Scooter LaForge
American artist (born 1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scooter LaForge (born 1971) is an American artist based in New York's East Village.[2] He is a painter and sculptor, and has a line of clothing for Patricia Field and has collaborated with other fashion designers. LaForge's work is "inspired by the old masters, cute fluffy animals, and sometimes iconic cartoons,"[3] drawing from a number of pop culture and artistic references, ranging from Disney[4] and Popeye[5] to Keith Haring and Rembrandt.[6]
Scooter LaForge | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation | artist |
| Awards | Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant[1] |
| Website | scooter-laforge |
The New York Times has described his work as "recalling the Neo-Expressionism that was popular in the '80s, the manic Neo-Surrealism of George Condo, and the comics-to-graffiti-to-canvas style of Kenny Scharf."[4] Pop culture journalist Michael Musto has called him "my favorite living artist".[7]
Early life
LaForge was born Scooter James LaForge[8] in 1971 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.[5]
Work
LaForge earned a BFA from the University of Arizona in 1993,[5] and began his career as a painter in San Francisco.[6] He moved to New York City in 2001,[3] attending the Cooper Union School of Art under a fellowship.[9] His work is held in the collections of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art[10] and collector Beth Rudin DeWoody.[11]
LaForge has a line of hand-painted clothing sold through stylist Patricia Field.[12] He has twice collaborated with Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck.[13][14]
His clothing has been worn by Susanne Bartsch,[15] Sandra Bernhard,[16] Beyoncé,[9] Miley Cyrus,[6] Boy George,[3] Debbie Harry,[9] Nicki Minaj,[3] Madonna,[9] Iggy Pop,[3] Rihanna,[6] and Lil Wayne.[3]
Exhibitions
Solo
- 2002 – Suicidal Tendencies, Build, San Francisco
- 2003 – No Sleep till Brooklyn, Landing, Brooklyn
- 2004 – Magic, San Angel Folk Art Gallery, San Antonio
- 2005 – Combines, 12 Little West 12th Street Gallery, New York
- 2007 – Land of Enchantment, Kanvas Gallery, New York
- 2009
- Destroy All Monsters, Live Fast, New York
- Nature's Clown, Envoy Enterprises, New York
- New York Monster, Envoy Enterprises, New York
- New Paintings, La Petite Mort Gallery, Ottawa
- 2012 – Super Powers and Special Abilities, Munch Gallery, New York
- 2013 – Summer Love, Deluca Gallery, Provincetown
- 2015
- Travels with Johnny, Munch Gallery, New York
- New Paintings, Galerie MX, Montreal
- How to Create a Monsterpiece, Howl! Happening, New York
- 2016 – Everything's Going to Be OK, Theodore Art, Brooklyn
- 2017 – The Odyssey, Jealous Gallery, London
- 2019
- Creation of the Animals, Empirical Nonsense, New York
- Homo Eruptus, Howl! Happening, New York
- 2024 – Scooter LaForge: Enchanted Anarchies and Other Realities, Lesley Art + Design, Cambridge
- 2025 – LaForge, Sweetie! The Fashion Universe of Scooter LaForge, Lesley Art + Design, Cambridge
Group
- 2000 – Confess, Southern Exposure, San Francisco
- 2001 – Frenzy, The Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco
- 2004 – Reactions, Exit Art, New York
- 2005
- 4 x 4, Gallery Artopia, Albuquerque
- Wooster Projects, New York
- 2006
- Portraits for Marc Jacobs windows, New York
- Cooper Union Group Show, New York
- Scope Hampton, Stephanie Theodore, New York
- 2007
- Remember Jerome, Bucheon Gallery, San Francisco
- The Comic Uncanny, Shaheen Modern & Contemporary, Cleveland
- 2009
- The Thin Veil, Antebellum Gallery, Los Angeles
- Out of Order, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York
- 2010
- The Salacious Salon Pool Art Fair, Gershwin Hotel, New York
- Gasoline Rainbow, CS13, Cincinnati
- I See Myself in You, Bronx Art Space, Bronx
- Lingering Whispers, Crypt Gallery at St. Pancras Church, London
- Power to the People, Feature, Inc., New York
- Tom of Finland and Then Some, Feature, Inc., New York
- The London Biennale, Christopher Henry Gallery, New York
- 2011
- Wolfpack!, Splatterpool Artspace, Brooklyn
- Queer from Zero to a Hundred, theater for the New City Gallery, New York
- B-B-B-Bad, Anna Kustera Gallery, New York
- Tattoo You, Munch Gallery, New York
- Dirty Show, City Center Motel, Los Angeles
- I Am Not Monogamous, I Heart Poetry/Feature, Inc., New York
- 2012
- Flesh Garden, YESSR4, Buenos Aires
- Fountain Art Fair, Munch Gallery, New York
- Scooter LaForge/Christopher Moss, Theodore Art, Brooklyn
- Wolfpack: Manhattan to Manchester, Cube Gallery, Manchester
- 2013 – Downtown New York, Broome Street Gallery, New York
- 2014
- Boys Keep Swinging, Summerhall, Edinburgh
- Bibbidi-Bibbidi-Boo, Here Arts Center, New York
- Flesh Garden, La Petite Mort Gallery, Amsterdam
- Mad Maus, Gallery Hotel Particulier, New York
- Watermill Center Benefit Auction, Watermill
- Queer Biennial, Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles
- NEWD Art Fair, Bushwick, Bushwick
- SummerShow2014, Munch Gallery, New York
- 2015
- Interface, Leslie-Lohman Museum, New York
- Powerful Babies, Spritmuseum, Stockholm
- Drawings, Theodore Art, Brooklyn
- 2019
- ICYMI, Theodore Art, Brooklyn
- Stonewall 50/50, 1969 Gallery, New York
- Pride, Postmasters Gallery, New York
- 2020 – Dogs and Bones, Theodore Art, Brooklyn