John Hiltunen (Alum)

Born 1949, Sturgis, Kentucky; died 2020
Practiced at Creative Growth 2003—2020

In his early years in the Creative Growth Studio, John Hiltunen focused primarily on rug making, wood work, and ceramics. Hiltunen’s iconic collage work became a consistent artistic pursuit after participating in Paul Butler’s “Collage Party” in 2007.  His clever juxtapositions, which combine animal and human subjects derived from fashion and natural history magazines, are provocative in their humor and yet earnest in intention. Hiltunen practiced in the Creative Growth Studio until his death in 2020.

Hiltunen enjoyed wide-spread recognition for his collages, and developed a large body of work. His work was included in more than thirty exhibitions in just ten years, including John Hiltunen +1, organized by Matthew Higgs in 2012 at Paule Anglim Gallery, and a solo exhibition in 2017 at Good Luck Gallery in Los Angeles. Hiltunen received the prestigious Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Award in 2013, and Books for All Press published a monograph of his work. His work is included in Cindy Sherman’s personal collection. 

“I’ve never seen a bad collage by John. He was so gifted with these juxtapositions. He was one of the great collage artists of the modern era, along with [Kurt] Schwitters and Hannah Hoch. He had this extraordinary skill, talent, with what seemed to be quite limited materials, quite a reductive palette.”
- Matthew Higgs, Director of White Columns

En sus primeros años en el Estudio de Creative Growth, John Hiltunen se centró principalmente en la fabricación de alfombras, trabajos en madera y cerámica. El icónico trabajo de collage de Hiltunen se convirtió en una búsqueda artística constante después de participar en la "Fiesta de Collage" de Paul Butler en 2007. Sus ingeniosas yuxtaposiciones, que combinan temas animales y humanos derivados de revistas de moda e historia natural, son provocativas en su humor y, sin embargo, sinceras en su intención. Hiltunen practicó en el Estudio de Creative Growth hasta su muerte en el 2020.

Hiltunen disfrutó de un amplio reconocimiento por sus collages y desarrolló una gran cantidad de trabajo. Su trabajo se incluyó en más de treinta exposiciones en solo diez años, incluida John Hiltunen +1, organizada por Matthew Higgs en 2012 en la Galería Paule Anglim, y una exposición individual en 2017 en la Galería Good Luck en Los Ángeles. Hiltunen recibió el prestigioso Premio Bienal de la Fundación Louis Comfort Tiffany en el 2013, y Books for All Press publicó una monografía de su trabajo. Su obra está incluida en la colección personal de Cindy Sherman.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017
John Hiltunen, Good Luck Gallery, Los Angeles


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020
Felix Art Fair, Los Angeles
Inter-Avant-Garde, Roger Center for Fine Arts, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln

2018
New Art Dealers Alliance Fair, New York
San Francisco Art Book Fair, San Francisco
Art is for Everyone, Telegraph Hill Gallery, San Francisco
Issue 3, Good Luck Gallery, Los Angeles
The Other Film Festival, Melbourne

2016
Outside, Karma, Amagansett, New York, curated by Matthew Higgs
Nothing Compares to You, Riverview School, Cape Cod
Celebrating a Vision: Art and Disability, SFO Museum, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco
Valegro, Slide Space 123, Mills College, Oakland

2015
New Art Dealers Alliance Fair, Miami
Groupings, Park Life Gallery, San Francisco

2014
New Art Dealers Alliance Art Fair, Miami
Independent Art Fair (White Columns), New York

2013
Outsider Artists, Oakland Museum of California at the Oakland International Airport, curated by Philip Linhares
The Cat Show, White Columns, New York, curated by Rhonda Lieberman
Creative Growth, Park Life Gallery, San Francisco
Who’s Saree Now? San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival

2012
New Art Dealers Alliance Art Fair, Miami
Cutlog Art Fair, Paris
Independent Art Fair, New York
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Creative Growth, Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, curated by Amie Scally
Frieze New York Fair, New York
John Hiltunen +1, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, curated by Matthew Higgs

2011
New Art Dealers Alliance Art Fair, Miami
Extra Project, White Columns, New York
(e)merge Art Fair (White Columns), Washington D.C.