Jonathan Seliger
PROFILE
Jonathan Seliger demonstrates a deep respect for everyday objects, carefully and faithfully embodying the core values and techniques of Pop Art. His meticulous craftsmanship evokes the finish fetish movement(*) that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in the 1960s, while also reflecting a postmodern interest in simulacra.
After graduation of college Seliger started his artistic career with an art critique and a freelance curator. In the late 80’s he supported a particular artist at a gallery in New York.
Then he started to reconstruct every day objects to turn into a conceptual artist. His productions are intelligible and iconic, reflected by the essence of pop art in celebrity brand shopping bags, Chinese takeout containers, light bulbs, and milk cartoons. (*)The finish fetish movement—often referred to in Japanese as “shiage-fetish” —is characterized by an obsessive attention to extremely smooth and glossy surfaces. Artists associated with this movement used industrial materials such as acrylic, synthetic resin, and fiberglass to create works with sleek, polished finishes that blur the line between fine art and manufactured objects.
BIOGRAPHY
1955 Born in Brooklyn, NY
1978 B.A., State University of New York at Binghamton
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions (Selected):
2017 “Disappearing Fabric” McClain Gallery, Houston, USA
2012 Galerie Sho Contemporary Art, Tokyo
2010 “Spoils” Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
2010 “The Hard Way” Angles Gallery, Los Angeles
2006 “Now & Then” Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
2005 “Born to Shop” Barbara Krakow Gallery, Boston, USA
2005 “Jonathan Seliger” Galerie Sho Contemporary Art, Tokyo
2004 “Politeness Counts” Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, USA
2004 “Politeness Counts” Tang Teaching Museum, New York
2003 “Spree” McClain Gallery, Houston, USA
2002 “As Is,” Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
2001 “Personal Shopper” Angles Gallery, Los Angeles
2000 Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
2000 Studio La Citta, Verona, Italy
1999 Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
1996 Studio La Citta, Verona, Italy
Group Exhibitions (Selected):
2025 Two-person exhibition by Kenji Misawa and Jonathan Seliger “Material and Substance” Sho+1, Tokyo
2022 “Illusion of Reality” GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS FOAM COMTEMPORARY, Tokyo
2022 “ART FAIR TOKYO 2022” Sho+1, Tokyo
2021 “ART FAIR TOKYO 2021” Sho+1, Tokyo
2020 “artTNZ” Sho+1, Tokyo
COLLECTIONS
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
OFFICIAL LINK