Museum Studies Group Show

I have two of my faux artist posters in a show called Museum Studies, a group show at the Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College near Philadelphia. I’m in there with some big deal artists. The museum's blurb is below. More about my fake book/poster work here.

Museum Studies brings together artwork by 12 celebrated and influential contemporary artists, all of whom find inspiration in the vocabulary, procedures, and conventions of museum practice. Taking their cue from the essential but often mundane duties of art handlers, conservators, critics, curators, and registrars, the artists in Museum Studies explore aspects of the museum’s functionality that generally remain out-of-sight or unacknowledged. 

The artists featured are Joe Amrhein, Richard Artschwager, Don Celender, Thomas Demand, David Diao, Alicia Framis, Elliott Erwitt, Louise Lawler, Glenn Ligon, Julian Montague, Vik Muniz, and David Shapiro. 

Shedding light on such necessities as the wooden shipping crate, the salient information affixed to the backs of paintings, the obtuse language used in art publications, and the conservation and repair of artworks, Museum Studies offers a cleverly deadpan take on the “aesthetics of administration.” Taken as a whole, the works on view in the exhibition form a “how-to-guide” for running an established and successful art museum.

"Even when the most dedicated and knowledgeable museum-goers visit, their focus—as it should be—is mainly on the art displayed in the museum’s galleries. Having spent my career as a curator, I know all too well that while the exhibition is the primary end product, it is still only a small part of what a museum is and does. It is the behind-the-scenes procedures that truly fascinate me. Why not pull back the curtain so everyone can feel like an expert?” says Charles Stainback, Director of the Berman Museum and curator of Museum Studies.

Bird Captures at BT&C Gallery in Buffalo

My current show is up at BT&C Gallery in Buffalo. Check out the closing performance if you are in Buffalo on the 29th. This is our blurb:

Bird Captures is a photography and sound installation comprised of two related projects by artist/photographer Julian Montague and violinist/composer David Adamczyk. 

Bird Photography (Attempts) 2004-2014 For a decade Julian Montague has been photographing birds without a telephoto lens or any other specialist equipment. Each of the 90 prints on display feature the species name and the number of attempts (shots) made in the effort to document the bird. In some of the photographs the artist is observing the birds from a great distance, in others, the bird is reacting to his presence. The series is an attempt to document the fleeting quality of wildlife encounters and an exploration of the persistent human desire to take possession of animals through documentation and species identification. 

David Adamczyk’s interest in musical transcription from recordings of virtuosic playing styles of various world traditions and a fascination with exploring the full sonic potential of his instrument led him to begin transcribing real-world sounds for performance on the violin. In these exercises the difference between original sound-source and the musical result of performing the transcriptions serve as the compositional substance. Flying Mobiles consists of a number of short modular works for violin that attempt to capture the complexities of birdcalls, calling upon unconventional modes of sound production and extreme virtuosity to emulate the increasingly uncommon songs of nature. Recordings of Flying Mobiles will play as part of the installation, Adamczyk will perform live in the gallery on 1/3, 1/13, and 1/29.

Faux Books at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park

I have 20 of my faux books from the Secondary Occupants project in a group show that opens tonight at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park. The full description is below.

NYC Parks is pleased to present Notched Bodies: Insects in Contemporary Art, on view September 13 - November 13 at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park. The exhibition features eleven contemporary artists who offer probing personal interpretations on the importance of insects through a variety of media: Brandon Ballengée, Joianne Bittle, Rebecca Clark, Emilie Clark, Talia Greene, Asuka Hishiki, Julian Montague, Lisa Murch, Julia Oldham, Christy Rupp, and Ben Snead. The show is curated by Jennifer Lantzas, NYC Parks’ Public Art Coordinator.

This exhibition takes its name from ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s classification of insects by their similar traits: six legs and clearly segmented or “notched” bodies.  Humans have had a long and complex relationship with insects. Their alien appearance can be jarring or off-putting, but upon closer inspection insects are works of art. They are often seen as pests or invaders; however, their critical role in our ecosystem and daily lives is increasingly clear as urban farming, gardening, and the impact of syndromes like Colony Collapse Disorder become prevalent. Insects are keen indicators of the health of our ecosystem. They help break down and decompose rotting materials, which reintroduce rich nutrients into the soil.  They are also the first line of defense against invasive plants and other harmful insects.

Located on the Arsenal lawn, Brandon Ballengée’s outdoor light installation is intended to create interactions between nocturnal arthropods and humans. In the gallery, Joianne Bittle’s Goliath Beetle is removed from his natural surroundings and placed on a gold background, referencing religious icons from the Byzantine era. A botanic wallpaper installation by Talia Greene is inhabited by a colony of harvester ants, illustrating our vain attempts to impose order on the natural world. Faux books and records designed by Julian Montague document the hypothetical history of pest control. In her videos, Julia Oldham translates insects’ behaviors into choreographed performances. Ben Snead paints insects into geometric patterns—a personal classification system based on aesthetics rather than science. Rebecca Clark, Emilie Clark, Asuka Hishiki, Lisa Murch, and Christy Rupp also present diverse artworks that dismantle the notion that insects are creepy and herald them as fascinating creatures to be studied, understood and celebrated.

The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks and park history.  It is located on the third floor of the Parks Department Headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street.  Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission is free.  For more information on the Arsenal Gallery, please call (212) 360-8163.

Secondary Occupants on the Street

I was recently commissioned by Buffalo restaurateur Mark Goldman to do a wall piece on the side of Allen Street Hardware, one of Buffalo's better night spots. I adapted the design from the cover of Secondary Occupants, one of my faux books from the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project. The mural is part of a street art initiative started by Goldman in the Allentown district of Buffalo. A number of other artists have work on adjacent buildings, more about it here.

New Faux Work 6

Poster: Managing Structural Bird Problems / Symposium 5, 2013. Digital pigment print, 38 x 24 inches / 96 x 60 cm.

Poster: The Mayfly's Master, 2013. Digital pigment print, 27 x 19 inches / 68 x 48 cm.

New Faux Work 5

2013, digital pigment print, worn book, edition of 4 with 2 A.P. / Part of the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project

New Faux Work 4

2013, digital pigment print, worn book, edition of 4 with 2 A.P. / Part of the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project

New Faux Work 3

2013, digital pigment print, worn book, edition of 4 with 2 A.P. / Part of the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project

New Faux Work 2

2013, digital pigment print, worn book, edition of 4 with 2 A.P. / Part of the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project

Stray Shopping Carts at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA)

Thirteen of my Stray Shopping Cart pieces are in a group shoe called Stocked: Contemporary Art from the Grocery Aisles at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA). It is a traveling exhibit that originated at the Ulrich Museum in Wichita. This is the curatorial statement:

Stocked: Contemporary Art from the Grocery Aisles presents the work of contemporary artists who, directly and indirectly, take the grocery store and consumption of its products as their subjects. In contrast to historic pop’s celebration of everyday consumption, they note the seductive aesthetic appeal of commercial products with degrees of uneasiness. Using a variety of styles and media, they keenly and cleverly interrogate not only the grocery items we purchase, but also the physical and psychological environments in which we shop, the individuals and social frameworks we encounter there, and the cultural norms that inform our habits of consumption.

There are some big names in the show including Sonny Assu, Scott Blake, Louis Cameron, Hillary Carlip, Adriane Herman
, David Hilliard, Damien Hirst, Christian Jankowski, Karyn Olivier
Lucy + Jorge Orta, Jonathan Seliger, Store Buyout: Matt Fidler, Jody Gnant, Hal Kirkland, Kyle MacDonald, and Gary Lachance, Brian Ulrich, Rachel Perry Welty, and  Andy Warhol.

There is also a nicely designed catalog. It is available on Amazon.

New Faux Work 1

Larson Clark/Arachnologos, 2013. Digital pigment print, 37 x 18 inches / 94 x 46 cm.

Larson Clark/Arachnologos, 2013. Digital pigment print, 37 x 18 inches / 94 x 46 cm.

Volumes from an Imagined Intellectual History of Animals, Architecture and Man at Galerie Toutou Chic, Metz, France / June 19

One of the reasons my blogging has slowed down recently is that I have been working on new faux books and posters for an upcoming show at Galerie Toutou Chic in Metz, France (June 19). The exhibit will include 39 of my faux books, 10 posters and 5 record covers. I'll be posting them here over the next few days. If you don't want to wait you can see the whole series, old and new here.

Q & A on Dwell.com

There is an interview with my on Dwell magazine's website. I talk about this blog and my design and art work. Check it out.

Montague Projects in Gestalten's Fully Booked

I'm happy to say that there is a page dedicated to my faux books (Volumes from an Imagined Intellectual History of Animals, Architecture and Man) in Gestalten's Fully Booked: Ink on Paper. There is a lot of great work in the book.

Recent Work: Vascular Modes

Vascularis / 2013 / 7 x 3 feet / acrylic, latex house paint on board

I currently have a piece in a group exhibit called Vascular Modes at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo. The show has a slightly odd theme, the invited artists were asked to make work that somehow had the newly built Gates Vascular Institute building (below) in Buffalo as a starting point. Part of the idea is that in Buffalo we are often thinking about the architecture of the past, grain elevators, Victorian houses, urban ruins, etc., and this a way to look forward.

I decided to use this as an opportunity to work in a medium that I don't normally use. I made a painting on a blank door that I had in my basement. Normally my art work is tied into a bigger conceptual space, but this is more of a one off, I just wanted to make a colorful piece with a physical presence. 

Secondary Occupants @ SUNY Fredonia

I had an installation open last night at the Marion Art Gallery at the State University of New York at Fredonia. It was a mix of work from the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project. Thanks to everyone who helped out with the show.

A print for echo Art Fair

Julian Montague, 
echo, 20 x 16 inches, cotton rag paper, edition of 50


Printed by Anne Muntges at the WNY Book Arts Center

Published by echo Creative Ventures, LLC

I've been posting some of my graphic design work for the upcoming echo Art Fair in Buffalo, New York. In addition to my identity design for the fair, I'm also collaborating with echo to present a limited edition screen print. It's available for purchase on the echo website.

Installation Shots from TH&B 2

The Ruins of 270 Sherman Ave. North opened last night in Hamilton, Ontario.  It consisted of a cycling slide show of abandoned spider webs that I photographed in the space and two overhead projections of portraits of the species that made the webs. As described in an earlier post, it was part of an installation group show in an enormous space in a 19th century textile factory. My installation was in a small room off of the main hall.

TH&B's wooden projection logo

 Gareth Lichty's "Hamper" made from 7 kilometers of construction fence

Ivan Jurakic's "Pylon"