Keegan McHargue

Born in 1982, Portland, Oregon. Lives and works in New York, USA.

Keegan McHargue is a self-taught American artist. He is known for his abstract illusory drawings and paintings. His intense illustrated paintings combine figurative dreamlike elements, whilst twisting the rules of perspective.

McHargue is concerned with the tension between tragedy and comedy. The artist’s flattened style evokes a child’s drawing as way of expressing his understanding of the world. Interested in the subconscious, McHargue depicts fantasy like scenes to replace daily life incidents.

In 2003, McHargue has his fist solo show in New York at the Wrong Gallery. Since then, he has been represented by Fredericks & Freiser Gallery in New York. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, such as Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco; Deitch Projects, New York; Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo; Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris; MACRO Museum, Rome; DESTE Foundation, Athens. He is part of important public permanent collections including Deste Foundation of the Contemporary Arts, Athens; Judith Rothschild Foundation | Drawing Collection, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA.

Keegan McHargue

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2021

“Now and Now: new NFS,” Phillip Johnson’s Wolfhouse, Newburgh, NY

2016

“Potpourri,” Halsey Mckay Gallery, East Hampton, NY

2015

“Topical”, Fredericks & Freiser, New York, NY

2013

“Prick of Conscience”, Fredericks & Freiser, New York, NY

2011

“Natural,” Frey Norris Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Light Sleeper“, Fredericks & Freiser, New York, NY
“Keegan McHargue,” Galerie Jeanroche Dard, Paris, France

2010

“Man Burning,” W/____, New York, NY

2009

“In Memory of Painting: Keegan McHargue,” Layr Wuestenhagen Contemporary, Vienna, Austria

2008

“Well Charge,” Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France
2007
“The Yellow Spectrum,” Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Mauve Deep,” Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2006

“Air Above Mountains (Building Within),” Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France
“The Control Group,” Metro Pictures, New York, NY

2005

“Drawing Circles,” Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“Building for Water,” Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2004

“The Suns’ Son Mends Man’s Path, Statements,” Art Basel/Miami Beach: Statements, Miami, FL
“Feel the Wind,” Jack Hanley Gallery | Jack Hanley Annex, San Francisco, CA

2003

“The Wolfman Cometh,” Rivington Arms, New York, NY
“Keegan McHargue,” The Wrong Gallery, New York, NY

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021

“Now You See You” Mucciaccia Contemporary, Rome, Italy
“Inauguration,” Phillip Johnson’s Wolfhouse, Newburgh, NY
“10 Year Anniversary Exhibition,” Halsey McKay Gallery, East Hampton, NY

2020

“Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Art Acquisitions and Gifts,” Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Amherst, MA

2019

“Strange,” Berkeley Art Museum, Berkley, CA
“Paper View,” The Hole, New York, NY

2016

“Too Much of a Good Thing,” Basilica Hudson, Hudson, NY
“Only Lovers,” Le Coeur Paris, Paris, France

2015

“The Cayote” Curated by Brian Willmont, Gallery Steinsland Berliner, Stockholm, Sweden

2014

“Splinter Field,” Greenpoint Terminal Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
“Ducks,” Greenpoint Terminal, Brooklyn, NY
“12”, One River Art Center, Englewood, NJ
Frieze, New York: Two-person installation with Robert Overby
“Merge Visible,” Horton Gallery, New York, NY

2013

“Chicken or Beef? A Transcontinental Survey of Figurative Painting”, The Hole, NYC
“Draw Gym,” KnowMoreGames & 247365, Brooklyn, NY
“Loosely Based,” Curated by Carol Nhan, Union Street Studio, Brooklyn, NY
“Space is the Place,” House Pirovino, Basel, CH

2012

“Portrait of a Generation”, The Hole, New York, NY
“Casa de Empeño”, Anonymous Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
“Habeas Corpus”, Halsey McKay Gallery, East Hampton, NY
“In the Garden,” Utopian Slums, Melbourne, Australia
“Spaced,” Jack Hanley Gallery, New York, NY
“When does Something… Become Something Else: ROLU Artist in Residence,” Walker Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN

2011

“Summer Whites”, curated by Eddie Martinez and Sam Moyer, Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, NY
“Domestic Goods”, Curated by Ryan Wallace, Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY
“New York Minute II,” Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow
“Cover Version LP,” BAM Brooklyn, NY
“Gumtion,” Zieher Smith Gallery, New York, NY
“Gates of Heaven: Keegan McHargue, Devandra Banhart, Adam Tulli,” Gallerie Patricia Armocida, Milan, Italy
“Control Group,” Noma Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2010

“Stella Luminosa,” Electric Works, San Francisco, CA
“This is Where We Get Off,” Curated by Leo Fitzpatrick, Max Fish, New York, NY
“Man Burning I: Glasser,” W/____, New York, NY
“Man Burning II: Houston,” W/____, New York, NY
“Man Burning III: Yemenwed,” W/____, New York, NY
“Chums,” curated by Mary Manning, Space 1520, Los Angeles, CA
“A Furnished Landscape,” Center for Performance Research, New York, NY “Impressions,” Curated by Hisham Bharoocha, Beams Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“Not Quite Open for Business,” The Hole, New York, NY
“Skakeouttttttt: The Sea Giveth, The Sea Taketh Away,” Marina 29, Far Rockaway, NY
“The Power of Selection,” Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
“A Ways A Way,” curated by Devendra Banhart, Half Gallery, New York, NY
“X-Mas in July,” Yvon Lambert Gallery, New York, NY
“New Useless Machines,” curated by Sight Unseen, OAK, New York, NY
“Default State Network,” Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY

2009

“Partisan Gallery,” Partisan Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“American Art Now,” LES Gallery, Vancouver BC, Canada
“New York Minute,”curated by Kathy Grayson, MACRO Museum Rome, Italy

2008

“Imaginary Realities” Max Wigram Gallery, London, UK

2007

“The Melvins,” Mandrake, Los Angeles, CA
“…What Will be Told of Today Tomorrow: KölnShow2,” European Kunsthalle, Köln

2006

“Only the Paranoid Survive,” Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY

“Panic Room-Works from the Dakis Joannou Collection,” DESTE Foundation, Athens, Greece
“Air Above Mountains (Building Within),” Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France

2005

“Bay Area Now 4,” Yerba Buena Center, San Francisco, CA
“Gallery Artists,” Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Artist for White Columns,” White Columns, New York, NY
“Art Review: Top 25 Emerging Artists,” Phillips de Pury, New York, NY
“Yo mire un garza mora dandole combate a un rio,” curated by Devendra Banhart, Atelier Cardenas Bellanger, Paris, France

2004

“Incantations,” Metro Pictures, New York, NY
“Deliver Us From Evil,” Matthew Marks Gallery, New York, NY
“Lo-Gressive Living: Works on Paper from the San Francisco Bay Area,” The Approach Gallery, London, UK
“Majority Whip,” White Box, New York, NY
“Dessins et des Autre,” Galerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris, France
“Mental Space,” Wendy Cooper Gallery, Madison, WI
“Paperwork,” Savage Art Resources, Portland, OR
“K48 Klubhouse,” curated by Scott Hug, Deitch Projects, New York, NY

2003

“We Are Electric,” curated by Chris Perez, Deitch Projects, New York, NY
“Blatant Localism,” Leo Koenig Annex, New York, NY
“Today’s Man,” Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“Today’s Man,” John Connelly Presents, New York, NY
“Retreat,” Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
“Teenage Rebel: The Bedroom Show,” Galerie du Jour, Agnes b., Paris, France
“Dirt Wizards,” Brooklyn Fire Proof Inc., New York, NY
“Russell Simmons’ Art for Life Auction Preview,” Kenny Schachter ConTEMPorary, New York, NY
“Group Show,” PNCA, curated by Ian Hawk, Gallery 500, Portland, OR

2002

“Alife Store,” Deitch Projects, New York, NY
“Alife Store,” Roberts and Tilton, Los Angeles, CA
“No War,” Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“From the Trenches,” New Image Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“Skate on Wall,” Nagoya Parko Museum Galleries, Tokyo, Japan
“Skate on Wall,” Rocket Japan, Tokyo, Japan

 

Selected Bibliography

“Preparation K.” Nieves Books, Zurich, Switzerland, 2017
Austin McManus, “Draw, Cut, Paste, Repeat: Keegan McHargue.” Juxtapoz Magazine, February 9, 2016
Brian Chidester, “Keegan McHargue.” Ephemera NYC, September 2015
Scott Indrisek, “5 Must-See Gallery Shows in New York: Ron Nagle, Keegan McHargue, and More.” Blouin Artinfo, September 21, 2015
Natalie Hegert, “The First of Fall: 10 Painting Exhibitions Opening in September 2015.” MutualArt, September 2, 2015
Scott Indrisek, “Jonas Wood, Keegan McHargue, and Others Spin Silk for Massif Central Scarf Line.” Blouin Artinfo, April 18, 2014
Domenico de Chirico, “Keegan McHargue.” Dust Magazine, March 27, 2014
Liv Siddal, “Wonderful Fantasy.” ItsNiceThat, 2014
Scott Indrisek, “The Strange Worlds of Artists Keegan McHargue and Karl Wirsum” BlackBook, October 4, 2013
“Keegan McHargue’s Top 10” Criterion Collection, October 2013
Betty Nguyen, “Keegan McHargue ‘Prick of Conscience’”, LA Contemporary, October 2013
“Distilled Imagery: Exhibition ‘Prick of Conscience’ by Keegan McHargue” Lancia, September 25, 2013
“Prick of Conscience.” Exhibition Catalog, Fredericks & Freiser, NY, 2013
“Misundestimated.” White Zinfandel, Spring-Summer 2012
“Keegan McHargue.” Sight Unseen: Paper View, April 2012
“Face of a Generation.” Show Catalog, The Hole, NY, July 2012
“New York Minute.” MACRO Roma, 2011
Francesca Gavin, “100 New Artists.” Quatro Book, UK, 2011
Ross Simonini, “Keegan McHargue,” The Believer, December 2010
“Keegan McHargue,” Beautiful Decay Magazine, April 2010
“Yves Saint Laurent,” Seems Books Zine Set Vol. 1, 2010
“Keegan McHargue in Conversation,” Print Magazine Online, December 2010
“Parisan Gallery” published by Partisan Gallery, San Francisco, 2009
“The Foibles” Seems Books, San Francisco, 2009
“Compass in Hand, Selections from the Judith Rothschild Collection” MoMA New York, 2009
Will Bradly “Keegan McHargue,” Bing, Paris, 2008
Keegan McHargue, “Mauve Deep: Work on Paper 2002-2007,” Published by Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, 2007
Yaelle Amir, “The Control Group,” Art US, January 2007
Kimberly Chun, “Outrageous Fortunes: Keegan McHargue,” San Francisco Guardian, July 30-August 6 2006
“Studio Visit,” Tokion Magazine, October/November 2006, pp. 122,
Glen Helfand, “Keegan McHargue: What Would Beckett Say?” Interview, July 2—6, 2006, pp. 30.
Glen Helfand, “Lucid Dreaming,” ArtReview, April 2006, pp. 88 – 91
Pierre-Evariste Douaire, “Keegan McHargue: Air Above Mountains (Building Within),” Gallery Emmanuel Perrotin, no. 02, March – July 2006, pp. 12-13
Keegan McHargue, “Keegan McHargue,” Gallery Emmanuel Perrotin, no. 01, December-March 2006
“Future Greats,” Art Review Magazine, December 2005, pp. 82
Lawrence Rinder, “Cumulus from America: Learning at the Mission School,” Parkett, no. 74, pp. 186-194, 2005
“Top 25 Emerging US Artists,” Art Review Magazine, March-April Francesca Gavin, “San Francisco,” Art Review Magazine, March-April 2005
Monty di Pietro, “Keegan McHargue,” The Japan Times, 23 March Kathy Grayson, “Live Through This,” Deitch Projects, DAP Publishing Abraham Orden, “Aperto San Francisco,” Flash Art, July – September 2005
“New Prints Review,” Art On Paper, December 2004
Walter Robinson, “Miami Heat,” Artnet Magazine, December 3 2004
Kevin Killian, “Goldies; Visual Art: Keegan McHargue,” San Francisco Bay Guardian, 3 November – 9 November 2004
“Deliver Us From Evil,” The New Yorker, 9 & 16 August 2004
Elizabeth Kley, “Deliver Us From Evil,” ARTnews, October 2004
Matt Wolf, “Majority Whip,” Flash Art, July/September 2004
Ken Johnson, “Incantations,” The New York Times, 16 July 2004
Ellen Fox, “The Cutting Edge Crashes the Dance Yet Again,” Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2004
“Keegan McHargue interviewed by Katharine Grayson,” Wrong Times, Wrong Gallery, New York, New York, 2004
Adrian Dannat, “Overture: Keegan McHargue,” Flash Art, November/December 2003
Jerry Saltz, “Babylon Rising,” The Village Voice, September 2003
“Dirt Wizards,” Flavorpill, Issue no. 166, 2003
“Keegan McHargue and Dylan Walker,” 2003, Self-published
Scott Hug, K48 Magazine, Issue no. 3, October 2003, New York
“A Grand Finale of Group Show Fireworks,” The New York Times, July 18, 2003, New York
Jerry Saltz, “Burn Baby Burn: Keegan McHargue and Jules de Balencourt,” The Village Voice, June 2003
“Halsolhof: Keegan McHargue,” Self-published, 2002
“Keegan McHargue and Matt Leines,” Self-published, 2002

Public Collections

Sammlung Lenikus, Vienna Austria
Deste Foundation of the Contemporary Arts, Athens
Judith Rothschild Foundation | Drawing Collection, New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Saratoga Springs, NY
Soho House Group, London
Mead Art Museum at Amherst College

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