# John Sonsini

URL: https://vielmetter.com/biography/wrklst-john-sonsini-11383/

1975 BA, California State University, Northridge, CA

**Selected Exhibitions**

  2023 "Watercolors," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 2020 "Cowboy Stories & New Paintings," Vielmetter Los Angeles, CA 2019 "John Sonsini," Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY  “A Day’s Labor: Portraits by John Sonsini,” Art Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 2018 “Daywork: Portraits,” Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA 2016 Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY 2015 “John Sonsini,” Patrick Painter Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2013 “John Sonsini: New Paintings,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ 2012 “John Sonsini: Paintings,” Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA  “John Sonsini: New Paintings,” Inman Gallery, Houston, TX  “John Sonsini: Men,” Hamilton College, Emerson Gallery, Clinton, NY 2011 “Los Vaqueros,” James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM 2010 “Broad Reminders: The Paintings of John Sonsini,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA  “Portraits from Los Angeles,” Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT 2008 “New Paintings,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA 2007 “John Sonsini: Paintings and Drawings,” Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA  “John Sonsini,” Cheim & Read, New York, NY 2006 “New Paintings,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA 2005 “John Sonsini,” Anthony Grant Gallery, New York, NY  “Cerca Series: John Sonsini,” Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA 2003 “Portraits,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA  “John Sonsini,” Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA 2002 ACME, Los Angeles, CA 2000 “Gabriel,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA 1999 “Gabriel, New Paintings,” Dan Bernier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1998 “John Sonsini, New Photographs,” David Aden Gallery, Venice, CA 1997 “Photographs of John Sonsini,” Tom of Finland Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1995 Dan Bernier Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1986 Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1983 Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1982 Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA  Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

**Group Exhibitions**

  2023 "Perpetual Portrait," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 2022-2023 "Order / Reorder: Experiments with Collections," Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY 2022 "Where Words Falter: Art and Empathy," Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY  "Some People," Cheim & Read, New York, NY 2021 "Art and Hope at the End of the Tunnel," USC Fisher Museum, Los Angeles, CA 2020 "20 Years," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 2019 The Warmth of Other Suns: Stories of Global Displacement,” The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C  “Collecting on the Edge,” Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT 2018 “Belief in Giants,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY  “Modern and Contemporary,” Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA  “From the Collection of Karen & Robert Duncan,” The Assemblage, Lincoln, NE 2017 “The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers,” National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC 2016 “Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY  “Us is Them,” Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH 2015 “The Human Touch: Selections from the RBC Wealth Management Art Collection,” Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY 2014 “The Triumph of Love: Beth Rudin DeWoody Collects,” Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL  “Who we are, Selections from the Collection of Karen & Robert Duncan,” Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum, Clarinda, IA  “Concrete Infinity, Selections from the Permanent Collection,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA 2013 “Mr & Mrs,” James Salomon Contemporary, New York, NY  “Art of the West,” Autry National Center of the American West, Los Angeles, CA  “The Human Touch: Selections from the RBC Wealth Management Art Collection,” Scottsdale  Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, AZ 2012 “Domestic Relations,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA  “Mr & Mrs,” James Salomon Contemporary, New York, NY  “All I Want is a Picture,” Angles Gallery, Los Angeles, CA  “Body Language,” Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA  “SFMOMA: Contemporary Painting, 1960 to the Present: Selections from The Permanent Collection,” SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA  “¡Cuidado! – The Help,” Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA 2011 “Mise-en-Scène,” Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR  “Works of Paper,” ACME, Los Angeles, CA  Tobey C. Moss Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2010 “Disquieted,” Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR  “Personal Identities: Contemporary Portraits,” University Art Gallery, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA  “Private Display,” New York Academy of Art, New York, NY  “Think Pink,” Gavklak Gallery, Palm Beach, FL  “The Human Touch,” Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE 2009 “Posture,” Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA  “With You I Want to Live,” Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL 2008 “Other People,” UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA  “The Sum of Its Parts,” Cheim & Read, New York, NY 2006 “Art on Paper 2006 ” Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC  “Selected Paintings – Los Angeles,” Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA  “Twice Drawn,” Tang Teaching Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 2005 “Plip, Plip, Plipity,” Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA 2004 “Singing My Song,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA  “Rogelio,” Installation painting, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, curated by JoAnne Northrup  “About Painting,” Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY  “SPF, Self-Portraits,” Angles Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2003 “intimates,” Angles Gallery, Santa Monica, CA  “ACME. @ Inman,” Inman Gallery, Houston, TX 2002 “nude + narrative,” P. P. O. W. , New York, N Y  “L.A. Post Cool,” The San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA  “Representing L. A. ,” Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA 2001 “Made in California: Art, Image, and Identity 1900-2000,” Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA  “Painting: Fore and Aft,” ACME., Los Angeles, CA  Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1999 “Portraits from L. A. ,” Robert and Francis Fullerton Museum of Art, California State University, San Bernardino, C A 1998 “Photographs,” David Aden Gallery, Venice, C A  “Examining Sexuality,” Marc Arranaga, Los Angeles, CA 1997 “Private Reserve,” Photo Impact Gallery, Hollywood, CA 1996 Rosamund Felson Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, curated by Michael Duncan 1994 “L. A. Nude,” Photo Impact Gallery, Hollywood, CA  “LAX the L. A. Biennial,” Otis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1992 “Contemporary Figure,” Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA, curated by Peter Frank 1991 “L.A. Nude,” Photo Impact Gallery, Hollywood, CA 1990 “Feminine/Masculine,” Christopher John Gallery, Santa Monica, CA  “Time,” Marc Richards Gallery, Santa Monica, CA  “Humans Being,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1986 “Issues,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1985 “Perspectives,” California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA  “Contemporary Monotypes,” Security Pacific Plaza, Los Angeles, CA  “Paintings/Invitational Candidate Exhibition,” American Academy & Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, NY 1984 “Pastels,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, C A  “Seventeen Self Portraits,” Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA  “No Finish Line,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles,CA  “From Los Angeles,” Eason Gallery, Santa Fe, NM  1983 “Figure Fascination,” Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA  “Monoprints from Angeles Press,” Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA  “Four L. A. Painters,” The American Gallery, Los Angeles, C A

**Selected Projects**

  2012 “The Extraordinary Life & Times of Bruce of L.A., 1948-1974,” from the Collection of John Sonsini, Pacific Standard Time Gallery Exhibition, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, curated by John Sonsini 2007 The Puerto Vallarta Project, Jalisco, Mexico  The Brooklyn Project, Brooklyn, NY  The Santa Barbara Project, Santa Barbara, CA 2005 DAYL ABOR/Hollywood Work Center, Los Angeles, CA

**Group Exhibition Catalogues and Books**

  2021 Pagel, David. "John Sonsini," Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY 2008 Dini, Jane, The Male Portraits of John Sonsini, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA. 2007 Grove, Jeffrey, John Sonsini, Cheim & Read, New York, NY. 2005 Berry, Ian, John Sonsini: New Paintings, Anthony Grant Inc., New York, NY. 2001 Leddick, David, Male Nude Now, Taschen.  Made in California: Art, Image, Identity 1900-2000, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA. 2000 Fuglie, Gordon L., Representing LA, Pictorial Currents in Southern California Art, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA. 1999 Ianco-Starrels, Josine, Portraits From L. A. , Robert V. Fullerton Museum, San Bernardino, CA. 1998 Lucie-Smith, Edward, Adam: The Male Figure In Art, Rizzoli. Leddick, David, The Male Nude – 100 Year History, Taschen. 2016 Berry, Ian, Jeffrey Grove, Allan M. Jalon, John Sonsini, exhibition catalogue, Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY. 2010 Wood, Eve, John Sonsini, exhibition brochure, ACME., Los Angeles, CA.  Duncan, Michael, Portraits from Los Angeles, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT. 2009 Lippman, Irvin M., The Collection of Gordon Locksley & George Shea, Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

**Bibliography**

  2022 Stone, Marrie. "Francis De Erdely’s Striking Figures strikes a resonant chord at the Laguna Art Museum," Stu News Laguna, June 30 ([Link](https://www.stunewslaguna.com/index.php/archives/arts-archive/20794-francis-de-erdely-s-striking-figures-strikes-063022)) 2021 Teicholz, Tom. "Edward Goldman’s Own ‘Made In LA’— Pandemic Version," Forbes, October 19 ([Link](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomteicholz/2021/10/19/edward-goldmans-own-made-in-la--pandemic-version/?sh=48490fafe985))  Moldan, Tessa. "Expo Chgo Online: Six Artwork Highlights," Oculus, April 1 ([Link](https://ocula.com/magazine/insights/expo-chgo-online-six-artwork-highlights/)) 2020 "Hot right now: 10 American post-war and contemporary artists to have in your collection," Christies, February 14 ([Link](https://www.christies.com/features/10-American-post-war-and-contemporary-artists-to-collect-10295-1.aspx))  Stamberg, Susan. "Artist Says His Portraits Of Day Laborers Are Paintings — Not Statements," NPR, February 13 ([Link](https://www.npr.org/2020/02/13/804591711/artist-says-his-portraits-of-day-laborers-are-paintings-not-statements))  Pagel, David. "Review: The secret behind John Sonsini’s profound portraits of L.A. day laborers," Los Angeles Times, January 30 ([Link](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-01-30/john-sonsini-vielmetter-review)) 2019 Cameron, Jon. "John Sonsini," Brooklyn Rail, May ([Link](https://brooklynrail.org/2019/05/artseen/John-Sonsini)) 2013 Gonzalez, Daniel. “Painter John Sonsini’s Works Portray Quiet Dignity of Day Laborers,” The Republic, March 26 2012 Zastudil, Nancy. “John Sonsini: Men at Work,” Arts+Culture Magazine Houston, February 2010 Pagel, David. “Partly Visible Stories.” Los Angeles Times 2 July: D19. 2002 Goldman, Edward. “Art Talk.” KCRW, September.  Wood, Eve. “It’s All About the Gaze.” Artnet  Bradley, Myrium. “The Collaborators John Sonsini and his Model, Gabriel, Make a Fine Art Pair.” art connoisseur volume #4. 2000 Goldman, Edward. “Art Talk.” KCRW 89.9 FM July. 1999 Pagel, David. “Every Face Tells a Story.” Los Angeles Times, December.  Duncan, Michael. “L. A. Portraiture: Post Cool.” Art in America October. 1996 Duncan, Michael. “John Sonsini at Dan Bernier.” Art in America, March  Pagel, David. “Solitary Pleasures?” Los Angeles Times, December.  Ayers, Anne, LAX, catalogue. 1993 Rawlins, Dorrit, Nasty, catalogue. 1995 Muchnic, Suzanne. “John Sonsini.” ArtNews, April 1994 Duncan, Michael. “L. A. Rising.” Art in America December. 1991 Frank, Peter, Go Figure, New Portraits, catalogue. 1990 Clarke, Orville O. “John Sonsini.” Southern California Home & Garden 3. 1986 Muchnic, Suzanne. “John Sonsini.” Los Angeles Times October. 1985 Clarke, Orville. “John Sonsini: The Look of Los Angeles.” L.A. Reader May.  Fehlau, F. “Figures and Figures.” In Style March.  1984 Baitz, Jon Robin. “Latin Connection.” L. A. Reader May.  Wolf, Leslie. “Seventeen Self-Portraits.” LA Weekly March.  Wolf, Leslie. “No Finish Line.” LA Weekly July. 1983 Wilson, William. “John Sonsini.” Los Angeles Times September.  Delgado, Michael. “John Sonsini.” LA Weekly September.  Knight, Christopher. “Monoprints from Angeles Press.” L. A. Herald Examiner May. 1982 Tuchman, Mitch. “John Sonsini: New Paintings.” LA Weekly September.  Muchnic, Suzanne. “John Sonsini.” Los Angeles Times September.  Muchnic, Suzanne. “Domestic Relation.” Los Angeles Times June.  Drohojowska, Hunter. “Four L.A. Painters.” LA Weekly April. 2013 “John Sonsini’s Expressionist Portraits of Latino Laborers.” Huffington Post January. 2011 Zevitas, Steven. “10 Must-See Painting Shows In The US: Summer Heat Edition.” Huffington Post July.  McGraw, Kate. “Intense Portraits.” Albuquerque Journal, June 25  White, Roger. “Get Real.” Modern Painters February: 55. 2010 Rodriguez, Frank. “The Remarkable Men of John Sonsini.” Artillery Nov/Dec: 26-30. 2009 Rubin, Edward. “With You I Want to Live.” D’art International Fall.  Trelles, Emma. “Locksley-Shea Collection at Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.”  Bradner, Liesl. “Quite a Crowd.” Los Angeles Times 4 January: F2. 2008 Pagel, David. “Day Laborers in a New Line of Work.” Los Angeles Times 9 May: E17.  Wood, Eve. “John Sonsini at ACME.” Artillery July/August. 2007 Biel, Kim. “John Sonsini.” Art Ltd., West Coast Art & Design September  Woodard, Josef. “John Sonsini at Atkinson Gallery.” Santa Barbara Seasons Fall: 74-9. 2006 Wood, Eve. “John Sonsini.” artUS March- April. 2005 Duncan, Michael. “The Faces of Work.” Art in America December: 124-127.  Pincus, Robert L. “Face Time.” San Diego Union-Tribune 31 March.  Johnson, Ken. “John Sonsini at Anthony Grant.” New York Times 25 March: B29. 2003 Pagel, David. “Family, friends, other ‘Intimates.” Los Angeles Times, August 29  Cooper, Bernard. “In the Raw.” Los Angeles Magazine December: 124-128.

**Public Collections**

   Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, CA  AD&A Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA  Addison Gallery of American Art, Philips Academy, Andover, MA  Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL  The Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica, CA  Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, NY  Cornell University, Ithaca, NY  The Frances Young Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY  Hammer Museum, University of California, Los Angeles, CA  Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA  High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA  Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA  Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA  Marieluise Hessel Collection, Hessel Museum of Art, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY  McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX  Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN  The Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University, Topeka, KS  Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA  Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA  Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County College, Overland Park, KS  Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT  Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA  Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR  San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA  Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA  The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.  The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY  The Weatherspoon Museum, Greensboro, NC  The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY