TONY MAY
849 South Third
Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Phone: (408)
295-2646
email:
tony_may@sbcglobal.net
Tony
May, Emeritus Professor of Art, taught at San Jose State University from1967
until 2005. He also taught for one year
at the University of Wisconsin- Sheboygan, for one term at Sheffield City
Polytechnic in Sheffield, England and for one quarter at Santa Clara University
in Santa Clara California. Born in Mineral Point, WI in 1942, he received his
MFA degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he studied with
Warrington Colescott, Steven French and Don Reitz. He has taught in both the
Pictorial and Spatial Arts areas. Courses have included Color Theory, Drawing,
2 and 3 Dimensional Design, Painting, Sculpture, a variety of Graduate Seminars
and a class focusing on group art activity, “Art in Community.” In Spring 2004,
the Art In Community Class designed and completed installation of a public art
project commissioned by the City of San Jose. The work is located in Bestor Street Art Park on South 5th
Street adjacent to the School of Art and Design Foundry. It was dedicated,
along with the park in fall 2004.
Working with SJSU students, he recently completed a monumental-scale
memorial artwork for another City of San Jose park. The piece entitled El Paraguas del Padre Mateo was
dedicated in September 2008
Working
in a variety of media, his own art has often taken the form of site-responsive
installations and has a strong leaning toward the conceptual, the
quasi-functional and the whimsical. He believes in the importance of
craftsmanship and hands-on involvement of the artist. Projects such as his
building the idiosyncratic structure, the T.
House and subsequent production of a series of photo-real paintings
documenting selected aspects of that construction process reveal much about his
belief in the importance of work itself as well as in the reflection upon it.
His
art has been shown widely in California including shows at the San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Art Institute, 80 Langton Street (now New
Langton Arts,) Capp Street Project, San Jose Museum of Art and the deSaisset
Museum. He has also exhibited in other parts of the United States, England,
France, Japan and Thailand. In 1998 he completed a major public commission for
the city of San Jose, which commemorates Agriculture in the Santa Clara Valley.
RESUME OF SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND INSTALLATIONS:
(bold type
indicates commissioned works or more significant shows and/ or installations)
“(Un)common: The
Art of Altered Objects,” Art Department Gallery, Santa Clara University, Group
show curated by Renee Billingslea. 2008.
“California to
Bangkok and Back,” Works/ San Jose, San Jose CA, 2007-2008
“Winter 2007
Exhibit” Group show curated by Jane Salvin, Heritage Bank , San Jose,
2007-2008.
“Artists & World Environment”
Thai-American Art Exhibition 2007, Art Centre, Silpakorn University, Bangkok,
Thailand
(photo below:
“Portable Thai-Inspired Art Display Unit”)
“Tony May, The Meager Retrospective
(Work from the Basement Archives)” Louie-Meager Art Gallery, Ohlone College,
Fremont CA, 2006 (photo
below: overview of installation)
“Pac III:
Thai-American Art Exchange, University Art Gallery, California Polytechnic
State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 2006
“Change
2005-2006” Euphrat Museum of Art, De
Anza College, Cupertino CA, 2005-06.
“Domestic Odyssey,” Group exhibition curated by JoAnne Northrup, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, 2004, (catalog)
(photo below:
acrylic on wood panel, 11” x 13”, one of four paintings in the exhibition)
“Fall
Exhibition,” Heritage Fine Arts Collaborative, Group show curated by Jane
Salvin, Heritage Bank, San Jose, 2002-03
“Spatial
Arts Faculty Exhibition,” School of Art and Design, San Jose State University,
Spring 2002.
“This is Not a Book,” group show curated by David Pace, San Jose
Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, 2001.
“Six Shop Doors Fit for a Temple and a Transient T/Tree House,” Collaborative Installation with Lonny Tomono,
East Hawaii Cultural Center, Hilo HI, 1999. (photo below: Installation detail)
“Remembering Agriculture” A Memorial to Agriculture in the Santa
Clara Valley, Commissioned by the City of San Jose.
(Dedicated Fall 1998.)
Project is permanently located in Guadalupe River Park on W. Santa Clara
Street, San Jose, CA.
(photo
below)
“Spatial Arts Faculty Exhibition,” School of
Art and Design, San Jose State University, Spring 1998.
“Coming of Age,”
work by past and current members of the board of directors, WORKS/San Jose,
1998.
“Outside In,”
group exhibition of drawings and maquettes of public art projects currently in
progress for the City of San Jose. San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art,
1995.
“The Library
Show,” group exhibition, Winstead Library Gallery, Sierra College, Rocklin,
CA,1995
“Pictorial Discourse,” Pictorial ArtsFaculty
Exhibition and Panel Discussion, Gallery One, San Jose State University, 1994
“Neither is
This,” Painted assemblage with mailbox flag.
Part of group exhibition, Gallery One, San Jose State University
School of Art and
Design, 1994.
“Capp Street
Project Bricks 1994,” Piece entitled “T. Brick Lamp,” Capp Street Project, San
Francisco, CA, Jan-Feb, 1994.
“Switches,”
Exhibition of art lamps, piece entitled “M. Lantern,” Gallery One, San Jose State
University School of Art and Design, 1993.
“San Jose Sumo
Basho Art Exhibition,” San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, 1993.
"Views
of the T. House," Installation with Ken Phillip, San Jose Institute of
Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA, May 1993.
"Views of the T. House," installation with Ken Phillip,
Sheffield Hallam University Art Gallery, Sheffield, England, January 1993. (photo
below: acrylic on wood panel, 9” x 9”, one from a series of 18 documentary
paintings)
"Memories,
Dreams, and Reflections," Exhibition of art done with mirrors. Piece entitled "Mere
Appearance--Buddhist Paraphernalia," Gallery One, San Jose State
University Art Department, 1992.
"Variable Book Construction (Bookmobile)" -
Site-specific installation commissioned by San Jose Museum of Art for the
entrance lobby of new wing of the museum, San Jose, 1991-95. (photo below: installation detail)
"Doing
Time" an exhibition of artist's clocks.
Piece entitled "T. Time Table," Gallery One, San Jose State
University Art Department, San Jose, 1991.
"Chairitable
Inventions," an exhibition and auction of chairs transformed by
artists. Piece entitled "Chair O'
Tea." Gallery One, San Jose State
University Art Department, 1990.
"Two Tea
Jugs," piece done for Artist's Tee Shirts Exhibition and Auction,
WORKS/San Jose, 1989.
"For the
Birds," exhibition and auction of artist-made birdhouses, San Jose State
University Art Department, Gallery One, 1989.
"Le Livre Dans Tous Ses E'tats,"
organized by the Biblitheque Municipale and Galerie Caroline Corre, A.T.B. Theatre de Beauvais, France, November 1988.
"Exposition
Le Livre - Dans Tous Ses Etats,"
Bibliotheque Municipale D'Argenteuil, France. Group exhibition organized by Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris. March 1987.
"His/Hers,"
collaborative installation "The Nut Cracking Bench," with Therese
May, WORKS/San Jose, 1987.
"Faculty
Draw," group exhibition, Gallery One, Art Department, San Jose State
University, November-December 1987.
"Le Livre Objet," Centre Culturel
de la Somme, Amiens, France, December 1986 - February 1987. Group
exhibition organized by Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris.
"Experimental
Books," WORKS/San Jose, San Jose, CA, October 1986. Group exhibition curated by Margaret
Stainer.
"The Artist
and the Machine," deSaisset Museum of Art, Santa Clara University, Santa
Clara, CA, 1986.
"The School of San Jose," (part of
"The San Jose Biennial"). Art Department, San Jose State University,
San Jose, CA, 1986. (Catalog)
"Seven Year
Update: The Blue-Green Collection.
"The Artist Selectors Show," (part of "The San Jose
Biennial"), WORKS, San Jose, CA, 1986.
"L'Art Du Livre," Biblioteque A.
France, Villeneuve-le-Roi, France, 1985.
Group exhibition organized by Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris.
"Functional
House," collaborative installation, with Bob Jones, at "Capp Street
Project," artist in residency, January 1 - March 31, 1985, San Francisco,
CA. (Work documented in catalog: "Capp Street Project, 1985, 1986,"
published by Capp Street Project, San Francisco, 1987.) (photo below: acrylic on wood panel, 11” x 13”, documentary painting of
installation detail.)
"Powers
Circle," collaborative installation, with Percy Peacock and students,
Sheffield City Polytechnic, Psalter Lane Site, Sheffield England, June, 1985.
"Meg
Door/Guto Gate, An English Home Improvement," for Manuel Chetcuti,
Sheffield, England, 1985.
"Le Livre Dans Tous Ses Etats,"
livres-objets, Galerie du Centre d'action Culturelle Pablo Neruda, Corbeil
Essones, France, 1984.
"Written On
Sculpture," Olive Hyde Art Gallery, Fremont, CA, September-October, 1984.
"Tony
May-Paintings," Renshaw Gallery, Linfield college, McMinnville, OR,
September, 1984.
"Home Improvement Paintings," one person exhibition, Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman College, Orange, CA, 1983.
“Les Etats Du Livre," tome I: livres d'artistes americains, Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris, France, 1983. (work reproduced in "L'oeil," April, 1983)
"San Jose Artists Exhibition," Tenmaya Exhibition Hall, Okayama, Japan, 1982.
Permanent Installation: "Remedying Two Small Flaws," "South Bay Sculpture," Sunnyvale Community Center, Sunnyvale, CA, 1982.
Installation: "Red Branch Retrofit-Clark Modification," on extended loan to Robert D. Clark Library, San Jose State University, San Jose, 1982- 2005.
Work included in
invitational show of Bay Area art, Fashion Moda Museum, South Bronx, New York
City, 1982.
"Miniatures
82," Invitational Exhibition, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA, 1982.
"Home Improvements," one person exhibition, 80 Langton Street, San Francisco, 1981. This exhibition was documented in "80 Langon Street Catalog - May 1981 - April 1982."
"Fashion
Moda - SF-NY-SOUTH BRONX-LA-OAKLAND," Galeria de la Raza, San Francisco,
1981.
"Masqued
Headgear Invitational Exhibition," San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art,
San Jose, 1981.
Installation: "Red Branch Retrofit," 80 Langton Street, Fifth Anniversary Show at the Knights of the Red Branch Hall, San Francisco, 1980. This installation was documented in "80 Langton Street - May 1980 - April 198l."
"Home Improvements," One
Person Exhibition, deSaisset Museum of Art, Santa Clara University, Santa
Clara, CA, January, 1981.
"Visualog,"
California Polytechnic Institute, San Luis Obispo, CA, 1979.
"Artists'
Soap Box Derby," sponsored by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,
concept and design for "WORKS" Gallery car: "The Soap Box Derby," member of construction team,
1978.
Installation: "The Miracle of the Fishes," at Paseo de San Antonio fountain in conjunction with "The San Jose Exhibit," San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, 1978.
"Private
Life of Rrose Selavy," Helen Euphrat Gallery, De Anza College, Cupertino,
CA, 1978.
"Art
Stories," Libra Gallery, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, CA, 1977.
"Huffaker, May and May," San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, 1976.
"Tony and Therese May," Cabrillo College Art Gallery, Aptos, CA, 1976.
"Works with
Words," University of California, Santa Barbara, 1975.
"Word Works
Two," San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, 1975.
Installation: "This Area Closed for Installation of Monumental
Sculpture," San Jose Civic Art Gallery, San Jose, 1972.
"Distribution?,"
travelling exhibit organized by Steven Zaima, "The Museum
Avant-Garde," Davis, CA, University of California at Davis, 1971,
University of California, San Diego, 1972.
"Inaugural
Exhibition," San Jose Civic Art Gallery, San Jose, CA 1971.
"Four Sculptors," San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1971, (installation: "Variable Construction Altered by the Chance Rearrangement of My Living Room Furniture"). (photo below: detail of the installation)
"San
Francisco Art Institute Centennial Exhibition," M.H. De Young Memorial
Museum, San Francisco, CA, 1971.
"Shasta
College Invitational," Redding, CA, 1970.
One Person Exhibition: "Tony May-Drawings," Hansen-Fuller
Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 1970.
"Water,"
University of California at Davis, Group Invitational, 1969.
"Eleven at Ghirardelli," Michael Walls Gallery, San Francisco, 1969 ("The Trap of Romantic Art" installation).
One Person Exhibition: (Including Large Variable Construction installation) San Jose City College, San Jose, CA, 1969.
"Paper,"
San Jose City College, San Jose, CA, 1968.
"In the
Sculpture Bag," San Jose State University Invitational Exhibit, Art
Department Gallery, 1968.
"San Jose
City College Juried Annual," San Jose, CA, 1968.
"Media in a
Supermarket," John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 1968.
"Four
Sculptors," Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, 1968.
"Summer Group
Show," Galerie Carl Van der Voort, San Francisco, CA, 1968.
"Southern
Wisconsin Sculpture Invitational," Milton College, Milton, Wisconsin,
1967.
One Person
Exhibition: University of Wisconsin,
Sheboygan, 1967.
"Wisconsin
Designer Craftsman," Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1964 and
1965 (award).
"31st Wisconsin Salon," University
of Wisconsin, Madison, 1965, (major award).
"1964 Biennial of Painting and Sculpture," Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1964.