Biography

 

1953          Born in Monroe, LA

1954          Moved to Texas

Present      Temple, TX

 

Education

 

1971-1974      Austin College, Sherman, TX

Bachelor of Arts, Honors Program

1974, spring, New York Studio School, Manhattan,

                  New York City

 

One-Person Exhibitions

1986-2003

·         1987 paintings, 1989 assemblages and collages, 2003 photographs--Central Texas College, Killeen, TX

·         1988 paintings, 2002 photographs--University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX

·         1990 assemblages and collages--Temple College, Temple, TX

·         1987 mental patient portraits 1989 assemblages and collages--Cultural Activities Center, Temple, TX—

Regional Group Exhibitions

·         Central Texas Biennial, Waco, TX (1985,1987)

Selected National Group Exhibits

·         Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, TX (1990)

·         University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida (1991)

·         National Museum of Health and Medicine-Washington, D.C. (1993, 1997)

·         Sister Kenney Institute, Minneapolis, MN (1994)

·         195 Broadway, NY, NY (1994)

·         ”U.S. Landscapes”, Emu Gallery, University of Oregon (1995)

·         John McEnroe Gallery, NY, NY, (1995, 1996)

·         Pfizer Gallery Headquarters, NY, NY, (1997, 1999)

·         Central Connecticut State University (1998)

·         Citibank, Long Island (1998)

·         Johnson and Johnson, Brunswick, New Jersey, (1998)

·         Bristol-Myers Squibb Gallery, Princeton, New Jersey (1999)

National Art Exhibits by the Mentally Ill

·         1991-2007 exhibited in 17 of 20 shows

·         First Place 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003

Selected Private Collections (Sold)
New York, NY; Miami, FL; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Austin, TX; Temple, TX; Washington, DC; Tupelo, MS;

 

I don’t previsualize the end of my assemblages now.  I don’t need to anymore. I’ve been making art for 42 years now and the assemblage medium doesn’t require an end image at the beginning.  It would be different for working in watercolor, or painting, but in assemblage/collage I just start with my cigar box or equivalent, and my materials all lay out before me and I put together the strongest juxtaposition first.  Then I just make associations between materials and make the next, then the next step, etc.

 

It is very much like doing a jigsaw puzzle except I don’t have a box top to show me the finished piece. And I get to make up the rules as I go along. That is my favorite part of making art: I get to make the rules. And change them if I wish as I go along. Making assemblages is rarely boring; there is a lot of discovery and invention involved.  Sometimes I have to pause because I don’t have the material I need.  So I go to the art/craft store, flea market, thrift store or garage sale to get some raw materials. Or I print out an image I need. It takes a lot more materials to make assemblages then paintings. But like my tubes of paint, I have my boxes of things.  And I have to go digging through them because I rarely can remember what is in them.

 

My basic model when I’m making assemblages is the Medieval decorated book.  They would decorate it with jewels and gemstones in a base of metal with pieces of enamel work. So I get to work with pretty, shiny things, and toys.

 

 

WEBSITE:  http://www.rogersadler.com

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