Scott Sherk Bio and CV

BIO
Scott Sherk is a sculptor who often works with sound and video. He has exhibited widely including exhibitions at the Katonah Museum of Art, the Allentown Art Museum, the Kim Foster Gallery NYC, and the Leslie Cecil Gallery NYC. His exhibitions have been favorably reviewed by the New York Times and ArtForum. His sound work has been released on CD by 3Leaves, and/OAR, and net releases by Stasisfield and Wandering Ear.

Scott Sherk was a Professor of Art at Muhlenberg College. He has been a recipient of the Class of ’32 Research Chair and twice recipient of the Hoffman Research Fellowship. He currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus.

ARTIST STATEMENT
Some years ago I bought an MP3 player that also had a record function. On a whim, I started making recordings of ambient, empty spaces. I was startled to find that these recordings contained spatial cues, and they suggested tangible, inhabitable spaces. Sound was something that could shape space!
For me, sculpture has increasingly become the art of space. I have long been interested in perception and its possibilities of being a subject and an end in itself. The great postwar sculptor, Albert Giacometti made visible the relationship between one body and another through the dissolution of form to the very edge of perception. Robert Irwin, contemporary painter, sculptor and gardener, has done the same with objects that have skimmed the edge of the visible concentrating on light and space—not objects. It has become my interest to bypass the object altogether and highlight other cues of spatial reference— specifically sound-- to generate and manipulate representations of space. My work continues to be sculpture: it manipulates space.
My research has taken different directions. I have become interested in creating containers of variable spaces—empty spaces that contain no visual material only sound. On the other hand I have been exploring the relationship of movement to represent space. These works use often multi-channel sound in which the viewer/listener moves through an immersive environment. Sometimes sensors trigger the sound. I am also interested in creating a sensitivity to environmental sound, its potential as a design resource, and its impact on our lives.

CV

Installations

2024 - Nature In(m)Balance - with Pat Badt, TurnPark, West Stockbridge, MA

2022-23 — Art in Unexpected Places - Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA

2019 -- Route 22 Haiku, with Pat Badt, Soft Machine Gallery, Allentown, PA

2017-18 -- SonanceZoellner - Sound installation Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA

2017 -- Edges | Transitions, with Pat Badt -- Suzanne Arnold Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Anville, PA

2016 -- Som + Cor, with Pat Badt, Evoramonte Castle, Evoramonte, Portugal

2015 -- Steel Stele, Grossman Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA

2015 -- Past/Present: Conversations across Time, Allentown Museum of Art

2014 -- The Pigpen II: Experimental Art at Mayfair, Allentown, PA

2013 -- “Drones”, Fuse at the Cigar Factory, Allentown, PA

2013 – The Pigpen: Experimental Art at Mayfair, Allentown, PA

2012 – “Intersection”, in collaboration with Pat Badt, The Lab, NY, NY

2010 – “The Katonah Sound Project: Ambient Map”, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY

2010 – “23 Fountains of Beverly Hills”, Audio Visual Arts Gallery, NY, NY

2007 – “blues”, in collaboration with Pat Badt, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA

2006 – sound = space, site specific sound work in Serious Business, Bethlehem, PA

2003-4- “Point, Line, Plane”, a collaboration with Pat Badt, Lafayette College, Easton, PA

2002- “The Bunker Project”, Muhlenberg College Center for the Arts

2001- “2000 People Missing All of them Different, 2000 Sculptures All of them Different”, a campus collaboration, Muhlenberg College

2000- “Range: An installed environment”, in collaboration with Pat Badt, Axis @ Marshall Arts, Memphis. TN

1999 - “Clouded Drawing”, in collaboration with Pat Badt, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University

1997- “HorizonLines”, in collaboration with Pat Badt, Kim Foster Gallery, NY, NY

1997- “Hut View”, in collaboration with Pat Badt, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY

1996 - “Polite Sources”, Frank Martin Gallery, Muhlenberg College

1992-93--"Sighting the Gallery", in collaboration with Joel Sanders, Artists Space, New York, NY

1992 -- "Reception" In collaboration with Joel Sanders, Dooley Le Capellaine , New York, NY

1991 -- Installation, Morris Arboretum, The Official Arboretum of the Commonwealth of PA, curated by Edward Fry

1988 -- "Project 2", in collaboration with Joel Sanders, Art at the Anchorage, Creative Time, Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage

1987 -- "Columns", in collaboration with Joel Sanders, Memorial Arch, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY

Sound Projects

2021 - Muted Sounds, CD and/41, and/OAR

2020 - “Black Lives Matter”, La Llamada, Bahia[in]sonora and Ferrowhite workshop Museum

2019 -- FLK Soundscape Symposium, presentation of sound work, San Cesario di Lecce, Italy

2017 -- Alentejo, limited edition CD, 3Leaves

2015 -- http://www.mutesound.org/1_minute_project/1-minute-autohypnosis-29th-cd/

2015 -- Framework500, CD, www.frameworkradio.net

2015 -- radioCona presentation and broadcast, Ljubljama, Slovenia

2014 -- Sounding Cities -- listening room, Viseu, Portugal

2012 – “New York Glyptic”, CD release on 3Leaves

2012 – Curated “Ed Osborn, Standing Wave”, Martin Art Gallery, Allentown, PA

2011 – “Overheard and Rendered 2”, joint CD release with Eric Cordier, and/OAR, Seattle, WA

2011 – Phonography Meeting – unprocessed field recording concert, Presents Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2011 – “Exquisite Corpse”, Soundfjord Gallery, London, England

2010 – “Katonah Sound Project (Prelude)” presented by Soundfjord at Dragonfly Festival, Sweden

2010 – “The Transparency Project”, 3” CD with original art, 3Leaves

2010 – Curated “Sound in Space” with Annea Lockwood, Seth Cluett, Steve Peters, Steve Roden, Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College

2010 – 23 Fountains of Beverly Hills, full length release on www.stasisfield.com

2009 – Giant Ear, 24 Hour Recordings curated for Free103point9.org http://archive.free103point9.org/2009/06/giantear_053109.mp3

2009 – Featured on The Sound of Noise, Weekday, KUOW, Seattle, WA podcast www.kuow.org

2008 – icelandic air, full length release on Wandering Ear http://www.wanderingear.com/we009.html

2007 – “Melt”, one track on Wandering Ear compilation http://www.wanderingear.com/we005.html

2006-7-The Sound of Ice and Snow, two tracks, Gruenrekorder, http://www.gruenrekorder.de

2006 – Das Kleine Field Recording Festival, Festival to Go, Factory, Berlin. http://www.factory-berlin.de/das-kleine-field-recordings-festival/

2006 – One Minute Vacation, featured week of July 31, 2006, http://www.quietamerican.org/vacation.html

2006 – Symbiosis—Experimental Sound Textures and Rhythms, www.rrr.org.au, August 9, 2006

2005 – Sonda, Zeppelin Festival, Barcelona, Spain

2005 – Sound Café, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland, curated by James Wyness

Selected One-Person Shows

2016-2017-- Sound Shadows, Fox Gallery NYC, NY, NY

2013—Scott Sherk: Surround – Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College

2011 – “Scott Sherk: Mapping Sound” – Downtown Gallery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2008 – “Walking: sound and sculpture,” Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

2005- Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, Haverford College, Haverford, PA

2005- “Steel Solitudes”, Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

2001- “Borrowed Light”, Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

1996- “Empty Spaces”, Allentown Museum of Art, Allentown, PA

1995 - Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, Haverford College, Haverford, PA ,1995

1991-93 -- Morris Arboretum, The Official Arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, curated by Edward Fry

1990 -- Frank Martin Gallery, Muhlenberg College

1987 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, New York, NY

1986 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, New York, NY

1985 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, New York, NY

1984 -- Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Alberta, Canada

Selected Group Shows

2022-- Out of Pennsylvania - Kent State - Stark, Canton, Ohio

2020 -- Plain & Fancy, the Painting Center, New York City

2019 -- Transport, (including Route 22 Haiku), Soft Machine Gallery, Allentown, PA

2017 -- Experimentation/ Improvisation -- Miller Gallery, Kutztown University

2017 -- Reformation Reformed, Concordia Gallery, Concordia University, Minneapolis, MN

2016 -- Notes From Malta, Marshall Arts, Memphis TN

2014 -- L’Ventura -- Kim Foster Gallery, NY, NY

2013 – Paths: Charting Navigating Bridging, Simons Center Art Gallery, SUNY Stony Brook

2009 – The American Scene – Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE

2009 – Material/Immaterial, School of the Arts, SUNY Genoseo, Genoseo, NY

2008- “Gallery Goulash”, Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

2007- “GeoPhonoBox: Sonic Surveys of Place”, Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, IL

2007- “On Ice”, Williams Center for the Arts Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA sound installation w/ Pat Badt painting

2006- “Ex-urbia”, Kim Foster Gallery, NY, NY sound installation w/ Pat Badt paintings

2005- “Collectors Gallery”, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

2005- “Drawings, Figures and New Work—Sherk and Tuttle”, Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA

2005- Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

2004- Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

2003- “Selections from the Permanent Collection”, Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

2001- “Black and White”, Kim Foster Gallery, New York, NY

1999 - ” Local Color”, Frank Martin Gallery

1998 - “Small Works” Hunterton Museum of Art

1995 - “Contradictory Conclusions” The Gallery at Northampton, curated by Rhonda Wall

1995 - “Invitational” New Arts Program, Kutztown

1994 -- "Pat Badt and Scott Sherk", Tezukayama College, Nara, Japan

1992 -- "Gallery" Dooley Le Cappellaine, New York, NY

1991-2 -- "Hard Choices/ Just Rewards", Blair Art Museum, Hollidaysburg, PA travels through state of PA

1991 -- "Forms of Allusion" Soho Center for the Visual Arts, NY, NY.

1991 -- "Lumia", Open Space Gallery, Allentown, PA

1991 -- "Light and Shadow", Regeneration, Easton, PA

1989 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, NY,NY

1988-89- "Bearings", Parsons School of Design, Princeton University School of Architecture

1988 -- Big Sculpture For Big Spaces-- Art at the Anchorage, Creative Time, Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage

1987 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, NY, NY

1987 -- Installation (site specific) Memorial Arch, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY

1987 -- Lehigh Valley Arts Project, Easton, PA

1986 -- "Art and Illusion", Anchorage Museum of Art and History, Anchorage, Alaska

1986 -- "Agostini, Sherk, Silver, Cairns, Gagnier", Leslie Cecil Gallery, NY, NY.

1986 -- "Shadows and Projections", McGoverns Bar, New York, NY

1986 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, NY, NY

1986 -- "Sculptors Drawings", Nohra Haime Gallery, NY, NY

1985 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, NY, NY

1985 -- "Light/Heavy Light", U.C. Davis Memorial Union Gallery, Davis, CA

1985 -- Installation, Sculpture Center, NY, NY_

1984 -- "On Relief", 80 Washington Square East Galleries, NY, NY

1984 -- "Drawings", Sculpture Center, NY, NY

1984 -- Leslie Cecil Gallery, NY, NY

1984 -- "WaterFront Art", Federal Court House, NY, NY

1984 -- Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

1983 -- "Selections 23", The Drawing Center, New York, NY

1983 -- "Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Exhibition", Brooklyn, NY

Grants

2008 -- Summer Research Grant, Muhlenberg College

2006 – Summer Research Grant, Muhlenberg College

1995 - Summer Research Grant, Muhlenberg College

1993-4 Academic Sabbatical in Nara, Japan

1991 -- PA Council on the Arts, Individual Artist Grant

1990 -- Faculty Research Grant, Muhlenberg College

1989 -- New York State Council on the Arts, Project Grant

1989 -- Faculty Research Grant, Muhlenberg College

1988 -- Creative Time, Inc., Art at the Anchorage project funding

1988 -- Materials for the Arts, New York, NY

1987 -- Faculty Research Grant, Muhlenberg College

1982 -- Artist-in-Schools Grant, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

1980-81 -- Artist-in-Schools Grant, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Collections

Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC

Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA

Haverford College, Haverford, PA

Awards and Residencies

2022 - Skagafjordur Iceland, August

2019 - Artist in Residence, American Academy in Rome, Sept-Oct

2016 - Residency, OBRAS Foundation, Portugal, August 2016

2015 - Residency, OBRAS Foundation, Portugal, August 2015

2015 - Residency, St. James Center for Creativity, Malta, September

2014 - Residency, VCCA, Amherst, Virginia, January

2011 - Residency, Bau Institute, Otranto, Italy, June

2008 - Residency, SIM; The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists, Iceland, August

2008-9 - Hoffman Research Fellowship, Muhlenberg College

2002 - Empie Award, Muhlenberg College

1996-7 - Class of ‘32 Research Chair, Muhlenberg College

1993 - I.D. The International Design Magazine Environments Award (with Joel Sanders)

1992-3 - Hoffman Research Fellowship, Muhlenberg College, 1992-93

1998 - Robert C. Williams Award for Scholarly and Creative Excellence

1987 - First Prize-- Artemide Lighting Design Competition (with Joel Sanders)

Education

1975 -- Haverford College, B.A. with Honors in Fine Arts

1976-77--New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture

1980 -- University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Fine Arts, M.F.A.

Professional Experience

Currently- Professor Emeritus, Muhlenberg College

2013-2014 – Chair of Department

2003- 2007- Chair of Art Department

2000-2016- Muhlenberg College, Professor of Art

1992-2000- Muhlenberg College, Associate Professor of Art

1985-1992 -- Muhlenberg College, Assistant Professor of Art

Bibliography

ARTFORUM, Scott Sherk at Kim Foster Gallery, review by Lisa Turvey, March, 2008

The New York Times, review by Ken Johnson, Friday, May 8, 2001.

Sculpture Magazine, review by Tom Csaszar, September-October, 1995

Philadelphia Inquirer, “Haverford exhibit explores visual sensation”, Sunday, June 4, 1995

The Morning Call, “Contradictory Conclusions is study in contrasts”, Sunday, March 26, 1995

I.D. The International Design Magazine, The 39th Annual Design Review, "Sighting the Gallery", July August 1993

Philadelphia Inquirer, "A myth molded in metal at Morris Arboretum", August 9, 1991

Channel 2, Tokyo, "New York Underground", June 1988

The New York Times, "Bridge as art gallery", June 10, 1988

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Review, Victoria Donahoe, October 29, 1987

ArtNews, "Gabo's Progeny" by Cynthia Nadelman, December 1987.

Art and Illusion, Exhibition Catalogue, Ann M. FitzGibbons, Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage, Alaska, 1986

American Craft, "Shadow in the Visual Arts, by Frances Butler, February/March 1985

ArtNews, "Waterfront Art", by Sara Cecil, September, 1984.

Gallery, September/October, 1984, Southern Alberta Art Gallery

Light/Heavy Light, Contemporary Shadow Use in the Visual Arts, Frances Butler, Poltrone Press, 1985

The New York Times, Review, Michael Brenson,

March 29, 1985

THE THIRD BARN

THE THIRD BARN