Born in 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carlton Scott Sturgill received a BFA from the University of Cincinnati and MA from Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. Although he now lives outside of the Queen City, Sturgill’s work continues to be shaped by the bedroom communities surrounding his hometown; an area so concerned with clean living that Larry Flynt’s Hustler magazine was banned from sale within the city limits for over twenty years and an exhibition of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs sparked an obscenity trial.
Working with materials taken from the landscape of American suburbia, such as paint chip samples from Home Depot and designer clothing from the all-American company Ralph Lauren, Sturgill creates works that examine shifting notions of sexuality, mortality and social mobility within an increasingly brand-conscious society. His paintings, mosaics, and sculptures scratch the surface of suburban pretense, exploring the compulsion to veil both our desires and our fears behind the facade of a commoditized version of the American Dream.
Carlton Scott Sturgill has exhibited in North America and Europe. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
EDUCATION
2005 MA, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK
2002 BFA, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2011 "Casual Encounters" Masters & Pelavin Gallery, New York, NY
2010 "Private Space/Public Face" Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (TWO-PERSON with Raghava KK)
2009 "Re:Ralph" Eye Level BQE Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2008 "Afterlifestyle" Art Academy of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
2006 “A Private View” Toni Heath Gallery, London, UK
2004 “Backyard Games” York Street Gallery, Newport, KY
2003 “HEADLINE: 1971-2003” SSNOVA Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 "Cutters" The Parlour, Curated by Ugly Art Room, Brooklyn, NY
2011 "Coming Soon" Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2010 "Exposure" ICA Gallery, Curated by NUDEwithaGOOSE, New York, NY
2009 "You're Dead To Me" Eye Level BQE Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2009 "Brooklyn Artillery" Castle Braid, Brooklyn, NY
2009 "INTRO SHOW" MadArts Studios Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2009 "Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show" Indiana University SoFA Gallery, Bloomington, IN
2009 "The Dirty Show X" Bert's Warehouse Theater, Detroit, MI
2008 "Square Foot" AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2007 “Reconfigured” The Basement Gallery, Knoxville, TN
2007 “Private Prop.” The Residence Gallery, London, UK
2007 “America” Altered Esthetics Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2007 “Open 07” Bow Arts Trust, London, UK
2007 “multicomplexificationalities” Nunnery Gallery, London, UK
2007 “Anonymous Drawing 4” blütenweiss, Berlin, Germany
2007 “The Dirty Show 8” Bert’s Warehouse Theater, Detroit, MI
2007 “Disposable Fetish” Nunnery Gallery, London, UK
2006 “Open 06” Bow Arts Trust, London, UK
2005 “A Moment In Time” Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, Dublin, Ireland
2005 “artbelowzero” Westbourne Studios, London, UK
2005 “MA Shows 05” Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK
2005 “American Elusive” Lounge Gallery, London, UK
2005 “Big Makes Me Feel Good” Triangle Space, London, UK
2004 “heartFELT” Northern Kentucky University Gallery, Highland Heights, KY
2003 “A Very American X-mas” The Mockbee Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2002 “StudioWorks II: Directors’ Choice” Reed Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2002 “DAAPWorks” University of Cincinnati Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Maselli, Giovanna. "A Casa Di Keith Haring." Urban Italia April 2010
Goodman, Wendy. "In the House of the Radiant Baby." New York Magazine
1 February 2010
Durrell, Jane. "Afterlifestyle Review." CityBeat 2 December 2008
Le Feurve, Lisa. “Gutter Dreams” 2006
“Lifting the Curtain.” Creative Week September 2006
Aitken, Clare. “A Private View.” Flaverpill LND September 2006
Gargano, Jason. “Playful Subversion: The Deceptive Art of Carlton Scott Sturgill.” CityBeat 10 November 2004
Bernzott, Julie. “Look Here!” CityBeat 3 November 2004
Gargano, Jason. “Headline: 1971-2003.” CityBeat 1 October 2003
Working with materials taken from the landscape of American suburbia, such as paint chip samples from Home Depot and designer clothing from the all-American company Ralph Lauren, Sturgill creates works that examine shifting notions of sexuality, mortality and social mobility within an increasingly brand-conscious society. His paintings, mosaics, and sculptures scratch the surface of suburban pretense, exploring the compulsion to veil both our desires and our fears behind the facade of a commoditized version of the American Dream.
Carlton Scott Sturgill has exhibited in North America and Europe. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
EDUCATION
2005 MA, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK
2002 BFA, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2011 "Casual Encounters" Masters & Pelavin Gallery, New York, NY
2010 "Private Space/Public Face" Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (TWO-PERSON with Raghava KK)
2009 "Re:Ralph" Eye Level BQE Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2008 "Afterlifestyle" Art Academy of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
2006 “A Private View” Toni Heath Gallery, London, UK
2004 “Backyard Games” York Street Gallery, Newport, KY
2003 “HEADLINE: 1971-2003” SSNOVA Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 "Cutters" The Parlour, Curated by Ugly Art Room, Brooklyn, NY
2011 "Coming Soon" Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2010 "Exposure" ICA Gallery, Curated by NUDEwithaGOOSE, New York, NY
2009 "You're Dead To Me" Eye Level BQE Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2009 "Brooklyn Artillery" Castle Braid, Brooklyn, NY
2009 "INTRO SHOW" MadArts Studios Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2009 "Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show" Indiana University SoFA Gallery, Bloomington, IN
2009 "The Dirty Show X" Bert's Warehouse Theater, Detroit, MI
2008 "Square Foot" AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2007 “Reconfigured” The Basement Gallery, Knoxville, TN
2007 “Private Prop.” The Residence Gallery, London, UK
2007 “America” Altered Esthetics Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2007 “Open 07” Bow Arts Trust, London, UK
2007 “multicomplexificationalities” Nunnery Gallery, London, UK
2007 “Anonymous Drawing 4” blütenweiss, Berlin, Germany
2007 “The Dirty Show 8” Bert’s Warehouse Theater, Detroit, MI
2007 “Disposable Fetish” Nunnery Gallery, London, UK
2006 “Open 06” Bow Arts Trust, London, UK
2005 “A Moment In Time” Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, Dublin, Ireland
2005 “artbelowzero” Westbourne Studios, London, UK
2005 “MA Shows 05” Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK
2005 “American Elusive” Lounge Gallery, London, UK
2005 “Big Makes Me Feel Good” Triangle Space, London, UK
2004 “heartFELT” Northern Kentucky University Gallery, Highland Heights, KY
2003 “A Very American X-mas” The Mockbee Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2002 “StudioWorks II: Directors’ Choice” Reed Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2002 “DAAPWorks” University of Cincinnati Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Maselli, Giovanna. "A Casa Di Keith Haring." Urban Italia April 2010
Goodman, Wendy. "In the House of the Radiant Baby." New York Magazine
1 February 2010
Durrell, Jane. "Afterlifestyle Review." CityBeat 2 December 2008
Le Feurve, Lisa. “Gutter Dreams” 2006
“Lifting the Curtain.” Creative Week September 2006
Aitken, Clare. “A Private View.” Flaverpill LND September 2006
Gargano, Jason. “Playful Subversion: The Deceptive Art of Carlton Scott Sturgill.” CityBeat 10 November 2004
Bernzott, Julie. “Look Here!” CityBeat 3 November 2004
Gargano, Jason. “Headline: 1971-2003.” CityBeat 1 October 2003
