Stephen Dean is a French-American artist, born in 1968. He lives and works in New York.

His temporal works, installations and watercolours draw on physiological and anthropological approaches to colour. Often working from existing forms or events, Dean focuses on the immediacy of colour and its ability to precede language and cultural codes. With a sense of exploration, his contemplative and immersive works engage the colour spectrum as spatial and social material while searching for structures, patterns and moments of colour intensity in the everyday world.

Stephen Dean’s work is in the permanent collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY ; the Whitney Museum of Art, New York, NY ; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. ; the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT ; the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Paris, France ; and the Fundación Jumex, México, among others.

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Stephen Dean est un artiste franco-américain, né en 1968. Il vit et travaille à New York. 

Ses œuvres temporelles, ses installations et ses aquarelles font appel à des approches physiologiques et anthropologiques de la couleur. Travaillant souvent à partir de formes ou d’événements existants, Dean se concentre sur l’immédiateté de la couleur et sa capacité à précéder le langage et les codes culturels. Avec un sens de l’exploration, ses œuvres contemplatives et immersives engagent le spectre chromatique en tant que matière spatiale et sociale tout en recherchant des structures, des motifs et des moments d’intensité chromatique dans le monde quotidien. 

Les œuvres de Stephen Dean se trouvent, entre autres, dans les collections permanentes du Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY ; du Whitney Museum of Art, New York, NY ; de la National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. ; de la Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT ; du Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Paris, France ; et de la Fundación Jumex, México.

2020
Morning comes without morning, Mouvements/ rue Visconti, Paris

2019
Rehearsal with Props, Casa Triangulo, Sao Paulo
Enigma of Arrival, Hermès Iguatemi, Sao Paulo
ROPE, FRAC Corsica, Corte

2014
Jugglers,  Miles McEnery Gallery, New York
The chaos theory of color,  McClain Gallery, Houston
Jugglers, Casa Triangulo,  Sao Paolo

2013
Works on Paper and Edges,  Baldwin gallery, Aspen

2010
Fever,  Centro Cultural Koldo Mitxelena, San Sebastian
Fever,  Le Chateau d’Eau, Bourges
Trampolines,  Ecole Superieure d’Art et Media, Caen

2009
Watercolors & Videos,  Baldwin Gallery, Aspen
Silent Pictures, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, New York
Obra Reciente,  Galeria Max Estrella, Madrid

2008
Countdown,  Casa Triangulo, Sao Paulo
Miniature,  Tokyo Wonder Site Institute of Contemporary Art, Tokyo

2007
Angle of bending,  Baldwin Gallery, Aspen
Silent Pictures,  Sara Meltzer gallery, New York
No More Bets,  Galeria Max Estrella, Madrid

2006
VOLTA,  Miami Art Museum, Miami
Grand Prix,  Galerie Xippas, Paris
Exit, Contemporary Art Institute, Peja

2005
Stephen Dean,  Museum of Fine Arts of Santander

2004
Galerie Xippas, Athens

2003
VOLTA,  Henry Urbach Architecture, New York, New York
Galerie Xippas, Paris

2001
PULSE,  Henry Urbach Architecture, New York, New York
Weatherspoon Art Gallery, Greensboro
Marcel Sitcoske Gallery, San Francisco

2000
Galerie Xippas, Paris

1999
Hales Gallery, London
Marcel Sitcoske Gallery, San Francisco

1998
Galerie Xippas, Paris

1997
Galerie Cohn-Edelstein, Rio de Janeiro

1995
Galerie Xippas, Paris

Selected group exhibitions

2023

Fahrenheit, Galerie John Ferrère, Paris

2022

What is the proper way to display a flag ? curated by Ingo Clauß, Weserburg Museum für Moderne Kunst, Bremen
Art of the Terraces, curated by Pauline Rushton, Walker Art gallery, National Museums Liverpool
Building the beautiful gameDesign, Design Museum, London

2021
Affinités Insolites, curated by Jean Hubert Martin, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow ( upcoming )
Art of Sport, curated by Marie Nipper, Copenhagen Contemporary
Humano más humano, curated by Nimfa Bisbe, La Fundación “La Caixa” @ Fundación Barrié, La Coruna

2020
Le cours des choses, curated by Alice Motard and Sandra Patron, CAPC, Musée d’ art contemporain de Bordeaux
Fantastic Voyage, Peter Piper Pictures, Redhook, NY

2019
Selection from the permanent collection, The Phillips Collection, Washington DC
Times of Upheaval. Stories and microstoriesin the IVAM collection, Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, Valencia
Remake – Quand la video rejoue le cinema, FRAC Normandie, Rouen
Projection of Presence, Elgyz Museum, Istanbul
Imagetica Hot, curated by Henrique Menezes, Galeria do DMAE, Porto Alegre

2018
Naturel/Pas Naturel, Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-Arts, 20000 Ajaccio
Rose Ocean: Living with Duchamp, Tang Museum / The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, New York
Vidéos d’artistes #17 – La photographie française existe… Je l’ai rencontrée, MEP, Paris Mouvements, rue Visconti, Paris
The Beautiful Game, Perez Art Museum, Miami, FL (US) curated by Franklin Sirmans
En voiture, artistes de la collection des Abattoirs, Musée/FRAC, Lézignan-Corbières

2017
Round Colours, Monteverita, Paris
Sans Reserve, Parcours de la collection, MACVAL, Vitry Sur Seine

2016
Coleccion olorVISUAL,  curated by Nekane Aramburu,  Es Baluard, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Palma
Slow Dimwitted Carnage,  Coustof Waxman gallery, New York
Radiant Space,  McClain gallery, Houston
Matin Midi Soir,  curated by Laure Flammarion,  Honoré Visconti , Paris
Black & White & Red All Over, Anne Deleporte & Stephen Dean, curated by Sara Reisman,  galerie l’inlassable, Paris
Tropicalia,  L’Inlassable Museum, Paris
Foot Foraine, curated by Jean Max Colard, La Villette, Paris

2015   
The Museum Imagined,  curated by Lilly Wei,  Danese Corey Gallery,  New York
Nature/Nurture,  curated by Ron Platt,  Grand Rapids Art Museum, Miami
Arquitecturas y Espacios en la Collecion RAC,  Centro Cibeles, Madrid
IRIS Time, L’Inlassable Museum, New York
(647912), L’Inlassable galerie, New York

2014
Futbol: The Beautiful Game,  curated by Frankin Sirmans,  Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
FAIRPLAY,  curated by Cristina Perrella,  Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo, Rome
Art=Text+Art, Works from the Kramarsky Collection, UB Anderson gallery, University of Buffalo, New York
Light3,  curated by Lilly Wei,  Fridman gallery, New York
Honoré,  curated by Laure Flammarion & Pauline Leveque,  Rue Visconti, Paris
Rumor…decolonials,  curated by Suset Sanchez,  Collecion La Caixa,  Barcelona
Casa Triangulo No Pivo,  Copan Building, Sao Paolo

2013
Junkies’ promises,  curated by Ivan Navarro,  Paul Kasmin gallery, New York
Art=Text=Art, Works from the Kramarsky Collection,  The Hafnarfjordur Center of Fine Art, Hafnarborg
Celestial,  McClain Gallery, Houston

2012   
Shock of the news,  curated by Judith Brodie,  National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Audience as Subject,  curated by Betti-Sue Hertz,  Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
Art=Text=Art, Works from the Kramarsky Collection,  Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick
Targets,  curated by Claude d’Anthenaise,  Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris
Les Maitres du Désordre,  curated by Jean de Loisy,  Musée du quai Branly, Paris

2011
Contemporary Art in the Traditional Museum, Pro Arte foundation / Russian Ethnographic Museum, St.Petersurg
Art=Text=Art, Works from the Kramarsky Collection,  Richmond University Museum, Virginia
Car Fetish, I drive therefore I am,  curated by Roland Wetzel,  Tinguely Museum, Basel
Mary Poppins is a junkie,  ShowRoom Gallery, New York
Grande Image Lab,  curated by Christophe Domino,  Nuit Blanche, Paris
L’ Art est un sport de combat,  curated by Jean-Marc Huitorel,  Musée des Beaux Arts de Calais

2010
The Jewel Thief,  curated by Jessica Stockholder & Ian Berry,  Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs, New York
I Mutanti,  curated by Eric de Chassey,  Villa Medici, Rome
Coleccion Premios Altadis,  curated by Maria and Lorena Del Corral,  La Lonja, Alicante
Cromocronias,  Centro José Guerrero, Granada
One Shot,  curated by Pierre-Olivier Rollin,  B.P.S.22 Charleroi

2009
Against Exclusion,  curated by Jean Hubert Martin,  3rd Moscow Biennial, Garage for Contemporary Culture, Moscow
Talking Pictures,  curated by Laura Steward,  SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico
Wintry,  Magazzino d’ Arte Moderna, Rome
AUTO, Dream and Matter,  curated by Alberto Martin,  Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo de Madrid

2008
Double Down: Two Visions of Las Vegas, curated by Henry Urbach, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Into the trees,  curated by Lilly Wei,  Art OMI, Ghent
Plus de réalité,  Le Hangar a Bananes, Nantes
Landerspiel,  Museum Moderner Kunst Kaernten, Klagenfurt

2007   
Mouth Open, Teeth Showing, Major works from the True Collection, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle
20th anniversary show,  Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, New York
Esquiador en el fondo de un pozo, curated by Michel Blanc-Sube,  La Coleccion Jumex, Mexico
Building Spills and Spins Past Midnight,  Galerie Les Filles du Calvaires, Brussels

2006  
Stillpoints of the Turning World,  curated by Klaus Ottman,  Site Santa Fe Biennial, New Mexico
New York Interrupted,  curated by Dan Cameron, PKM gallery, Beijing
Ball the Wall,  David Risley Gallery, London
The Beautiful Game,  curated by Franklyn Sirmans & Trevor schoonmaker,  Roebbling Hall Gallery, New York
La Force de l’art,  Grand Palais, Paris
Human Game,  Fondazione Pitti, Stazione Leopole, Florence
L’ Inde dans tous les sens,  curated by Hervé Mikaeloff,  L’Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, Paris
Art and Football,  curated by Alfons Hug,  Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro

2005
Always a Little Further,  curated by Rosa Martinez,  Arsenal, 51st International Venice Biennial
Facade projections,  Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Roundleather world,  curated by Harald Szeeman,  Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin
War is over,  Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo, Bergamo
Paris in Shanghai,  curated by Jean-Luc Monterosso,  Shanghai Museum of Fine Art, Shanghai
Parilla,  curated by Ivan Navarro,  Centro Cultural Matucana 100, Santiago
Airborne,  Henry Urbach Architecture, New York, New York
Double Vision,  curated by Maria Rosa Sossai,  Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Rome

2004
The Joy of my Dreams,  curated by Harald Szeeman, 1st International Biennial of Sevilla
Open House,  Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, New York
Prix Altadis,  Galerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris / Elba Benitez, Madrid
The Human Condition, The Dream of a Shadow, Museo d’Historia, Barcelona
Multitudes,  Fond Regional d’Art Contemporain Corse

2003
Poetic Justice,  curated by Dan Cameron,  8th Istanbul Biennial
Living with Duchamp,  curated by Ian Berry,  Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York
The Stadium, Muro Sur: Contemporary Art Gallery, Santiago
Post-Impact, curated by Georges Armaos,  Collection Portalakis, Athenes
Nuit Blanche, curated by Noelle Chabert,  Musée Zadkine, Paris

2002
Whitney Biennial,  curated by Larry Rinder,  Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
The Theory of Leisure,  curated by Dan Cameron,  La Coleccion Jumex, Mexico
Nao e cinema, nao e televisao e nem e video,  Capacete Entertainments, Rio de Janeiro
Déplacements,  curated by Dominique Abensour,  Le Quartier, Quimper
Exotisme, vu d’ici, vues d’ailleurs, Fond Regional d’Art Contemporain Corse

2001
Finely Drawn, curated by Ron Platt,  Weatherspoon Art Gallery, Greensboro

1998
Wall paper,  Nicolas Davis Gallery, New York
Hales Gallery, London

1997
Paolo Baldacci Gallery, New York
Oeuvres du FNAC,  Musée de Grenoble

1996
Walk on the Soho Side,  curated by Marc Pottier,  New York
Guillaume Galozzi Gallery,  New York
Autour de Cercle et Carré, curated by Olivier Kaeppelin, Maison des Arts Georges Pompidou, Cajarc

1995 
Selection Spring’ 95,  The Drawing Center, New York
Avant-garde Walk in Venezia, curated by Marc Pottier, Venice

1994
Crash,  curated by Tom Zummer,  Thread Waxing Space, New York
Friends,  55 Mercer St. Gallery, New York
Possible Things,  curated by Vik Muniz,  Bardamu Gallery, New York
Artists in the Marketplace,  Bronx Museum for the Arts, New York

Public Collections

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

Blanton Museum of Arts, Austin

RICE University Public Art for Public Schools, New York

Harvard University Art Museum, Cambridge

Weatherspoon Art Gallery, New Haven CT

Elgiz Museum, Istanbul

Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, Valencia

Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Paris

Find Regional d’Art Contemporain, Corse

Musée d’Art Contemporain de Vitry-sur-Seine

Coleccion La Caixa, Barcelona, Madrid

Israel Museum, Tel Aviv

La Fundacion Jumex, Mexico City, Mexico

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Chaux-de-Fonds

Weatherspoon Art Gallery, Greensboro

Musée des Abattoirs, FRAC Occitanie, Toulouse

Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France

Public Commissions

2018
Helliotropism, Reflecting Pool, Grand Rapids Museum of Art, Miami
wHY Architecture (schematic phase)

2017
Crossworlds, N.Y.C. Percent for Art / N.Y.C. Department of CUltural Affairs, PS 889 / IS 890, Brooklyn
Purcell Architects, New York

2016
Flags, A.S. Velasca Soccer Club, Milan

2015
How Far Is Red, SWATCH, AG Airside Center
Zurich International Airport
GRIMSHAW Architects, London

2014
Ladder descending the Staircase,  Rice University Public Art
Anderson – Clarke Center for Continuing Studies, Houston
OVERLAND Partners Architects, San Antonio

2011
Fever, produced with Grande Image Lab
NUIT BLANCHE, Paris

2009
Proscenium, Progressive Isurance Corporation, Main lobby, Cleveland
Bialosky + Partners Architects, New York

2008
Shibuya 1000, Shibuya Station, produced with Tokyo Wonder Site, Tokyo

2005
VOLTA, Façade projection, Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, New York

2002
Painted Time, SWATCH Ag, Biel

2000
Abacus, Progressive Insurance Corporation, Campus lobby, Cleveland
Bialosky + Partners Architects, New York

Awards and residencies 

2018
Peter S. Reed foundation grant, New York, NY

2011
CEC Artslinks grant, Pro Arte Foundation, St Petersburg

2009-2010
Rome prize, Villa Medici, Rome

2008
Creator in Residence, Tokyo Wonder Site Institute of Contemporary Art, Tokyo

2004
ALTADIS Prize

2003
Travel Grant, US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Diyarbakyr

2002
Best Art Film, Bilbao International Film Festival
Best European short film, Corto Circuito, Short-film festival, Naples

1994
Artists in the Marketplace, Bronx Museum, New York

Festivals and screenings

2016
ARTE Video Night, Maison Européenne de la Photo, Paris

2015
Videos d’ Artiste #8, Stephen Dean & Anne Deleporte,  Maison Européenne de la Photo, Paris

2012
ARTE Video Night,  Palais de Tokyo, Paris –  ARTE TV, Germany / France

2011
Stephen Dean painter/film-maker,  ARTE TV, Germany / France
Initiation to Mystery,  Soirées Nomades, Fondation Cartier, Paris

2010
ARTE Video Night,  Petit Palais, Paris – ARTE TV, Germany / France

2009
Cutting the edge,  Miami international film festival, Miami

2006
Histoires courtes,  France 2 TV

2005
L’experience métisse,  Auditorium du Louvre, Musée du Louvre, Paris

2004
In Progress,  Locarno International Film Festival, Locarno
Situations construites,  Attitudes, Geneva
Festival Art Rock,  Saint Brieuc
Exhibition,  ARTE TV Germany/France

2003
Edinburgh Film Festival (SCO)
Rencontres International Paris/Berlin,  Arsenal, Berlin

2002
Best European short film, Corto Circuito,  Short-film festival, Naples
Jury’s special mention, Festival du court métrage en plein air de Grenoble
International Film Festival, Athens
Best documentary, Festival du Film d’Aubagne
Best photography, Filmvideo, Festival de Montecatini, Pistoia
Golden Key – Artefacts, International Art Film Festival, Bratislava
International Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro
International short film Festival, La Ciotat
International Film Festival of Fine Arts, Szolnok
Best documentary, Bilbao International Film Festival

2001
Festival International du Film d’Art, Montréal

Selected Publications

Odd Convergences, text Jean-Hubert Martin – 384 p. published by The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Art

Seeing Differently, text Klasus Ottman – The Phillips collects for a new century, 360 p. published by The Phillips Collection and GILES Ltd.

Morning comes without morning, Stephen Dean – 80 p. published by Bandini Books ( monograph )

Shock of the News – the newspaper phenomenon – 150 p. published by the National Gallery of Art, Washington and Lund Humphries

Les Maitres du Désordre, text Jean de Loisy – 448 p. published by le Musée du Quai Branly

I Mutanti, Stephen Dean, text Eric de Chassey – Villa Medici, 50 p. published by Drago ( monograph )

Car Fetish, I drive therefore I am, 335 p. published by the Tinguely Museum and Kehrer Heidelberg

Esquiador en el fondo de un pozo – 305 p. published by Fundacion / Coleccion Jumex

The Jewel Thief – 96 p. published by the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum

Stephen Dean, text Maria de Corral, Christophe Domino, 62 p. published by Actes Sud ( monograph )

Selected Press

Dean : ROPE / Deleporte : 14 Meurtrières – Lilly Wei, Studio International 10.18.19

Dean Deleporte Duo artistique sur les murs du Frac – Morgane Quilichini, Corse Matin 07.20.19

Le FRAC Corse a la lumiere de Dean et Deleporte – Fransesca Caruana, Arts Hebdo Medias 09.23.19

Stephen Dean, a cor como conexão do olhar – Leonor Amarante, Arte Brasileiros 04.30.2019

The art of football – Nadja Sayej, The Guardian 05.07.18

The World’s Game: Futball and Contemporary Art at Perez Museum, Miami – ArtNews 06.25.18

Perez Museum caters to World Cup fans – Margaret Carrigan, The Observer 04.25.18

David Ebony’s top 10 New York gallery shows this winter – David Ebony, Artnet 01.29.16

Stephen Dean Talks Watercolor-as-Microbe and 17th Century Abstract Stain Glass – Ian Epstein, Artsy 01.28.16

Light3 at Fridman gallery – Amanda Church, Artnews 09.04.2014

Cover – Art Inside summer 2011

Stephen Dean, Silent Pictures, Sara Meltzer gallery – Roberta Smith, Art in Review, New York Times 10.08.09

Stephen Dean at Sara Meltzer – David Ebony, Art in America June/ July 2008

Video artist isn’t just spinning his wheels – Blake Gopnik, The Washington Post 07.30.06

Stephen Dean at Henry Urbach – Edward Leffingwell, Art in America 07.03

Do It Yourself, Biennial follies at the Whitney – Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker 03.17.02