Donald Sultan

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Biography

Sultan, an internationally recognized artist who rose to prominence in the late 1970s as part of the “New Image” movement, is known for elevating the still-life tradition through the deconstruction of his subjects into basic forms and the use of industrial materials.

Donald Sultan

Born: 1951

Biography

Sultan, an internationally recognized artist who rose to prominence in the late 1970s as part of the “New Image” movement, is known for elevating the still-life tradition through the deconstruction of his subjects into basic forms and the use of industrial materials. His paintings characteristically employ enamel, roofing tar, aluminum, linoleum, and spackle, pushing the boundaries of the medium through techniques of gouging, sanding, and buffing to create flatness, depth, and texture. The works are made of the same materials as the building in which the viewer stands; the architecture participates in the paintings. Weighty and structured, Sultan’s paintings are simultaneously abstract and representational: while his imagery is immediately recognizable – flowers, daily objects, insignia, idle factories – the dominating, abstract forms contradict its common association with fragility.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Sultan studied at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and later received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago. His first solo exhibition was mounted in 1977 at Artists Space in New York, and his work has since been exhibited worldwide in solo and group exhibitions, including at: the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Gotlands Konst Museum, Sweden; Institute of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Memphis Brooks Museum, Memphis; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Musée d’art Contemporain, Montreal; National Galerie, Berlin; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. His work is included in internationally renowned public and private collections, among them The Art Institute of Chicago; British Museum; Cincinnati Art Museum; Cleveland Art Museum; Dallas Museum of Fine Arts; Detroit Institute of Arts; Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, Cambridge; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; Ludwig Museum, Budapest; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Modern Art, New York; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Neuberger Museum at SUNY-Purchase, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Singapore Museum of Art; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Tate Gallery, London; and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.

1975 – Received M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago

1973 – Received B.F.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Artist Website

Exhibitions

2018

“Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings”, Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln

2017

“Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings”, North Carolina Museum of Art
“Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings”, Smithsonian Museum of American Art
“Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings”, Museum of Modern Art, Forth Worth, Texas
“Sticky, Shiny, Smooth: Pop Art and the Senses”, Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque, Iowa
“Sticky, Shiny, Smooth: Pop Art and the Senses”, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
“Donald Sultan: Button Down Modernism”, Galerie Andres Thalmann, Talstrasse 66, Zürich

2016

“Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings”, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Miami
“Sticky, Shiny, Smooth: Pop Art and the Senses”, Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, Kansas

2011

“Donald Sultan: New Works”, Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, Colorado
“Donald Sultan”, Meredith Long & Company, Houston, Texas
“Donald Sultan”, Meredith Long & Company, Houston, Texas

2009

“Donald Sultan: Recent Works on Paper”, Greenfield Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica, California
“Donald Sultan: The First Decade”, Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), Cincinnati, Ohio
“Donald Sultan: Wallflowers: Gouaches, Paintings and Multiples”, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York City, New York

2008

“Donald Sultan: Works on Paper”, Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, Colorado
“Donald Sultan: Small Paintings and Works on Paper”, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

2007

“Landscape: Form & Thought” (group exhibition), Waqas Wajahat Gallery, New York City, New York
“Donald Sultan”, Patrick De Brock Gallery, Knokke, Belgium
“Donald Sultan: Colors, Smoke and War”, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York City, New York

2006

“Donald Sultan and Neil Jenney: The Art Bar”, Waqas Wajahat Gallery, New York City, New York
“Donald Sultan: Recent Works”, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

2005

“Donald Sultan: 1991 – 2005”, curated by Scott White Contemporarary Art, The Gallery at Cliff Lede Vineyards, Yountville, California
“Donald Sultan: New Paintings”, Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, Colorado

2004

“Donald Sultan”, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
“Donald Sultan: New Poppy Paintings”, Ameringer & Yohe Fine Art, New York City, New York

2003

Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

2000

“Donald Sultan – Selected Drawings 1976-1998,” Hill Gallery. Birmingham, Michigan, Nov. 12 – Jan. 31, 2000
“Donald Sultan: In the Still-Life Tradition,” Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Memphis, Tennessee, Jan. 23 – April 9, 2000
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. May 6 – July 17, 2000
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri Sept. 16 – Dec. 3, 2000
Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, Florida March 31 – June 3, 2001
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, Arizona June 29 – Sept 9, 2001
Winston Wachter Fine Art, Seattle, WA, New Works Feb. 17 – April 1, 2002
Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, Louisiana
“Temporary Contemporary – Selected Works by Donald Sultan,” Cheekwood Museum of Art. Nashville, Tennessee, Dec. 4 – Jan. 30, 2000
“Donald Sultan,” Meredith Long Gallery. Houston, Texas, May 4 – May 25, 2000
“Donald Sultan: Recent Prints and Drawings,” Mary Ryan Gallery. New York, New York, May 24 – July 14, 2000

1999

“Bar Mitzvah,” The Jewish Museum. New York, New York, Feb. 15 – May 1999. (Book collaboration with playwright David Mamet)
“Donald Sultan Recent Works,” Meredith Long & Co.. Houston, Texas, Feb. 18 – March 10, 1999
“Donald Sultan: Recent Painting,” Knoedler. New York, New York, March 4 – 27, 1999
“Donald Sultan Selected Drawings 1976-1998,” Hill Gallery. Birmingham, Michigan, Nov. 12 – Dec. 31, 1999

1998

“Donald Sultan,” Galerie Lutz Thalmann. Zurich, Switzerland. Jan. 6 – Feb. 25, 1998
“Donald Sultan,” Baldwin Gallery. Aspen, Colorado, February 13 – March 10, 1998
“Donald Sultan, New Paintings and Drawings,” Turner & Runyon Gallery. Dallas, Texas, May 28 – July 2, 1998
“Donald Sultan, Recent Work,” Galleria Lawrence Rubin. Milano, Italy. Sept. 24 – Oct. 18, 1998

1997

“Donald Sultan: Paintings and Drawings,” Knoedler & Co.. New York, New York, April 9 – May 3, 1997
“Donald Sultan: Flowers,” Greenberg Van Doren Gallery. St. Louis, Missouri, May 2 – June 30, 1997
“Donald Sultan: Painting, Drawing, Photography,” Hill Gallery. Birmingham, Michigan, Sept. 6 – Oct .11, 1997
“Donald Sultan,” Galerie Daniel Templon. Paris, France. Sept. 6 – Oct. 15, 1997
“Donald Sultan: Smoke Rings,” Janet Borden, Inc.. New York, New York, Sept. 11 – Oct. 4, 1997

1996

“Donald Sultan: Paintings & Works on Paper,” Baldwin Gallery. Aspen, Colorado, February 16 – March 13, 1996
“Donald Sultan,” Meredith Long & Company. Houston, Texas, March 7 – 26, 1996
“Donald Sultan: Recent Works on Paper,” Fotouhi Cramer Gallery. East Hampton, New York, Aug. 10- Sept. 7, 1996
“Donald Sultan: Neue Arbeiten,” Galerie Lawrence Rubin. Zurich, Switzerland. Sept. 6 – Oct. 5, 1996
“Donald Sultan: Recent Prints,” Mary Ryan Gallery. New York, New York, Oct. 2 – Nov. 16, 1996
“Donald Sultan,” Paul Kasmin Gallery. New York, New York, Oct. 30 – Dec. 7, 1996
“Donald Sultan,” Guild Hall, exhibition in conjunction with the Hampton’s International Film Festival. East Hampton, New York, Oct. 16 – Oct. 2, 1996

1995

“Donald Sultan: New Paintings,” Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, March 8 – April 1, 1995
“Donald Sultan,” Hill Gallery. Birmingham, Michigan, October 12 – November 15, 1995
“Donald Sultan: Paintings and Drawings,” Asheville Art Museum. North Carolina, November 9 – December 30, 1995

1994

“Donald Sultan,” Galeria 56. Budapest, Hungary. October 20 – December 17, 1994
“Donald Sultan: Wall Flowers,” Paul Kasmin Gallery, in association with Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, December 15, 1994 – January 28, 1995
“Donald Sultan: Recent Paintings,” Jaffe Baker Blau. Boca Raton, Florida, March 3 – 24, 1994

1993

“Donald Sultan,” Galerie Kaj Forsblom. zzz, Switzerland. May 13 – June 26, 1993
“Donald Sultan: Morning Glories,” Hill Gallery. Birmingham, Michigan, July 27 – August 21, 1993
“Donald Sultan: Recent Paintings,” Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, October 9 – November 4, 1993
1992-1995 Walker, Barry, curator. “Donald Sultan: A Print Retrospective,” The American Federation of the Arts (organizing and circulating institution). New York, New York
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, September 17- November 8, 1992
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, December 13- January 31, 1993
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, June 26- August 22, 1993
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, January 30 – April 9, 1994
Madison Art Center, Wisconsin, May 28- July 24, 1994
Orlando Museum of Art, Florida, August 20 – October 15, 1994
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Tennessee, November 12 -January 7, 1995
1992
“Donald Sultan: Drawing,” The Hill Gallery. Birmingham, Michigan, January 25 – February 25,

1992

“Donald Sultan: Paintings,” Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, March 21 – April 25, 1992
“Donald Sultan: Pintures,” Galeria Trauma. Barcelona, Spain. April 2 – May 4, 1992
“Donald Sultan,” Hans Strelow Gallery. Duesseldorf, Germany. May 7 – June 20, 1992
“Donald Sultan: Recent Paintings and Works on Paper,” Meredith Long & Company. Houston, Texas, May 28 – July 3, 1992
“Donald Sultan: Paintings 1978-1992,” Guild Hall Museum. East Hampton, New York, August 15 – October 4, 1992
“Donald Sultan: Drawings + Watercolors 1987-1992,” Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, September 12 – October 1992

1991

“Donald Sultan: Paintings, Drawings and Prints,” John Berggruen Gallery. San Francisco, California, January 8 – February 9, 1991
“Donald Sultan: Sculpture,” Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, January 12 – February 9, 1991
“Donald Sultan, Recent Print Projects: Dominoes, Fruits and Flowers, Playing Cards,” Mary Ryan Gallery. New York, New York, January 10 – February 13, 1991
“Donald Sultan: Drawing – Painting,” Meredith Long Gallery. Houston, Texas, March 1 – April 6, 1991
“Donald Sultan: Dominoes, Playing Cards, Fruits and Flowers,” Greg Kucera Gallery. Seattle, Washington, April 4 – 28, 1991
“Donald Sultan: Dominoes, Playing Cards, Fruits and Flowers,” Greg Kucera Gallery. Seattle, Washington, April 4 – 28, 1991
“Donald Sultan ,” Richard Green Gallery. Santa Monica, California, September 13 – October 12, 1991

1990

“Donald Sultan: Painting,” Knoedler & Company. New York, New York, April 28 – May 4, 1990
“Donald Sultan: Screenprints and Etchings,” Greg Kucera Gallery. Seattle, Washington, June 7-July 1, 1990
“Donald Sultan,” Equinox Gallery. Vancouver, Canada. October 11 – November 3, 1990
“Donald Sultan,” Waddington Galleries. London, United Kingdom. November 28 – December 21, 1990

1989

“Donald Sultan: Sculpture,” Blum Helman Gallery. Santa Monica, California, March 20 -April 29, 1989
“Donald Sultan: Playing Cards Drawings,” Paul Kasmin Gallery Inc. New York, New York, April 27 – June 4, 1989
“Donald Sultan: Works on Paper,” Runkle-Hue-Williams, Ltd. London, United Kingdom. May 4 – June 16, 1989
“Donald Sultan: New Sculpture,” The Greenberg Gallery. St.Louis, Missouri, Sept 8 – Nov 4, 1989
“Donald Sultan: Drawings,” Knoedler & Co.. New York, New York, Sept 12 – Oct 5, 1989
“Donald Sultan: A Selection of Prints,” Richard Green Gallery. New York, New York, November 18 – December 23, 1989

1988

“Donald Sultan’s Black Lemons,” Museum of Modern Art. New York, New York, February 4 – May 3, 1988
“Donald Sultan,” Galerie Montenay. Paris, France. October 6 – 29, 1988
“Donald Sultan,” La Galerie Alice Pauli. Lausanne, Switzerland. October 7 – November 5, 1988
“Donald Sultan: Prints and Drawings ,” Marina Hamilton Gallery. New York, New York
1987
“Donald Sultan: Recent Painting,” Blum Helman Gallery. New York, New York, November 4 – 28,

1987

“Donald Sultan: Small Paintings, Small Drawings 1978-87,” Barbara Krakow Gallery. Boston, Massachusetts, November 7 – December 2, 1987
“Donald Sultan,” Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago, Illinois, November 14, 1987 – January 10, 1988
Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, CA; Fort Worth Art Museum Texas
The Brooklyn Museum, New York
“Donald Sultan,” Gian Enzo Sperone Gallery. Rome, Italy
“Donald Sultan: Black Lemons – Recent Prints,” Greg Kucera Gallery. Seattle, Washington
“Part of the “Centric Series” (print exhibition),” University Art Museum, Cal State. Long Beach, California

1986

“Donald Sultan, Small Paintings,” Blum Helman Gallery. New York, New York, November 29, 1985 – January 4, 1986.
“Donald Sultan: Drawings,” Blum Helman Gallery. New York, New York, April 5 – 26, 1986.
“Donald Sultan: A Survey,” A.P. Giannini Gallery, Bank of America, World Headquarters. San Francisco, California, May 1 – June 24, 1986.
“Donald Sultan,” Galerie Montenay-Delsol. Paris, France. October 16 – November 8, 1986.
“Donald Sultan: Drawings,” Blum Helman Gallery. Los Angeles, California, December 4, 1986 – closing date unknown.

1985

“Donald Sultan: New Paintings,” Blum Helman Gallery. New York, New York, April 3 – 27, 1985
“Donald Sultan: Drawings and Paintings,” The Greenberg Gallery. St. Louis, Missouri, November 8, 1985 – January 3, 1987
“Donald Sultan: gravures monumentales,” Galerie de L’estampe Contemporaine Bibliotheque Nationale, rostonde Colbert. Paris, France. October 21 – November 22, 1985

1984

“Donald Sultan: New Paintings,” Blum Helman Gallery. New York, New York, February 8 – March 3, 1984

1982

“Donald Sultan,” Blum Helman Gallery. New York, New York, April 14 – May 8, 1982
“Donald Sultan: Bilder und Zeichnungen,” Hans Strelow Gallery. Duesseldorf, Germany. October 14 – November 13, 1982
1981
“Donald Sultan: Recent Paintings,” Daniel Weinberg Gallery. San Francisco, California, February 4 – 28, 1981

1980

Willard Gallery, New York City

1979

“Donald Sultan,” Willard Gallery. New York, New York, February 24 – March 22, 1979
“Donald Sultan,” Young Hoffman Gallery. Chicago, Illinois, November 9 – December 12, 1979
“Donald Sultan,” Willard Gallery. New York, New York, October 4 – 30, 1980.

1977

“Donald Sultan,” Artist’s Space. New York, New York, February 5 – 27, 1977
“Turning the Room Sideways,” The Institute of the Art and Urban Resources, P.S. 1 Special Projects Room. Long Island City, New York, October 20 – November 27