Biography
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Michael Petry (b. Texas, 1960) has lived in London since 1981. He studied at Rice University, Houston (BA), London Guildhall University (MA), and has a Doctor in Arts from Middlesex University. Petry is an artist, author and Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) London, and writes for Huffington Post. He co-founded the Museum of Installation, was Guest Curator at the Kunstakademiet, Oslo, Research Fellow at the University of Wolverhampton, Guest Curator for Futurecity and was Curator of the Royal Academy Schools Gallery. Petry is a Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (FRBS) and a Brother of the Art Workers Guild. Petry co-authored Installation Art (1994), and Installation in the New Millennium (2003), and authored Abstract Eroticism (1996) and A Thing of Beauty is...(1997). The Trouble with Michael, a monograph of his practice, was published by Art Media Press in 2001. Petry’s book Hidden Histories: 20th century male same sex lovers in the visual arts (2004) was the first comprehensive survey of its kind, and accompanied the exhibition Hidden Histories he curated for The New Art Gallery Walsall. His two-volume book Golden Rain (2008) accompanied his installation for the On the Edge exhibition for Stavanger 2008, European Capital of Culture. Petry was the first Artist in Residence at Sir John Soane’s Museum (2010/11) exhibiting two bodies of work, published in Smoke & Mirrors (2011). His one man show The Touch of the Oracle at the Palm Springs Art Museum (2012) was accompanied by a ten year career review book. Petry’s work was included in the 2015 Frontiers Reimagined at the Venice Biennale, and his one-man show AT the Core of the Algorithm accompanied his Campbell Lectures at Rice University. Recent solo shows include: A Twist in Time, at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (2016) and In the Realm of the Gods, at the Holburne Museum, Bath 2017/8.
Petry’s books include The Art of Not Making: The New Artist Artisan Relationship for Thames & Hudson (hardback, 2011, paperback, 2012) and Nature Morte: Contemporary Artists reinvigorate the Still-Life tradition (published in 2013 in 4 hard back editions, T&H [UK/American], Hirmer [German] and Ludion [Dutch] and both had extensive touring exhibitions based on the books at major museums across Europe. His upcoming book The WORD is Art (T&H, October 2018) looks at the use of text in contemporary art. |
Portrait by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
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Upcoming and Current
2018
Marcus Eek: A Journey, historical survey of Eek’s work by Petry for Prestel Publishing Limited
In the Realm of the Gods, solo exhibition, Holburne Museum, Bath
A Prussian Requiem
Prague, Czech Republic City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra & Kühn Choir at Forum Karlin
Malaga, Spain Orchestra & Choir TBA Baritone TBA at Cervantes Theatre
Lima, Peru National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) & National Choir at Gran Teatro Nacional
The WORD is Art, a hardback book for Thames & Hudson by Michael Petry, to be published in October, 2018
2017
Nature Morte: Contemporary Artists Reinvigorate the Still-Life Tradition, The Four Domes Pavilion, Museum Narodowego we Wroclawiu (National Museum, Wroclaw, Poland) then at the Guildhall Art Gallery, London, curated by Petry
The Book of the WORD, exhibition curated by Petry for Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki
Lest we Forget the Gods, solo exhibition, Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert
At the Foot of the Gods, installation for the Biënnale Oosterhou, Holland
Marcus Eek: A Journey, historical survey of Eek's work by Petry for Prestel Publishing Limited
In the Realm of the Gods, solo exhibition, Holburne Museum, Bath
2018
Marcus Eek: A Journey, historical survey of Eek’s work by Petry for Prestel Publishing Limited
In the Realm of the Gods, solo exhibition, Holburne Museum, Bath
A Prussian Requiem
Prague, Czech Republic City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra & Kühn Choir at Forum Karlin
Malaga, Spain Orchestra & Choir TBA Baritone TBA at Cervantes Theatre
Lima, Peru National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) & National Choir at Gran Teatro Nacional
The WORD is Art, a hardback book for Thames & Hudson by Michael Petry, to be published in October, 2018
2017
Nature Morte: Contemporary Artists Reinvigorate the Still-Life Tradition, The Four Domes Pavilion, Museum Narodowego we Wroclawiu (National Museum, Wroclaw, Poland) then at the Guildhall Art Gallery, London, curated by Petry
The Book of the WORD, exhibition curated by Petry for Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki
Lest we Forget the Gods, solo exhibition, Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert
At the Foot of the Gods, installation for the Biënnale Oosterhou, Holland
Marcus Eek: A Journey, historical survey of Eek's work by Petry for Prestel Publishing Limited
In the Realm of the Gods, solo exhibition, Holburne Museum, Bath