Paula Wilson Explained

Paula Wilson
Birth Name:	Paula Jane Wilson
Birth Place:	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma Mater:	Columbia University (M.F.A.)
Occupation:	Mixed Media Artist

Paula Wilson (born December 17, 1975) is an African American "mixed media" artist creating works examining women's identities through a lens of cultural history. She uses sculpture, collage, painting, installation, and printmaking methods such as silkscreen, lithography, and woodblock.^[1] In 2007 Wilson moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Carrizozo, New Mexico (population 996), where she currently lives and works with her woodworking partner Mike Lagg.^[2]

Early life

Paula Wilson was born in Chicago^[3] and grew up in Hyde Park on the south side of the city, where her father, William Julius Wilson, was a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago. Her mother, Beverly Ann Wilson, is an artist and bookbinder.^[4]

Education

Wilson attended Washington University in St. Louis from 1994 to 1998, earning her B.F.A. and graduating summa cum laude.^[5] She earned her M.F.A. from Columbia University.^[6]

Life and work

Wilson is known for her monumental and tactile work describing narratives and environments that fit her experience as a biracial black woman. She reimagines art historical tropes and inserts versions of herself into the landscape and canon. Shifting between graphic and painterly representations, she builds narratives by collapsing pictorial planes. Wilson’s work is anchored in self-portrait, printmaking, installation, and collage. She prints images with wood blocks, silkscreens, intaglio, and monotypes; layers acrylic, oil, and spray paint; shoots videos inserting 2-D work into the landscape; she cuts, glues, and stitches to make colorful, dense assemblages. Her works often burst from their wall or frame, reflecting a constant re-assembly of lived experiences: black and white, urban and rural, traditional and contemporary, singular and collective.

Wilson is co-founder of the artist organizations MoMAZoZo (founded in 2010)^[7] and the Carrizozo Artist in Residency (AIR)(founded in 2016).^[8]

Academia

Wilson was a Visiting Critic at Yale School of Art from 2005 to 2007 ^[9] and an assistant professor at Columbia University School of the Arts from 2007 to 2008. In 2015. she served as the Louis D. Beaumont Artist-in-Residence & Visiting Assistant Professor in the College and Graduate School of Art in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.^[10] She has been a visiting artist at many institutions and universities nationally.

• Visiting Artist, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, 2020^[11]
• Visiting Artists, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, 2020^[12]
• Visiting Lecturer, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2017^[13]
• Visiting Lecturer, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, 2017
• Visiting Artist, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 2016^[14]

Solo exhibitions^[15]

• 2000–"What's So Personal," The Butcher Shop, Chicago, Illinois ^[16]
• 2006–"Paintings and Drawings from the Hanno Valley," Galleria Suzy Shammah, Milan, Italy ^[17]
• 2008–"The Stained Glass Ceiling," Bellwether Gallery, New York, New York^[18]
• 2010–"First Story," The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 2014–"Undress," Center for Contemporary Arts, Spector Ripps Project Space, Santa Fe, New Mexico^{[19] [20]}
• 2015–"Back it Up," Museum Blue, St. Louis, Missouri^{[21] [22]}
• 2015–"Salty & Fresh," Cherry & Lucic, Portland, Oregon^[23]
• 2017–"Salty & Fresh," Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, Florida^[24]
• 2017–"Paula Wilson:The Backward Glance," Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, Nebraska^[25]
• 2018–"FLOORED," HOLDING Contemporary, Portland, Oregon^[26]
• 2018–"PIECESCAPE," Visitor Welcome Center, Los Angeles, California^[27]
• 2018–"Spread Wild: Pleasures of the Yucca," Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, New York^[28]
• 2018–"The Light Becomes You," Denny Dimin Gallery, New York, New York^[29]
• 2019–"Entangled," 516 ARTS, Albuquerque, New Mexico^[30]
• 2022–"Be Wild. Bewilder," Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, Florida

Selected group exhibitions^[31]

• 2019–"Contemporary Performance," curated by Kalup Linzy, Florida Museum of Photographic Art, Tampa, Florida^[32]
• 2019–"Fragment," Emerson Dorsch Gallery,^{[33] [34]} Miami, Florida
• 2019–"In This Body of Mine: Strange Fire Collective at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design," Milwaukee, Wisconsin^{[35] [36]}
• 2019–"20 and Odd: The 400-Year Anniversary of 1619," curated by Kalia Brooks Nelson, Leroy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, New York^[37]
• 2017–"Sunrise, Sunset," Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, Florida^{[38] [39]}
• 2017–"The Unhomely," Denny Gallery, New York, New York^[40]
• 2017–"The Young Years, The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College," curated by Dayton Director Ian Berry, Saratoga Springs, New York^[41]
• 2016–"Surface Area: Selections from the Permanent Collection,"Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, New York^[42]
• 2016–"Residency," form & concept, Santa Fe, New Mexico^[43]
• 2016–"Visions Into Infinite Archives," SOMArts Cultural Center, curated by Black Salt Collective, San Francisco, California^{[44] [45] [46]}
• 2015–DRAW: Mapping Madness, Inside – Out Art Museum, curated by Tomas Vu, Beijing, China 2014^{[47] [48]}
• 2013–"I Am The Magic Hand," Sikkema Jenkins & Co, Organized by Josephine Halvorson, New York, New York
• 2013– "Sanctify," Vincent Price Museum, Los Angeles, California
• 2012–"The Bearden Project," Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, New York
• 2012–"Configured," Benrimon Contemporary, Curated By Teka Selman, New York, New York
• 2011–"Art by Choice," Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Mississippi
• 2011–"The February Show," Ogilvy & Mather, New York, New York
• 2010–"Art on Paper: The 41st Exhibition," Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina
• 2010–"Defrosted: A Life of Walt Disney," Postmasters Gallery, New York, New York
• 2010–"41st Collectors Show," Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 2009–"Carrizozo Artist’s Show," Gallery 408, Carrizozo, New Mexico
• 2009–"While We Were Away," Sragow Gallery, New York, New York
• 2009–"A Decade of Contemporary American Printmaking: 1999–2009," Tsingha University, Beijing, China
• 2009–"Collected. Propositions on the Permanent Collection," Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, New York
• 2009–"Cinema Remixed and Reloaded: Black Women Artists and the Moving Image Since 1970," Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, Texas
• 2007–"Cinema Remixed and Reloaded: Black Women Artists and the Moving Image Since 1970," Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia
• 2007–"Horizon," EFA Gallery, Curated by David Humphrey, New York, New York
• 2007–"Black Alphabet, contexts of Contemporary African American Art," Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Poland^[49]
• 2006–"Turn the Beat Around," Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York, New York
• 2006–"The Manhattan Project," Fred Snitzer Gallery, Miami, Florida
• 2006–"Frequency," Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, New York
• 2005–"MFA Thesis Exhibition," Studebaker Building, Curated by Jeffrey Uslip, New York, New York
• 2005–"Recess: Images & Objects in Formation," Rush Gallery, Curated by Derek Adams, New York, New York
• 2004–"Past Perfect," Kantor/Feuer Gallery, New York, New York
• 2004–"After Goya," Leroy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, Curated by Tomas Vu Daniel, New York, New York
• 2004–"Hungry Eyes, First Year MFA Exhibition," Columbia University, Ira D. Wallach Gallery, New York, New York
• 2002–"Signs," Public Art Installation, Chicago, Illinois
• 2001–"Brat(Wurst): A Show of Chicago Artists," Vox Populi, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 2000–"Young Love," Mapreed Gallery, Los Angeles, California

Personal life

Wilson currently lives and works in Carrizozo, New Mexico with her partner, woodworker Mike Lagg.^{[50] [51]}

Recognition

Wilson has been featured in publications such as Hyperallergic,^[52] Artforum,^{[53] [54] [55]} The New York Times,^[56] The Brooklyn Rail,^[57] and The New Yorker.

Wilson received the Award of Distinction from Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts,^[58] in St. Louis in 2019. She has been awarded residencies at the Fabric Workshop and Museum (2009–2010), Vermont Studio Center, and the Giverny Residency from the Art Production Fund in Giverny, France. She has also received a place on the short list, Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize, Studio Museum in Harlem, 2007 and the Milovich Award in Painting, School of Art, Washington University, 1998.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Paula Wilson – 17 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy. www.artsy.net. 2017-03-11.
2. Web site: Southwest Contemporary – Studio Visit:Paula Wilson and Mike Lagg. www.southwestcontemporary.com. 24 May 2019. 2020-05-17.
3. Web site: Demonstration: Paula Wilson & Mike Lagg, Intimate Restructuring . 2022-04-07 . Haystack Mountain School of Crafts . 12 June 2021 . en-US.
4. Web site: Paula Jane & Beverly Ann Wilson/ Daughter & Mother/Artist Books – Paula J Wilson . 2022-04-07 . paulajwilson.com.
5. Web site: Paula Wilson . 2022-04-07 . Yale School of Art . en.
6. Web site: Paula Wilson new Hammersley artist-in-residence . University of New Mexico . 5 August 2021 . en.
7. Web site: Welcome to MoMAZoZo. www.momazozo.com. 2020-05-17.
8. Web site: Carrizozo Arts – Carrizozo Artist in Residence – Carrizozo AIR. www.carrizozoarts.com. 2020-05-17.
9. Web site: Yale School of Art – Paula Wilson, Critic. www.art.yale.edu. 2020-05-23.
10. Web site: Sam Fox School – Faculty Portfolios – Paula Wilson. www.samfoxschool.wustl.edu. 2020-05-23.
11. Web site: Oberlin College Events – Mooning: Artist Lecture with Paula Wilson. www.calendar.oberlin.edu/. 2020-05-23.
12. Web site: Lecture: Paula Wilson. www.cranbrookart.edu. 7 November 2019. 2020-05-23.
13. News: Fall Season of Exciting Programming Launches at PAFA. Pafa. 8 September 2017. 2020-05-23.
14. Web site: Visiting Artist: Paula Wilson. www.bu.edu. 2020-05-23.
15. Web site: Paula Wilson. www.paulajwilson.com. 2020-05-29.
16. Web site: Cv – Paula J Wilson.
17. Web site: Galleria Suzy Shammah.
18. Web site: NYAB Event – Paula Wilson "The Stained Glass Ceiling". www.nyartbeat.com. en. 2017-03-11.
19. News: Center for Contemporary Arts UNDRESS WITH PAULA WILSON – Santa Fe Gallery Association. Santa Fe Gallery Association. 2017-03-11. en-US.
20. News: The bureau of reclamations. The Santa Fe New Mexican. 2017-03-11.
21. News: Behind and Beyond: Paula Wilson's "Back it Up" at Museum Blue. 2015-04-17. St. Louis Magazine. 2017-03-11. en-US.
22. Web site: Paula Wilson "Back it Up". Museum Blue. en-US. 2017-03-11.
23. Web site: Cherry Lucic. cherryandlucic.com. 2017-03-11.
24. Web site: Dorsch . Brook . Emerson Dorsch . 2017-04-07 . emersondorsch.com.
25. Web site: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts : Exhibitions : Exhibitions : Paula Wilson: The Backward Glance. www.bemiscenter.org. en. 2017-03-11.
26. Web site: HOLDING Contemporary: FLOORED – Paula Wilson. www.holdingcontemporary.com. 2020-05-29.
27. Web site: Visitor Welcome Center: Paula Wilson – PIECESCAPE. www.visitorwelcomecenter.org. 2020-05-29.
28. Web site: Smack Mellon: Paula Wilson, Spread Wild: Pleasures of the Yucca. www.smackmellon.org. 29 September 2018. 2020-05-29.
29. Web site: Denny Dimin Gallery: Paula Wilson – The Light Becomes You. www.dennydimingallery.com. 2020-05-29.
30. Web site: 516 Arts: Paula Wilson: Entangled. www.516arts.org. 2020-05-29.
31. Web site: cv – Paula J Wilson. paulajwilson.com. 2017-03-11.
32. Web site: FMoPA: Contemporary Performance. www.fmopa.org. 7 April 2019. 2020-05-29.
33. Web site: Home - Emerson Dorsch. 2023-10-12.
34. Web site: Strange Fire: Fragment. www.emersondorsch.com. 2020-05-29.
35. Web site: Strange Fire: Exhibition: In This Body of Mine. www.strangefirecollective.com/. 2020-05-29.
36. Web site: Strange Fire Collective. www.miad.edu/21222-2. 12 September 2019. 2020-05-30.
37. Web site: Columbia University School of Arts: 20 and Odd: The 400-Year Anniversary of 1619. www.arts.columbia.edu. 2020-05-30.
38. Web site: Emerson Dorsch Gallery: Sunrise, Sunset. www.emersondorsch.com/. 2020-05-30.
39. Web site: Hyperallergic: Best of 2017: Our Top 20 Exhibitions Across the United States. www.hyperallergic.com/. 21 December 2017. 2020-05-30.
40. Web site: Denny Gallery: The Unhomely. www.dennydimingallery.com/. 2020-05-30.
41. Web site: Tang: The Young Years. www.tang.skidmore.edu. 2020-05-30.
42. Web site: The Studio Museum in Harlem: Surface Area. www.studiomuseum.org/. 11 September 2017. 2020-05-30.
43. Web site: form & concept: Residency. www.formandconcept.center. 2020-05-30.
44. Web site: Temporary: Visions Into Infinite Archives at SOMArts. www.temporaryartreview.com. 29 January 2016. 2020-05-30.
45. Web site: AP: Visions Into Infinite Archives. www.artpractical.com. 2020-05-30.
46. Web site: SOMArts Cultural Center. www.us1.campaign-archive.com. 2020-05-30.
47. Web site: Inside Out Art Museum. www.ioam.org.cn. 2020-05-30.
48. Web site: Tomas Vu:DRAW. www.tomasvu.com. 2020-05-30.
49. Web site: Paula Wilson . 2022-04-07 . Yale School of Art . en.
50. Web site: Paula Wilson - Emerson Dorsch . 2022-04-07 . emersondorsch.com . en-US.
51. Web site: 2021-08-18 . Zozo's Petals . 2022-04-07 . www.newmexicomagazine.org . en-us.
52. Web site: A Stained-Glass World Where Women Are Worshipped. www.hyperallergic.com/. 2 May 2017. 2020-05-30.
53. Web site: Artforum: Paula Wilson – BELLWHETHER. www.artforum.com. January 2009 . 2020-05-30.
54. Web site: Artforum: Paula Wilson – Paintings and Drawings from the Hanno Valley. www.artforum.com. 16 June 2006 . 2020-05-30.
55. Web site: Artforum: iris yirei hu and ivan forde. www.artforum.com. 7 October 2019 . 2020-05-30.
56. News: The New York Times: I Am the Magic Hand and Antony: The Cut. The New York Times. 27 June 2013. 2020-05-30. Smith. Roberta.
57. Web site: The Brooklyn Rail: Salty/Fresh: Paula Wilson's House of Art. www.brooklynrail.org/. May 2017. 2020-05-30.
58. Web site: Sam Fox School: 2019 AWARDS FOR DISTINCTION. www.samfoxschool.wustl.edu. 2020-05-30.