Video directed by Austen Deery.
CONTACT
Hans Neleman neleman@mac.com 917 673 5544
RESUMÉ
Hans Neleman (American, 1960) is a Dutch-born artist. Neleman studied fine art at Goldsmiths University in London, England. He holds a Bachelor degree in Film and Photography, and a Master of Arts from New York University.
Hans Neleman’s highly individual assemblages draw inspiration from taboos, morbid beauty and the transfiguration of found objects. Neleman focuses on the harmony of opposites as a fundamental part of his imagery, he juxtaposes the vital and the mortal, the myth and the modern tale. While referring at times to dark motifs, the work is also affectingly intriguing, endowed with erotic symbolism and infused with emotional qualities that we recognize immediately as inherent to the human condition. Deeply interested in semiotics and its related disciplines, and a master assembler and conjuror of images, associations and feelings, Neleman reclaims, scrutinizes, and skillfully melds styles, cultures, eras, and emotive states of being into extraordinary works of art. According to The National Book Review his work invites comparison with the art of Beuys, Duchamp, Cornell, Schwitters and Rauschenberg.
Early in his career, Neleman was known as one of New York City’s leading edge still life art photographers and was highly regarded internationally in the commercial and advertising arena. His accolades include Kodak Photographer of the Year and American Photographer Magazine Photographer of the Year. In 2006 he was awarded the Hasselblad Master title and he is the recipient of the World Image Award for Still Life Photography. Neleman returned to New York University to teach part-time classes in Art and Art Education from 1993-1995 and taught at the School of Visual Arts in 1999 and 2000. Three monographs of his artwork have been published. Moko: Maori Tattoo (1999) was featured at the Biennale de Lyon, France, in 2000 and 2015. Body Politics, Maori Tattoo Today was exhibited in 2009 at The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. Silence (2000) a collection of his large format still life work was first shown at the Visual Arts Museum, New York City. Night Chicas (2003) an exposé about prostitution in Guatemala, was launched with a one-man show at Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York City. Critic A. D. Coleman named Neleman, “A noteworthy addition to Susan Meiselas, Noboyushi Araki and others who have produced substantial bodies of work on sex workers.” Ken Johnson of The New York Times reviewed his work as “stunning, powerfully theatrical and visually lush.”
Hans Neleman’s illustrious career has spanned 30 years. His visual instincts, coupled with artistic sophistication, have produced a serious body of work that is part of many private and public collections, including the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the Peabody Museum, Massachusetts, the Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon, France, the Saint Joseph Art Museum, Connecticut, Norwalk Community College Art Collection, Connecticut, and the Housatonic Museum of Art, Connecticut. His solo shows include Art Projects International, New York City, Schneider Gallery, Chicago, Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York City, and Anita Rogers Gallery, New York City.
In the last three years Neleman’s artistic journey continued as he made a shift to painting and assemblage art. The transition of medium has resulted in the creation of exuberant mixed media works on canvas, wood, and aluminum signs. It ranges from two and three-dimensional work to installations. Neleman’s new artistic manifestations show his ability to create innovative original contemporary art based on years of artistic enquiry.
Renowned art advisor, collector and Whitney Museum patron Thea Westreich describes Neleman’s assemblage work as, “embedded with a unique and original vocabulary, from where abstract and intuitive visual narratives and associations flow with poetic rawness.”
Neleman’s assemblages inhabit the space between abstraction and representation. His “Portraits” are an amalgamation of elements pulled from disparate sources, masterfully re-appropriated, assembled with a sharp sense of sculpture, and combined with found images. These orchestrations become an engaging visual duel, between the perception of the actual objects, and the concept of the image created. This charges the work with unlimited metaphysical potential. His “Abstractions” are hand torn and cut paper and fabric, a raw merging of layered, jagged and expressive patterning, mounted and adhered to canvas, wood, or aluminum. Neleman further marks these collages with oil paint and oil crayons, creating and articulating a sensitivity of line and shape that is often charged with erotic intrigue and an appreciation of the male and female form. The surfaces have the capability to transcend materiality, yet are tactile and textural, treated and stained to create patinas that go through various stages and metamorphoses before reaching completion.
Enriching Neleman’s works are multiple layers: a rich personal history, a passion for travel and collecting, an understanding of psychological drama and visual tension, and an undeniable artistic refinement.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2023 PARLOR GALLERY, PLAYLIST group show, September 2-October 16, Asbury Park, New Jersey
2023 HISTORY ON HOLD, Anderson Contemporary, solo exhibition, July 19-September 22, New York, New York
2023 ART PROJECTS INTERNATIONAL, 30 YEARS group show: March 10-May 20, New York, New York
2022 RIPPED Jean Jacobs Gallery, solo exhibition, October 12-November 15, New Canaan, Connecticut
2022 ZYNKA Gallery, HEADSPACE July 9-August 28, two person show, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2022 MoCA, ‘PUNK IS COMING’ March 26-June 5 - group show, Museum of Contemporary Art, Westport, Connecticut
2021 BEAUTY IS TRUTH Jean Jacobs Gallery, solo exhibition, New Canaan, Connecticut
2020 Saint Joseph Art Museum, solo exhibition, West Hartford, Connecticut
2018 CUSP/NYC Gallery, group show, Brooklyn, New York
2017 Anita Rogers Gallery, solo exhibition, New York, New York
2017 Anita Rogers Gallery, group show, New York, New York
2017 Natural History Museum Los Angeles County, Los Angeles
2016 Lumière de L’Aube - Musee d’art contemporain de Lyon, France
2016 Royal Ontario Museum, Canada
2016 Field Museum, Chicago
2015 Biennale de Lyon, France
2015 Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, France
2014 Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France
2014 Musée Géo Charles, Echirolles, France
2013 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
2009 Peabody Essex Museum, solo exhibition, Salem, Massachusetts
2003 Ricco/Maresca Gallery, solo exhibition, New York, New York
2000 Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, France
2000 Biennale de Lyon, France
1999 Holland Festival, Netherlands
1999 Cultura De Nuevo León y Drexel Galeria, Solo exhibition, Mexico
1998 Tabakman Gallery, solo exhibition, New York, New York
1995 Schneider Gallery, solo exhibition, Chicago
1994 Art Projects International, solo exhibition, New York, New York
1993 Eton Gallery Detroit, solo exhibition, Michigan
1991 Visual Arts Museum, solo exhibition, New York, New York
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
The Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon, France. National Gallery of Australia, The Peabody Museum Massachusetts, Saint Joseph Art Museum, Connecticut, Norwalk Community College Art Collection, Connecticut, Housatonic Museum, Connecticut.
INSTALLATIONS
ESQUIRE ARTICLE JANUARY 2019
“Hans Neleman was known as one of the leading New York photographers in the still life genre. In recent years, Neleman’s artistic passions have developed in the direction of painting and assemblage (a technique of visual art related to a collage, but using three-dimensional details or whole objects arranged on a plane like a painting. –Esquire) The mixing of techniques led to the creation of works using canvas, wood, aluminum, paper, fabric and oil paint. The works of Neleman have multi-layered content: a rich personal history with a passion for travel and collecting, an understanding of the psychological drama and apparent contradictions of this world, as well as a desire for artistic excellence.”
SELECTED PRESS
New York Times, NPR, Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Financial Times, Esquire, Harpers, The Face,
New Zealand Times, New Zealand Herald, NRC Handelsblad, Le Journal des Arts, Communication Arts, Graphis,
Photo District News, American Photo, British Journal of Photography, MTV Cool People, American Photographer Magazine
and more.
AWARDS
2016 ArtSlant – Prize Showcase Winner, Mixed Media
Art Registry World Grant – Runner Up
2006 Hasselblad Master Awards – Master Title
2004 Photo Annual PDN Best Books of the Year: Night Chicas
2003 Visual Merchandising and Display Awards – Annual Award
SONY – First Place
2000 Picture of the Year POYi – Award of Excellence, for Newsweek Magazine
1999 The Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Magazine Photography – Finalist
Graphis Design – Gold Award
1998 Image Bank Award – $25,000 Grant for Visual Excellence
Graphis Design – Gold Award
Graphis Digital Photo – Gold Award
1997 CLIO Award – Certificate of Excellence
The American Advertising Award (ADDY) – Best of Print Advertising
PANL Award from the Photo Association of the Netherlands
PDN Photo and Design Award – Gold Award and Merit Award
PDN Self Promotion – First Place
PDN Brochure – Merit Award
Communication Arts – Jury Selection Award
Worldfest Houston – Silver Award
American Institute of Graphic Arts – Certificate of Excellence
Applied Arts Annual Award, Art Directors Club – Special Nomination
1996 NIKON/PDN – Gold Award, Silver Award and Merit Award
Graphis Advertising – Merit Award
Communication Arts – Merit Award
1995 Internet Advertising – IAC Award
Graphis Alternative Photography – Merit Award
Worldfest Charleston – Gold Award and Silver Award
The New York Festivals International TV & Cinema Advertising Competition – Finalist
The New York Festivals – Finalist
1994 3-Dimensional Art Directors and Illustrators Award Show – Bronze Award
The New York Festivals – Silver Award and Finalist
The New York Festivals Television Programming and Promotion Awards – Bronze Award
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Graphis Poster – Merit Award
Graphis Annual Reports – Merit Award
Photo/Design Magazine – Gold Award, Merit Award
Worldfest Charleston – Silver Award
1993 World Image Award SINAR – Still Life Photographer of the Year
Billboard Billie Awards – Gold Award
American Photography – Merit award
Graphis Poster – Merit Award
Photo/Design Magazine – Finalist
Studio Magazine – Merit Award
Worldfest Houston – Silver Award
1992 The Creative Black Book – Award of Excellence
Advertising Photographers of America – Merit Award
AFAEP (UK) Award – Merit
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Creativity 1992 – Certificate of Distinction
Graphis Photo – Merit
The New York Festivals – Bronze Award and Merit Award
Photo/Design Magazine – Gold Award
Society of Publication Designers – Merit Award
Studio Magazine – Silver Award
1991 Broadcast Designers Association – Silver Award
Advertising Photographers of America – Merit Award
The Art Directors Club – Merit Award
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Creativity 1991 – Certificate of Distinction
The New York Festivals – Gold Award and Silver Award
NIKON/PDN – First Place
American Institute of Graphic Arts the CG Show – Certificate of Excellence
1990 CLIO Award – Best Public Service Campaign
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Graphis Photo – Merit Award
NIKON/PDN – First Place and Third Place
Photo/Design Magazine – Silver Award
Society of Publication Designers – Merit Award
Studio Magazine – Silver Award
1989 AFAEP (UK) Awards – Gold Award
American Photography – Merit Award
Art Directors Club – Award of Excellence
Art Direction Magazine - Certificate of Distinction
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Graphis Photo – Merit Award
1988 AFAEP (UK) Awards – Silver and Merit Award and Special Jury Mention
American Photography – Merit Award
Annual Report 100 – Best Photography Award
Art Directors Club – Merit Award
Art Horizons – Certificate of Excellence
Calumet Award – Second Place and Certificate of Recognition
CEBA Creative Excellence in Business Awards – Merit Award
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Graphis Photo – Merit Award
International Art Competition New York – Certificate of Excellence
International Film & Television Festival – Finalist
NIKON/PDN – Second Place
Society of Publication Designers – Exhibition Winner
Studio Magazine – Merit Award
1987 American Photographer – Photographer of the Year Award
NIKON/PDN – Award for Best Overall Marketing Campaign
American Photography – Merit Award
Communication Arts – Award of Excellence
Graphis Photo – Merit Award
1982 Kodak (UK) – Photographer of the Year Award
ARCHIVE
For the prestigious exposé in Graphis magazine Hans Neleman was photographed, at the age of 28, by portrait legend Arnold Newman.
STYLE ICON
In the ‘Style Icon’ section of the Financieel Dagblad (Dutch Financial Times) Neleman talks about his solo art exhibition, his favorite Soho restaurant RAOUL’S, David Bowie’s eyepatch, his Dries van Noten scarfs, and Richard Gere’s compliment on his skinny tie.
