Adam Putnam
Untitled (neck I), 2014
Through photography, drawing, sculpture, and film, Adam Putnam (b. 1973) examines the social and aesthetic dimensions of human bodies, often by pushing the physical limits of his own. Wrestling with the body's relationship to light and space, Putnam engages with live action as a means of investigating the intersection of our physical selves with the architectural spaces we inhabit. Putnam’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at P·P·O·W, New York, NY; Kunstverein Munchen, Munich, Germany; Locust Projects, Miami, FL; and Andrew Kreps, New York, NY, among others. His work has been featured in group exhibitions including Drawing 2020, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY; Rockaway!, MoMA PS1, New York, NY; Paper, Artists Space, New York, NY; Whitney Biennial 2008, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Busan Biennale 2008, Busan, South Korea; 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia; and The Plain of Heaven, curated by Peter Eleey, Creative Time & The Highline, New York, NY. In 2009, he curated Everything Must Go, a solo exhibition of works by Martin Wong at P·P·O·W and in 2007, he co-curated Blow Both of Us with Shannon Ebner at Participant Inc.
Adam Putnam
b. 1973
Lives and works in New York, NY
Education
2000
M.F.A. Yale University of Art
1995
B.F.A. Parsons School of Design
Solo Exhibitions
2023
Holes, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2019
Adam Putnam, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2018
Reclaimed Empire/The Unseen Obelisk, Galveston Artist Residency, Galveston, TX
2017
Portholes, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
Reclaimed Empire (Deep Edit), Kunstverein Munchen, Munich, Germany
2014
Adam Putnam, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2013
Artpace, San Antonio, TX
The Armory Show, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2012
Locust Projects, Miami, FL
2011
Magic Lanterns, BCA, Burlington, VT
2009
Taxter & Spengemann, New York City, NY
Hedreen Gallery, Seattle University, Seattle, WA
2008
Art Statements, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
2007
PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, NY
Taxter & Spengemann, New York, NY
2005
Andrew Kreps, New York, NY
Sandroni Rey, Los Angeles, CA
2004
Magic Lanterns, Artists Space, New York, NY
Select Group Exhibitions
2023
A Meeting with Eldfell, Safnahús Vestmannaeyja, Vestmannaeyjabær, Iceland
2022
Human Threads, curated by Artlink, Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland
2021
The Going Away Present, Kristina Kite Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2020
Drawing 2020, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY
2019
Melt, Chart, New York, NY
2017
Soil Erosion, curated by Shannon Ebner, Altman Siegel, San Francisco, CA
Visual Notes for an Upside-Down World, curated by Jack McGrath, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
Thinking Songs of Things, curated by Stefano Collicelli Cagol, Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art, Vienna, Austria
2016
The Cypress Broke, Rodeo Gallery, London, England
On the Waterfront, Lowlands Bar, Brooklyn, NY
Under the Tongue, curated by Marie Catalano, Evening Hours, New York, NY
2015
Erika Vogt: Artist Theater Program, curated by Charles Aubin, PERFORMA 15, Brooklyn, NY
Astoria: Bob Nickas, Amy O’Neill, Arthur Ou, Adam Putnam, Grazer Kunstverein, Graz, Austria
2014
One Thing Then Another, 3 Days Awake and Artist Curated Projects, Los Angeles, CA
Perpetual Systems, 80wse Gallery, New York University, New York, NY
Rockaway!, MoMA PS1, Fort Tilden and Rockaway Beach, New York, NY
Soft Target, organized by Phil Chang and Matthew Porter, M + B Art, Los Angeles, CA
On the Blue Shore of Silence, collaborative exhibition between Tracy Williams, Ltd. and Fitzroy Gallery, New York, NY
Buildering: Misbehaving the City, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
2013
Valori Plastici, Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York, NY
Hair and Skin, curated by Isaac Lyles, Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NY
WALLSPACE, New York, NY
Moving Image Contemporary Video Art Fair, P·P·O·W, London, UK
August, Galerie Mezzanin, Vienna, Austria
2012
Black Lodge, Interstate Projects, New York, NY
B-Out, curated by Scott Hug, Andrew Edlin, New York, NY
That Sinking Sense of Wonder, curated by Jesse Bransford, North 7th Gallery, New York, NY
These Transitional Spaces, Front Street Gallery, Stamford, CT
2011
December, curated by Howie Chen, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York, NY
In the Name of the Artists, Bienial Pavillion, Sao Paolo, Brazil
New Age End of the World, Taxter and Spengemann, New York, NY
Phantoms, Shadows and Phenomena, Kennedy Museum of Art, Athens, OH
2010
Group Show, Taxter and Spengemann, New York, NY
Swagger, Drag, Fit Together, Wallspace, New York, NY
Look Again, SEECA, Winston-Salem, NC
50 Artists Photograph the Future, curated by Dean Dederko, Higher Pictures, New York, NY
One and Three Quarters of an Inch, The Former Convent at St. Cecilia’s Parish, New York, NY
The Secret Knows, Los Angeles Nomadic Division, Austin, TX
Interim in Three Rounds, Round 3, curated by Jason Murison, Freidrich Petzel, New York, NY
Guilty Feet, curated by Tova Carlin, 179 Canal, New York, NY
2009
The Audio Show, Freidrich Petzel, New York, NY
Paper, Artists Space, New York, NY
Un Plan Simple (Perspective), Maison Populaire; Montrueil, France
2008
Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Busan Biennial, Busan, South Korea
Number two: Fragile, Julia Stoschek Collection Dusseldorf, Germany
Not So Subtle Subtitle, curated by Matthew Brannon, Casey Kaplan, New York, NY
Male Fantasies, curated by Ellen Blumenstein, CoMa, Berlin
The Crack Up, Leila Khastoo, Los Angeles, CA
The World is All, That is the Case, curated by Arthur Ou, Hudson Franklin, New York, NY
PM Dawn, Taxter & Spengemann, New York, NY
Intimacy, curated by Anne Pasternak, The Fireplace Project, East Hampton, NY
History Keeps Me Awake at Night, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2007
2nd Moscow Biennial, Moscow, Russia
Between the Two Deaths, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany
Infinite Orogeny - Ilana Halperin & Adam Putnam, Studio Visconti, Milan, Italy
Office Party, Participant Inc./Rental, New York, NY
My flashing Laundrette, Galleria Raucci/Santamaria, Naples, Italy
I AM Eyebeam, Gallery 400, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Funny Shadows, curated by Dinaburg Arts, Clifford Chance, New York, NY
Harry Smith Anthology Remixed, alt.gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
2006
The Square Root of Drawing, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Only the Paranoid Survive, HVCCA, Peekskill, NY
Bring the War Home, QED, Los Angeles, CA
The Rabbit as King of the Ghosts, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York, NY
The Uncertain States of America, CCS, Bard College & Serpentine, London, United Kingdom
2005
The Uncertain States of America, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo, Norway
Plain of Heaven, curated by Peter Eleey, Creative Time and Friends of the Highline, New York, NY
Annotations, Champion Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
The Most Splendid Apocalypse, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
Adam Putnam & Seth Kelly, Derek Eller Gallery; New York, NY
I Still believe in Miracles, Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France
Group Show, Sandroni Rey, Los Angeles, CA
2004
Axxxpresssunizum, Vilma Gold; London and Aliceday, Brussels
Lumpen Decadents, curated by Gean Moreno, Ingalls & Associates, Miami, FL
NeoQueer, Center of Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
Curatorial Projects
2009
Everything Must Go – Martin Wong, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2007
Blow Both of Us (co-curated with Shannon Ebner), Participant Inc.
2005
Something Else, a lecture series, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo
Breakout Sessions with Adam Putnam, Whitney Museum at Altria, New York, NY
Passing Time, a lecture series, Tracy Williams Ltd., New York, NY
Select Public Collections
Perez Art Museum, Miami, FL
Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, Australia
Select Articles
2018
Beal, Justin. “Touchpiece,” Touchpiece.
2015
Simmons, William J. "Exhibition Review: Adam Putnam, P.P.O.W," Art in America.
2014
O’Neill-Butler, Lauren. “Review: Adam Putnam, P.P.O.W,” Artforum.
Baker, R.C., “Adam Putnam and Jason Tomme Will Splinter Your Mind,” The Village Voice.
2012
O’Neill-Butler, Lauren. “500 words,” Artforum.
2011
Green, Susan. “Making Magic,” Burlington Free Press.
2010
Rosenberg, Karen. “Art in Review: Martin Wong, Everything Must Go,” The New York Times.
Laster, Paul. “Reviews,” Time Out New York.
Monforton, Mary-Ann. “On Bended Knee,” Bomblog.
Kitamura, Katie. “Reviews,” Frieze.
2009
Aletti, Vince. “Reviews,” New Yorker.
Carlin, T.J. “Reviews,” TimeOut New York.
Gartenfield, Alex. “Wrap/Unwrap: Adam Putnam,” Art in America.
2007
Banai, Nuit. “Introducing,” Modern Painters.
Order, Abraham. “Reviews,” Flash Art.
Baumann, Daniel. “Reviews,” Spike.
Banai, Nuit. “Reviews,” Time Out New York.
Chamberlain, Colby. “Critic’s Pick,” Artforum.
2006
Moreno, Gean. "The Ghost in the Machine," Art Papers.
2005
Eleey, Peter. "Adam Putnam", Plain of Heaven Catalogue.
Murison, Jason. "Adam Putnam/Seth Kelly" NYArts Magazine, vol. 10.
Murison, Jason. "Passing Time", Review, AC: Collaborative.
2004
Donnelly, Trisha. "The Top Ten", Artforum.
Potterf, Tina. Visual Arts: Seattle Times.
2002
Moreno, Gean. "The End of the Future", Art Papers.
1997
Goldberg, RoseLee. Reviews,” Artforum.
Select Bibliography
2021
Drawing 2020, Verlag Der Buchhandlung W, S.I. 2021, p. 103.
2020
Portholes, Adam Putnam, New York: Penumbra Foundation
2010
Brion Gysin – Dream Machine Cat.
2009
Everything Must Go: Martin Wong.
Blind Spot, Issue 40.
2008
Mythtym, ed. Trinie Dalton.
2007
Frozen Tears 3, ed. John Russell.
2005
Werewolf Express, ed. Trinie Dalton.
Plain of Heaven.
The Uncertain States of America.
Untitled.
I Still Believe in Miracles.
North Drive Press, ed. Matt Keegan.
2004
Frozen Tears 2, ed. John Russell.
2003
Into the Abyss, ed. Adam Putnam.
Escape from New York.
2002
Zing Magazine, no.17.
Charley Magazine, ed. Mauricio Catellan.
Adam Putnam
Tower I, 2021
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm
Adam Putnam
Untitled (Suite 9), 2019
ink on paper
12 1/8 x 15 1/4 ins.
30.8 x 38.7 cm
Adam Putnam
Untitled (pull), 2014
silver gelatin print
14 x 11 ins.
35.6 x 27.9 cm
Edition of 5
Adam Putnam
Untitled, 2012
charcoal and pigment on paper
42 x 57 ins.
106.7 x 144.8 cm
Adam Putnam
Untitled (neighbor), 2009
c-print
16 x 20 ins.
40.6 x 50.8 cm
Adam Putnam
Reclaimed Empire (Deep Edit), 2008-2018
84 short films
running time: 35:44
In a conversation a few years ago with critic Lauren O’Neill-Butler, Adam Putnam spoke of his interest in what he called “the format of the fragment” and the role it plays in supporting a certain mood of circumspection he wants present in his work—an “ambition to keep things hidden,” as he put it.
Adam Putnam talks about the mysterious photographs of Alfred Cook
Crafted from two-by-fours and lashed at the waist (as it were) by ropes and bungee cords, multiple X-shaped structures span the gallery from floor to high ceiling in Adam Putnam's bewitching exhibition at P.P.O.W.
