Stephen Lapthisophon

Works

In Lapthisophon's works, found objects, written texts, and sound recordings are arranged in a way that allows "layers of meanings, allusions and associations...to accumulate" in the mind of the gallery-goer. In his 2000 installation "Defense d'afficher", two large walls were erected in the gallery space and covered with fragments of found media, photos, and texts. One reviewer in Artforum called it an "overload of simultaneously public and personalized cultural shards."
The juxtaposition of fragments of personal, cultural, and social history can be seen in his 2005 book Hotel Terminus. This interest in juxtaposing fragments extends to many of his installations, which frequently contain found objects like old eye charts, posters and graffiti slogans.
Lapthisophon's other work includes sound recordings, site-specific installations, performances, radio broadcasts, books, lectures, and drawings improvised on walls and framed in exhibitions. His work is included in the collections of The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and The Dallas Museum of Art.

In 2008 Lapthisophon was awarded the prestigious Wynn Newhouse Award for artists with disabilities. In his statement upon receiving this award, Lapthisophon said, "Through investigation of issues of permanence and change in site-specific installations, I hope to...break down the barriers between where the work of art ends and everyday life begins."

Education

Lapthisophon graduated with a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977, before attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for his MFA. He also studied Comparative Literate and Theory at Northwestern University from 1986-1989. In 2003, Lapthisophon was a resident at the CentralTrak Artist Residency in Dallas, TX.

Blindness

In 1994 Lapthisophon suffered a major deterioration of his vision because of an optic nerve disease, and became legally blind after intensive medical treatment. His subsequent work as an installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist and sound artist has been marked by this experience. Much of his work comments on, and seeks to redress, the over-emphasis on the sense of sight in aesthetic culture.

I use my own blindness as a figure for the ways we interpret the world through our own specific framing mechanisms. I have also been more and more drawn to create pieces involving a commentary on the sensory world as understood through food, cuisine, cooking, and interaction through food and the art audience. My recent cooking projects have allowed me to speak to all the senses and examine the interaction of our sensory processes.

Food has been the subject of his recent installations, for example at a Berlin gallery called ZAGREUS Projekt in 2008, and at a 2009 show in San Antonio, but it has also been one of his artistic concerns since even before the onset of his blindness.

Solo Exhibitions (selected)

2012 Isolation, a slender gamut. New York, NY

Offal. Oliver Francis gallery. Dallas, TX
Distinction. El Centro College. Dallas, TX

2011 Autumn Almanac. Free Museum of Dallas, SMU. Dallas, TX

On the Nature of the Deictic (Why I Write Such Good Books), Love Come Down (Site specific installation) warehouse. Dallas, TX
Spelling Lesson. Conduit Gallery. Dallas TX
The Construction of a National Identity. Hyde Park Art Center. Chicago IL

2010 Photographs in situ—and seasonal fruit. Eastfield College. Mesquite, TX
2009 Las palabras en la sombra de esta fecha. El Escaparate. Barcelona, Spain

Utilitas,Venustas,Firmitas/I wish it would rain. CADD Art Lab. Dallas, TX
Six Years Later. Unit B Gallery. San Antonio, TX
Slow. Conduit Gallery; Dallas, TX

2008 DESIGN. Zagreus Projekt. Berlin, Germany

Refusal (for Crazy Legs). Mountain View College. Dallas, TX

2007 Writing Art Cinema 1977-2007. Conduit Gallery. Dallas, TX

Sign Language. Corbett vs. Dempsey Gallery. Chicago, IL
Marinetti’s Heart. nu art series. St. Louis, MO
The Sound of Music. Audible Gallery. Experimental Sound Studio. Chicago, IL

2006 My Task. Kunstverein INGAN. Berlin, Germany

Far Off Places. Barrow & Juarez Gallery. Milwaukee, WI

2005 My Heritage My Tradition My Voice. Artist-in-Residence project, Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago, IL

Strategy. Conduit Gallery. Dallas, TX
Plan for the Future. IR Gallery. Dallas, TX
“so many bewildering and obscure processes…”. McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Dallas, TX

2004 Amanuensis (I Hear a Symphony). Gahlberg Gallery, College of DuPage. Glen Elyn, IL

Walk on By. Open Studio Project, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Chicago, IL
Was it for this? Sound Installation, Lincoln Park Conservatory. Chicago, IL

2003 Static. Conduit Gallery. Dallas, TX
2002 With Reasonable Accommodation. Gallery 400, University of Illinois. Chicago, IL

Les coups de l’histoire. University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas, TX

2000 Defense D'afficher. TBA Exhibition Space. Chicago, IL
1999 Recent Collages. Library Art Gallery, Northeastern Illinois University. Chicago, IL
1983 Ceci n'est pas une vide. Roger Ramsay Gallery. Chicago, IL
1982 After All (for RPW). Artists’ Space. New York, NY

Recent Photographs; Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL

1981 Persistence of Vision. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL
1980 Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL
1979 A Street Gallery. Boston, MA

Group Exhibitions (selected)

2012 Variations on Theme: Contemporary Art 1950s–Present. Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas, TX

Sonic Architectonic. The University of Texas at Dallas. Richardson TX Big and Bright. Southwestern College. Chula Vista, CA Field Static. CoProsperity Sphere. Chicago IL

2011 Division Leap. Artist book and exhibition. Adam & Kate Davis Booksellers. Portland, OR

Archival Impulse. Gallery 400. University of Illinois Chicago. Chicago, IL Cafe. SHOWStudio. London. U.K.

2007 form/emptiness. and/or Gallery. Dallas, TX

A Way With Words. Galveston Arts Center. Galveston, TX

2006 Teenage Fan Club. Janette Kennedy Gallery. Dallas, TX

Also Serve, Only Stand and Wait. Part of Humans Being: Disability in Contemporary Art. Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL

2005 Ghost Writing. Part of “Durand Amorphous Solid.” Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL

Drawing as Alterity. Forum Gallery. Brookhaven School of the Arts. Dallas, TX Conspicuous Production. McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Dallas, TX Material Support. University of Texas at Dallas. Richardson, TX

2004 Uncovered: Recent Acquisitions from the MCA Artists' Books Collection. Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago, IL

Derive. Sound art piece commissioned by the City of Chicago for the opening of Millennium Park. Chicago, IL The Stray Show. Gallery 400. Art Chicago. Chicago, IL Sound Art Festival. Institute for Contemporary Art Overgaden. Copenhagen, Denmark Good and Bad Things Come from Explosions. Part of Performing Art Chicago. Athanaeum Theater. Chicago, IL Anonymity. Sound canopy. Public sound installation sponsored by the Hyde Park Art Center. Chicago, IL Constructions: Design & Architecture. Dallas Center for Contemporary Art. Dallas, TX Fine Words Butter No Cabbage. 26th Anniversary Exhibition. WhiteWalls. Hyde Park Art Center. Chicago, IL

2003 Autumn Almanac. Unit B Gallery. Chicago, IL

Urbs in Horto. Radio broadcast. Columbus Park. Chicago, IL City Views. McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Dallas, TX

2002 The Art Council Award Exhibition. Gallery 312. Chicago, IL

Sculpture in Chicago Now: Part 2. Glass Curtain Gallery. Columbia College. Chicago, IL Digitalis. Sonnenschein Gallery. Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL

2001 Between the Folds. NFA Space. Chicago, IL

Con/textual. Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL

2000 Mean souls, like mean pictures, are often found in good-looking frames. 1935 W. Thomas. Chicago, IL

Agitator. Glass Curtain Gallery. Columbia College. Chicago, IL Site Works. Gallery 312. Chicago, IL Synthesis. Collage and Mixed Media. Sonnenschein Gallery. Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL

1999 Bookmarks. NIU Gallery. Chicago, IL 1998 Earth Escapes Landscapes. North Lakeside Cultural Center. Chicago, IL

Way. TBA Exhibition Space. Chicago, IL

1997 Addendum: Art in Chicago Since 1945. Northern Illinois University Art Gallery. Chicago, IL

Not Renoir. Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL

1993 not/knot. Hyde Park Art Center. Chicago, IL
1992 Feuilletons. CCA Gallery. Chicago, IL
1990 10 on 8. Storefront window exhibition. 8th Avenue. New York City, NY
1986 The Public Art Show. Traveling exhibition with catalogue. High Museum of Art. Atlanta, GA
1985 A black, a heap, a page: Tribute to Robert Smithson. Outdoor installation. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL

1840 West Hubbard; Chicago, IL
Permanent Collection of Artists' Books. Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago. Chicago, IL

1984 10 on 8. Storefront window exhibition. 8th Avenue. New York City, NY

Hundreds of Drawings. Artists’ Space. New York City, NY

1983 Artists’ Work in Clay. Catalogue. Lill Street Gallery. Chicago, IL
1982 As water defines the fish: Part I. N.A.M.E. Gallery. Chicago, IL

Opening New Doors. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL
Studio as discourse project. 219 W. Chicago Ave. Chicago, IL
Illinois Artists 1982. Catalogue. Illinois State University. Normal, IL
Just Above Midtown/Downtown. New York City, NY
Mixing Art and Politics. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL

1981 Artists' Books. Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago, IL

Loop Show. Fisher Building. Chicago, IL
Working Drawings. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL
Our Town: Part 2. Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL

1980 Chicago Art Prospective. Catalogue. Navy Pier. Chicago, IL

Nancy Lurie Gallery. Catalogue. Chicago, IL

1980 Chicago Art Alternative. Catalogue;. Herron School of Art Gallery. Indianapolis, IN

Review and Preview. Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL EEBEE GEEBEES. Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL

1978 Review and Preview. Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL 1977 4 by 4. East Hubbard Gallery. Chicago, IL

Plays, Performances, and Readings

2006 The Failure of Modern Politics & NOW. Literary Festival. Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL
2004 Apostrophe with Fred Lonberg Holm. Buddy Gallery. Chicago, IL
2002 Residency at Experimental Sound Studio. Chicago, IL
2001 FROM PLOT. Sound work. The Kitchen. New York, NY
1999 Reading with Susan Wheeler. Great Expectations Bookstore. Evanston, IL

The Page Appears to be Blank. Audiotape works collected and catalogued. Chicago, IL

1992 Science fiction presentation to College Art Association annual meeting
1991 The Black Paintings A play. Blue Rider Theater Festival. Chicago, IL

Instrumental Reason poetry series. Nancy Lurie Gallery. Chicago, IL

1990 Cryptomnesia. A work for three voices with Dan Ursini and William Fuller. Club Lower Links. Chicago, IL
1989 That Time Problem poetry series. Club Lower Links. Chicago, IL
1988 The Nations poetry series; Club Lower Links; Chicago, IL

The Sound of Music. In collaboration with Sean Elias. Robin Lockett Gallery. Chicago, IL

1987 The Categories of Robert Smithson. Northwestern University. Evanston, IL
1983 The Sound of Music/The Theory of Praxis. A play. Link's Hall Studio. Chicago, IL

Nobody is Ever Missing with John Judd. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
Reading, with John Judd and David McCracken. Spertus Museum of Judaica. Chicago, IL

1982 Reading with John Judd and David McCracken. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL
1981 No Business with John Judd. EXIT. Chicago, IL
1980 Recent Fiction a reading with Richard Brettell and John Judd. Chicago, IL
1979 Psychedelic Shack/A Duet with John Judd. Randolph Street Gallery. Chicago, IL
1977 Reasons with John Judd. University of Texas at Austin. Austin, TX

Publication

2013 "Mallarme’s Metronome." semi gloss.
2011 Writing Art Cinema 1988-2010. Collected essays. The Green Lantern Press.
2010 Division Leap. Magazine project. Issue 2
2009 Division Leap. Magazine project. Issue 1

Sojourn. Issue 21. Cover and interview published by The University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas, TX

2006 “Haim Steinbach and Martin Heidegger.” InterReview.
2005 "Freud’s Museum.” InterReview.
2002 the bells. Soundtrack to Hotel Terminus. Audio work on CD.
2001 Hotel Terminus. Artist book. Published by WhiteWalls.

“Reading Effect.” WhiteWalls. #43.

1998 "Crossings." WhiteWalls. #40
1994 "Placing Time." Catalog essay on Julia Fish for the exhibition.

Correspondences at the Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL

1990 "Warming of a dish fit for revolution." Review of The Futuristic Cookbook by F.T. Marinetti. Chicago Tribune. Feb. 27
1989 "I 1. 30.87-2.88," with William Fuller. Ottotole. Number 3, Spring issue.

"The place where punk rock and social theory meet." Review of Lipstick Traces by Greil Marcus. Chicago Tribune. May 7

1984 "The Sound of Music/The Theory of Praxis/The Tyranny of Repetition." White Walls #10
1983 "As water defines the fish: Part 3." Magazine project curated by Ronald Jones. Art Papers.

"As water defines the fish: Part 2." Magazine project. Artists' pages. New Art Examiner.

Lectures, Teaching, and Visiting Artist Work

2012 “Multimodal Approaches to Learning.” Artist talk. Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY

“Moving Into Darkness.” Artist talk with Kristen Cochran. Nasher Sculpture Center. Dallas, TX

2011 “American Loneliness: Ed Ruscha.” Guest lecturer. Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth. Ft. Worth, TX
2009 “Quotation as Gesture.” Guest lecturer. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Fort Worth, TX

“Art Theory and Criticism.” Graduate seminar. Visiting Assistant Professor. The University of Texas. Arlington, TX
“Film as Art.” Undergraduate lecture. Visiting Assistant Professor. The University of Texas. Arlington, TX “Mixed Media.” Adjunct Instructor at The University of Texas. Dallas, TX

2008-2010 Visiting Assistant Professor. Graduate Committees, Art History, and Studio Art. The University of Texas. Arlington, TX
2008 “Site Space Situation: Installation Art.” The University of Texas. Arlington, TX

“Text and Image.” Southern Methodist University. Dallas, TX

2007 “Hybrid Texts: Image and Writing in Art.” The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

“Art and Political Thought.” Visiting lecturer. Columbia College. Chicago, IL

2006 Visiting artist. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

Visiting artist. DePaul University. Chicago, IL
“Walter Benjamin and the Frankfurt School.” Columbia College. Chicago, IL

2005 “Dan Flavin as Historian.” Guest lecturer. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Fort Worth, TX

Visiting artist. University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas, TX

2004 Visiting artist. DePaul University. Chicago, IL

Visiting artist. The School of the Art Institute. Chicago, IL

2003 “The Love of Ruins.” Guest lecturer. The Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

Pougialis Award advisor. Columbia College. Chicago, IL

2002 Visiting artist. University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas, TX

Visiting artist. University of Illinois. Chicago, IL
"Art Talk." McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Dallas, TX
"Fight the Power." Guest lecturer. Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL

2000 "Post Genre Writing." Guest lecturer. School of the Art Institute. Chicago, IL

Artist lecture at Lake Forest College. Lake Forest, IL

1992 Panel discussion with Scott Rankin, John Torreano and Julia Fish. Annual meeting, College Art Association. Chicago, IL
1985 "Work, the Workplace, 'Other Places,' Ruins." Guest lecturer. NAME Gallery. Chicago, IL

"Prolegomena to Any Future Art-Making." Guest lecturer. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
"Photography as an Activity, Photography as Action." Guest lecturer. University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, WI

1984 "Artists' Diaries, Notebooks, Journals." Lecture series. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

"Use of Photography in Postmodernist Art." North Shore Art League, School of the Art Institute of Chicago Extension. Winnetka, IL
Visiting lecturer. Oxbow Summer Art School. Saugatuck, MI
"Conceptual Art." Guest lecturer. University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, WI

1983 Visiting artist. Oxbow Summer Art School. Saugatuck, MI

"Art in the Street," Guest lecturer. Northwestern University. Evanston, IL
Guest lecturer. Art History Dept., School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

1982 Collage workshop. Hinsdale South High School. Hinsdale, IL

Guest lecturer. Painting Dept., School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

1980 Guest lecturer. Sculpture Dept., School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
1979 Guest lecturer and critic. Portland School of Art. Portland, ME

Awards

2012 Moss/Chumley Award. Meadows Museum. Dallas, TX 2008 Wynn Newhouse Foundation Award 2002 Residency grant from the Experimental Sound Studio. Chicago, IL 2001 Art Council/Artadia Award. Jury Award Recipient 1999 Illinois Arts Council. Project Completion Grant

Curatorial

2012 "The Gallery as Host.” The University of Texas at Dallas.
2011 “Bridged.” Exhibition of MFA students from N Texas.
2010 “Sustenance.” Group exhibition. West Dallas warehouse.
2010 “Living Amongst Others.”
1988 “Categories of Robert Smithson” N.A.M.E. Gallery Chicago, IL.

Influences

Situationist International
Arte Povera
Robert Smithson
English Romanticism
Frankfurt School