his peers. Dunham's shift to wood panels and unconventional materials marked a revolutionary change in his artistic practice, challenging traditional boundaries and broadening the possibilities of what could be considered art.
His distinctive use of materials added a unique texture and depth to his pieces, becoming an essential element of his style. This approach blended abstraction and figuration seamlessly, inviting viewers to engage with both the material and conceptual aspects of his work.
Dunham's artistic evolution led to a unique style that combined biomorphic forms and bold colors, merging geometric and organic shapes in vibrant color schemes. This interplay of color and shape created abstract works that left room for personal interpretation, allowing viewers to project their own narratives onto his art.
In 2006, his exhibition featured eight paintings that shared a vivid color palette. The mix of pigments, driers, gels, and mediums created intriguing textures and puddles, adding depth and complexity to his work. Though his process was meticulous, the finished paintings concealed his hand, placing him among artists known for "poured painting," like Carolanna Parlato and Jane Callister, who explored the magic of mixed media.
Dunham's work also resonated within the "Pop Abstraction" movement. His innovative paint combinations, glossy enamel finishes, trendy hues, and splashes of mucus-colored gels set his art apart, establishing him as a prominent figure in modern art.
Notable works
Carroll Dunham’s distinctive body of work blends pop culture with art historical references to explore themes surrounding human identity and individuality. His prints are bold, vivid abstractions, often incorporating grotesque anamorphic figures. Dunham frequently manipulates composition, scale, and orientation, transforming the ordinary into something unfamiliar, creating surreal contexts that engage with various modes of artmaking.
"Touching Two Sides" (1989-1990) is a print featuring shapes that evoke living organisms in a cartoon-like style, with bold black lines and scratched shading. This work reflects Dunham's ongoing exploration of abstracted, primitive forms throughout the late 1980s and early 90s. While the figures are nearly unrecognizable, they still convey a sense of personality. The print includes familiar, exaggerated bulges that allude to male and female genitalia, juxtaposed with spiky textures and deep shading, lending a sense of fluctuating dimensionality to the forms.
"Four" (2000) marks a shift in Dunham's style, presenting a female portrait outlined in thick black lines with bright yellow, pink, and blue tones. The figure appears almost abstract, with bared teeth, suggesting an aggressive energy. This painting represents a significant change in Dunham's work: where his previous subjects were abstract representations of sexual organs, here he moves towards human personalities, particularly female portraits, with a clearer sense of individual identity.
The "Wrestlers" series (2017-2018) is among Dunham's more recent works, focusing on large-scale depictions of the male nude form. These vibrant, dynamic paintings feature wrestlers engaged in combat, combining playfulness, sexuality, and violence. The works are informed by both mythological imagery and the artist's personal memories. This series marks a notable shift in Dunham's oeuvre from his focus on female figures to the inclusion of male subjects, presenting a new narrative that explores the raw physical and emotional pain of these characters. The wrestlers introduce a visceral, instinctual layer to his art, paralleling the suffering and struggle seen in his female portraits.
Exhibitions and collections
Dunham has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Solo shows include "Carroll Dunham" at Bernier / Eliades Gallery in Athens (2012), Gerhardsen Gerner in Berlin (2011), Gladstone Gallery in New York (2007), New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York (2002), Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills (2001), "Selected Paintings 1990—95" at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (1995), "Drawings" at Gallery Mukai in Tokyo (1991), and "Drawings 1982—83" at Galerie Fred Jahn in Munich (1988).
Group exhibitions include "Group Shoe" at Gavin Brown's enterprise in New York (2012), "Print/Out" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (2012), "Painting Now" at Galerie Eva Presenhuber in Zurich (2012), "Your History is not Our History" at Haunch of Venison in New York (2010), "Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (2009), "Counterparts: Contemporary Painters and Their Influences" at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (2006), "Remote Viewing: Invented Worlds in Recent Painting and Drawing" at The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (2005), "We Love Painting" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo (2003), and "American Art" at Galerie Rudolfinum, The Center of Contemporary Art, Prague (2001).
His works are part of prestigious collections, including those at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Art Institute of Chicago, Astrup Fearnley Museet for Moderne Kunst in Oslo, Brooklyn Museum, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, Drammens Museum in Norway, Ellipse Foundation in Portugal, Fort Wayne Art Museum, Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in New York, Inhotim Institute in Brazil, The Judith Rothschild Foundation in New York, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Museum of Modern Art in New York, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and Los Angeles, Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas, Olbricht Collection in Essen, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
FAQ
Who is Carroll Dunham?
Carroll Dunham is a celebrated artist known for blending abstraction and figuration. His paintings show how these two styles interact, creating a unique visual language. This has greatly influenced modern art.
What is Dunham's artistic background?
Dunham was born in Connecticut, which shaped his artistic views. He later moved to New York City. There, he was influenced by artists like Robert Mangold and Brice Marden.
How did Dunham's conceptual approach to art develop?
Dunham's art combines abstraction and figuration in a unique way. He was inspired by early 20th-century surrealism. This led him to explore the limits between these two styles.
What are the defining features of Dunham's artistic style?
Dunham's style is known for biomorphic forms and bold colors. His paintings mix geometric and organic shapes in vibrant hues. This creates a unique visual language.
How did Dunham's work relate to the Neo-Expressionist movement?
Dunham's work shares some traits with Neo-Expressionists. Yet, his unique blend of figuration and abstraction sets him apart. This distinct approach has made him a standout in the art world.
What are some of Dunham's most recognizable contributions to contemporary art?
Dunham is known for his "eyeless Hun" figure. This character, along with others like hatted males and nude females, became key in the 1990s.
How does Dunham's artistic process reflect his innovative approach?
Dunham's process is marked by constant innovation. His work often includes human forms and nature, like trees. He has experimented with various materials, always exploring new ways to express himself.
Selena Mattei
