1958

Born in Rochester, NY

Lives and works in Houston, TX and Chicago, IL

1987

MFA, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2017

"Mutual Admiration Society," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles, CA

2016

"John Sparagana: Themesong Variations," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

2014

"El Cuerpo Sutil: Miguel Angel Rojas and John Sparagana," Sicardi Gallery, Houston, TX

2013

"Crowds & Powder," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

"Albert Oehlen & John Sparagana," STUDIOLO, Zurich, Switzerland

2011

"Going Down For The Third Time," Bryan Miller Gallery, Houston, TX

"Geronimo," Sox, Berlin, Germany

"Between the Eyes," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

2009

"The Crisis Professionals," CTRL, Houston, TX

2008

"Jane South John Sparagana," CTRL Gallery, Houston, TX

2007

"Afternoon Hallucinogenic," Priska C. Juschka Fine Art, New York, NY

2006

"What the Child Saw, What the Lover Saw, What the Killer Saw," moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL

2005

"People Everywhere are Stoned," Mixture Contemporary Art, Houston, TX

2004

"People Everywhere are Tired," Modern Culture, New York, NY

"Sleeping Beauty," Mixture Contemporary Art, Houston, TX

2002

"I Wait For You Every Night," Rice University Media Center, Houston, TX

"Swoon," Wall Installation, James Gallery, Houston, TX

2001

"Sublime," James Gallery, Houston, TX

Group Exhibitions

2016

"MoCP at 40," Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

"Terms of Use: Reproducing the Photographic Image," Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College, Chicago, IL "Tunnel of Silence," James Harris Gallery, Seattle, WA

2015

"Other Planes of There," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

2014

"Without you I am nothing," Heldart, Berlin, Germany

"Cargo Space," Inova, Milwaukee, WI, and A&D Gallery, Chicago, IL

2013

"Analogital," Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, UT

"Albert Oehlen, Markus Oehlen, Joyce Pensato, Matthias Schaufler, John Sparagana, Rebecca Warren," Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany

"To Open Eyes: Art and Textile from Bauhaus to the Present," Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Germany

2012

"Domino Effect," Galerie Catherine Bastide, Brussels, Belgium

"Utopia/Dystopia: Construction and Destruction in Photography and Collage," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX

"Rarely Seen Contemporary Works on Paper," Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

2011

"Synecdoche," Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, Germany

"I All Alone Beweep My Outcast State," Kruger Gallery, Chicago, IL

"Remix: Selections from the International Collage Center," Samek Art Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

2010

"Eraserhead," Fruehsorge Contemporary Drawings, Berlin, Germany

"Hide and Seek," Aratia Beer, Berlin, Germany

“Entre chien et loup,” Galerie Vidal Saint Phalle, Paris, France

"Ah Wilderness," Ebersmoore, Chicago, IL

"Art Chicago," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

2009

"Olio," Tony Wight Gallery, Chicago, IL

NEXT Art Fair, Chicago, CTRL, Houston

"Signs of the Apocalypse/ Rapture," Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL

2008

NEXT Art Fair, Chicago, CTRL, Houston, TX

2007

"Antennae," Houston Center For Photography, Houston, TX

"The Exquisite Snake," Block Museum of Art, Evanston, IL

"Bold Saboteurs," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

Aqua Art Miami, CTRL, Houston, IL

2006

"Making/Breaking," curated by Matt Wilson and Paul Erschen, two-person exhibition with Anni Holm at the Moser Performing Arts Center at University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL

"Full Frontal," Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL

"GEEP," curated by Atopia Projects, Oresman Gallery, Smith College, Northampton, MA

"In This House That I Call Home," Western Project, Los Angeles, CA

"In Sight: Recent Additions To The Permanent Collection," Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL

2005

"Kiss Me Long and Hard," Priska C. Juschka Fine Art, New York, NY

"Post-Photography," Changing Role-Move Over Gallery, Naples, Italy

"Girls of Summer," moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL

"Pages," I Space, Chicago, curated by Buzz Spector

"No Monument," The Guest Room Project, Chicago, IL

"Dating Data," Josee Bienvenu Gallery, New York, NY

2004

"GEEP," Cell 77, Edinburgh, Scotland

"John Sparagana & Laura Mosquera," curated by Monique Meloche, Bright Group showroom, Chicago, IL

NADA Art Fair, Miami, Mixture Contemporary, Houston, TX

"Editor’s Choice: John Sparagana and Laura Mosquera," moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL

"State of Affairs," Savage Art Resources, Portland, OR

"Sketchbook: Collaboraction," Chopin Theatre, Chicago, IL

"You’re No Photographer," curated by Geoffrey Smith, Bad Dog Gallery, DeKalb, IL

2003

"re: LAX," DCKT Gallery, New York, NY

NADA Art Fair, Miami, Mixture Contemporary, Houston, TX

"Collectible," Northern Illinois University Gallery, Chicago, IL

2002

"Pasted On," Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, IL

"Re-Action," Jan Weiner Gallery, Kansas City, MO

"John Sparagana, Ann Strautberg, Dornith Doherty: FotoFest 2002," James Gallery, Houston, TX

2001

"Beefcake/Cheesecake: Sex, Flesh, Money, and Dreams," Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA

"Operating Systems," Susan Cummins Gallery, Mill Valley, CA

"Collage 2001," Etherington Gallery, Vineyard Haven, MA

2000

"Eros," Municipal Exhibition Hall, LaRoque Thimbault, France

"Shake the Coat," Northpark University Gallery, Chicago, IL

"Teenie Weenie," Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX

1999

"It Looks Easy: A Cross Section of Recent Painting in Chicago," Gallery 400, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

"Is This a Joke or What? Feminism, Humour and Contemporary Art in Texas," O’Kane Gallery, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, TX

Awards, Grants and Fellowships

2003

Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY, Residency Fellowship

2001

Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston, Texas, Individual Artist’s Grant

1996

Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston, Texas, Individual Artist’s Grant

1995

Roswell Museum & Art Center, Roswell NM, Artist-in-Residence Program

1992

Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston, Texas, Individual Artist’s Grant

1988

Mid-America Arts Alliance/National Endowment for the Arts

1987

Bemis Project/Alternative Worksite, Omaha, Nebraska, Residency Fellowship

Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France, Residency Fellowship

1985

Stanford University Department of Art, Stanford, California, Full Fellowship

Bibliography

2017

Zappas, Lindsay Preston, ”Mutual Admiration Society at Susanne Vielmetter,” Contemporary Art Review LA (web), August 11

2014

John Sparagana and Reto Geiser, "Reading Revolutionaries," Benteli Press, 192 pages

Jacyln Jacunski, Art in Print, John Sparagana Reads The News

Crowds & Powder Catalog, Corbett vs Dempsey

Art Agenda, "John Sparagana’s Crowds & Powder"

Daily Serving: An International Publication For International Art: John Sparagana’s Crowds & Powder at Corbett vs Dempsey

Nils Plath, Permalink, January 20

Casey Gregory, Glasstire, El Cuerpo Sutil: Miguel Rojas and John Sparagana

Betsy Huete, The Great God Pan Is Dead, El Cuerpo Sutil: Homage and Brutality

2013

John Sparagana. “Artist’s Project,” Esopus 19 (Spring).

John Corbett. “John Sparagana: Transformer,” MAKE Magazine, pp. 10-13.

Das Magazin, “The Cabinet Room” Hans Ulrich Obrist,  June 2

2011

Jennifer King. “John Sparagana at Corbett vs. Dempsey,” Artforum 10 (Summer 2011).

Garrett Stewart. Bookwork: Medium To Object To Concept To Art, University of Chicago Press, p. 101,103-104, 119, 121-127, 158.

Nancy Zastudil. “Pivot Point: John Sparagana In Motion,” Arts+Culture Magazine (Houston).

Douglas Britt. “John Sparagana Hits His Stride At Bryan Miller Gallery,” Houston Chronicle Online.

Benjamin Lima. “John Sparagana at Bryan Miller Gallery,” Fluent-Collaborative…might be good, Issue #176.

Rachel Hooper. “John Sparagana: ‘Going Down For The Third Time’ at Bryan Miller Gallery,” art ltd.

Dan Oko. “News Wired: Artist of the Year, John Sparagana,” Houston Magazine.

2009

John Sparagana et al, "Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture," Front Forty Press.

Kelly Klaasmeyer and Troy Schulze. “John Sparagana: ‘The Crisis Professionals,’” Houston Press Online.

2008

Mieke Bal and John Sparagana, "Sleeping Beauty: A One Artist Dictionary," University of Chicago Press. Twenty-six essays by Bal, in response to twenty-six images from Sparagana’s Sleeping Beauty series.

Signs of the Apocalypse and Rapture, Front Forty Press.

2007

Leah DeVun. “Reviews”, Glasstire: Texas Visual Art Online.

Leah DeVun. “Reviews”, Artlies.

2006

Bettina Mathes. “Das Kreuz mit dem Kopftuch,” Geschichte und Wirkungen eines Symbols, Aufbau Verlag, discussion of two pieces from the Sleeping Beauty series.

Alan Artner. “Small Parts, Big Picture,” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 3, Art section, pp. 29.

“John Sparagana: ‘What the Child Saw, What the Lover Saw, What the Killer Saw,’” flavorpill, November 7.

Susan Bielstein, "Permissions, A Survival Guide: Blunt Talk about Art as Intellectual Property," University of Chicago Press.

Bettina Mathes. “Under Cover,” Das Geschlecht in den Medien, Verlag.

2005

Anthony Elms. “Reviews: Pages,” TimeOut Chicago, November 17-24, pp. 56.

Margaret Hawkins. “Girls of Summer About More Than Having Fun,” Chicago Sun-Times, July 29, p. 24.

“Koichi Enomoto, Ruby Osorio, and John Sparagana: Girls of Summer,” flavorpill, July 19.

Steven Devadanam. “Abusing Models: This season’s look is distressed in John Sparagana’s ‘People Everywhere Are Stoned,’” Houston Press, April 7-13, p. 37.

Joanne Hinkel. “Connecting with Culture: Art Brushes with Human Kind,” Centerstage Chicago, July 22.

Hearne Pardee. “People Everywhere are Tired,” AC Institute, #3, Winter.

2004

Annette Ferrera. “An Artful Deception: John Sparagana’s States of Distress,” Ten by Ten, (Cover Project), vol. 3 #2.

Chas Bowie, “State of Affairs,” Portland Mercury, April 22.

Christopher French. “Sharing Two Distinct Perspectives,” Houston Chronicle,April, p.3D and 10D.

Jeff Jahn. “State of Affairs,” NW Drizzle Monthly Arts, Music, and Culture E-Zine (May).

2003

Atopia Projects, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” Project #1.99 February.

“Collecting Remains in Eye of the Beholder,” Chicago Tribune, March 7.

Margaret Hawkins. “Collectible,” Chicago Sun-Times, February 7.

2002

New Art Examiner, “Reviews” (May).

“For Every Action,” Kansas City Star (January 18).

Review Magazine, Kansas City, MO (February).

Glasstire: Texas Visual Arts Online, “Reviews” (April), Houston, TX.

FotoFest 2002, Catalogue.

Public Collections

The Art Institute of Chicago

Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Germany

The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

Sheldon Memorial Museum of Art, Lincoln