George Bolster
“We need to plan the infinity of our Culture”
The central core of my practice is an examination of belief systems. My skepticism about these systems, political, socialist, or capitalist, is contrasted by his fascination with and exploration of conviction. In my work I research the power of visual culture, continually and discreetly employed throughout recorded history by a variety of power structures.
Since beginning the SETI Institute residency researching at NASA Ames I have become obsessed with the question of who will save Culture, and systems for making it possible? According to Stephen Hawkins, the damage we have inflicted on the planet means we have approximately 100 years left. I am researching the work of scientists like Mae Jamison who are trying to develop intergalactic travel in the next hundred years in order to save our species, and Jill Tarter whose life was immortalized by Carl Sagan in his novel Contact. I became conscious that the art objects he makes may not survive, which changes our sense of art being conservable, and somehow immortal.
I am interested in pointing or theorizing new systems and moving away from conditioning and our attachment to ritual and tradition.
Solo Exhibitions
2020 We Are Tearing At The Fabric Of Your Reality, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland (Forthcoming)
2019 The Moon McMoons, and The Moon Museum, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork, Ireland (September – November)
2018 Towards a Universal Sublime, Galeria HIT, Bratislava, Slovakia
2016 Archive for an Unmade Narrative, CPI/21st St. Projects, NYC, US
2015 Amazement Insulates Us All/Memento Vivere, (Duo) The Lab Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
2014 Un/natural History, La Nuit Blanche, Commissioned Installation, Toronto, CA
2013 Future Imperfect (part 3), Monster Truck Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
2010 Sociodesic, Galway Arts Centre, Galway City, Ireland
2009 High on Christ, Chung King Project, Los Angeles, California, USA
2008 Chiesa Dei Miracoli, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork City, Ireland
United In Suffering, Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick, Ireland
2006 Overcome by Heavenly Music, Ballina Arts Centre, Mayo, Ireland
2005 Eye of the Needle, Pallas Heights Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Group Exhibitions
2019 Music +Maker, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland
2018 Elsewhere, Ulterior, NYC, USA
In The Future, Collyer Bristow Gallery, London, UK
Seven Senses, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY, USA
2017 We Need To Talk…, Petzel, NYC, USA
CF, The Research Pavillion, Venice, Italy
2016 Making Contact, NUMU, New Museum, Los Gatos, CA, USA
Et si on s’était trompé?, FE McWilliam Gallery, Down, Northern Ireland
Traveling to: Leitrim Sculpture Center, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim; Wexford Art Center, Co, Wexford; West Cork Arts Center, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Kenosis in the Supervoid, Station Independent, NYC, USA
2015 SEACHANGE Tulca, Festival of Visual Arts, Galway City, Ireland
Et si on s’était trompé? Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, France
Red/Orange Fruit, Traveling Film program: Oklahoma Contemporary, MARFA Contemporary
2014 /Seconds, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Out To Sea, South St. Seaport, Festival, NYC, USA
Irish Art Does Not Exist, Station Independent, NYC, USA
Anomie: Fractured Art Norms, Dowd Gallery, Cortland, SUNY, NY, USA
2012 Other Drawings, Ormston House, Limerick Ireland
2011 Drawing Biennial, Drawing Room, London, UK
2010 These Days: Elegies for Modern Times, MASS MoCA, Massachusetts, USA
Bizarre Bazaar, Pallas Contemporary Projects, Dublin, Ireland
2009 Drawing Biennial, The Drawing Room, London, UK
These Days: Elegies for Modern Times, Mass MoCA, Massachusetts, USA
Malibu Contemporary Art Fair, Los Angeles, California, USA
2008 Darkness Visible, Galway Arts Centre, Ireland
(travelled) Limerick City Gallery and Belltable Gallery, Limerick, Ireland
2007 Urban Gothic, Café Gallery Projects at Dilston Grove, London, UK
LA in New York Art fair, Chung King Projects, New York, USA
Drawing 07, The Drawing Room, London, UK
Cead Invited, 411 Gallery, Shanghai, China
2006 Flip, Chung King Projects, Los Angeles, USA (curated by The Drawing Room, UK)
Urban Gothic, Quartair, The Hague, Netherlands
I.D. Check, Robert Smith Lab Gallery, Manhattan, USA (curated by Matt Garrison)
Everything Must Go, VTO Gallery, London, UK (curated by Jari Lager)
Multiplicity, Market House Gallery, Monaghan, Ireland
2005 Passing Through, Glucksman Gallery, Cork (curated by Patrick T Murphy)
Claremorris Open 2005, Mayo Ireland (selected by Andrea Schlieker)
E+VA, Limerick City Gallery, Ireland (curated by Dan Cameron, Prospect 1)
Past and Present, Greyfriars Municipal Gallery, Waterford, Ireland
Drawing 200, The Drawing Room, London, UK
Damaged Collateral, Context Gallery, Derry, Northern Ireland
Multiplicity (travelling), Context Gallery, Derry, Roscommon Arts Centre, Ireland
Bling Bling Ka-ching, Pickled Art Centre, Beijing, China
2004 Multiplicity, Fota House Museum, Cork City, Ireland
Abra Cadaver, Here Arts Centre, New York, USA
2003 Brewster Project, Brewster, New York, USA
Certain Conditions, The Waterfront Gallery, Belfast
2002 No Sleep Til Hammersmith, Central Space, London, UK
2001 Record Collection, VTO Gallery, London, UK (traveling)
The International 3 Gallery, Manchester;
Forde Espace D‚art Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland
2000 Exit, Chisenhale Gallery, London
1998 Motherlode, City Racing, London
Awards
2017/18 SHIFT Residency at Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, NYC, US
Alumni Residency Award from Rauschenberg Foundation, NY, US
2015 Artist in Residence, SETI Institute, researching at NASA Ames, California, US, 2016-2018
2013/14 Rauschenberg Residency, Captiva Island, Florida, United States
2011 International Artist Residency, Firestation Studios, Dublin, Ireland
2010 Bursary Award from The Arts Council of Ireland
2009 Commission from Mass MoCA, Massachusetts, United States
Selected Bibliography
2018 Towards A Universal Sublime, (book with essay by curator Sara Reisman and interview with curator/writer Denise Markonish)
2016 An Image of Ireland, Imago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection (book)
2011 Creative Ireland: The Visual Arts (book)
2010 Sociodesic, Catalogue, Galway Arts Centre, Ireland (Cat)
2008 i-podism: Cultural Promiscuity in the Age of Consumption, Tulca 2008 (Cat)
2008 Chiesa Dei Miracoli, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Ireland (Cat)
2007 Charles Darwent, Urban Gothic, CGP, London, UK (Cat)
2007 Pallas Heights 2003–2007, essay by Elyse Gonzales, ICA Philadelphia
2006 /Seconds, Online Publication, University of Leicester (online publication)
Press
2019 Arte Fuse, Review of Elsewhere at Ulterior Gallery, NYC by Jonathan Goodman
2016 Enclave Review, Memento Vivere: Amazement Insulates Us All, by Rebecca O’Dwyer
2016 The Irish Times, Review by Aidan Dunne: Memento Vivere: Amazement Insulates Us All works by Damian Doyle and George Bolster.
2012 Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times, Other Drawings
2010 Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times, Sociodesic, Galway Arts Centre
Visual Arts Ireland Newsheet, (interview) On Artists Experience at Mass MoCA
2009 Sebastian Smee, Mournful Reflections, Boston Globe
2008 Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times
2006 David Shariatmadari, Contemporary Magazine, Drawing Issue no.83
Melissa Lo, LA Weekly 24/07/06
Regina Gleeson, Circa Magazine 116, Summer 2006
Slavka Sverakova, Circa Magazine 115, Spring 2006
2005 Aiden Dunne, Irish Times, 09/11/2005
Patrick T. Murphy, Passing Through, Glucksman Gallery
2003 Linda Dennis – NYARTS Magazine International Edition, Vol
8 no.6-8,
Art.ie Magazine, Northern Ireland Arts Council,
(Artist of the month cover) March
2002 Helen Sumpter – Hot Tickets Magazine, Evening Standard,
Michael Bateman – Space Cooks – Sunday Review, Independent on
2001 Mike Dawson – Fauxlife – Flux Magazine, June-July
Cloe Kensing – Fauxlife – Going Out Section, Evening Standard
27th June
Nina Caplan – Metro 28th June.