John Geldersma

John Geldersma (born October 16, 1942, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is known for his wooden sculptures of, what he calls, "contemporary tribalism".[1]

Life

Geldersma earned a BFA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then known as University of Southwestern Louisiana) and a MFA from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. The artist has cited his early immersion in the intersection of such divergent cultures as French, Spanish, African-American, Caribbean, Anglo-Saxon and Native American as a major influence on his art.[2] Geldersma divides his time between his native Louisiana and Colorado.

Works

Geldersma began carving totems and masks in 1970, inspired by African art.

His Spirit Poles are carved, smooth, minimalist, vertical, wooden poles with tapered ends, usually three or more feet long, some on bases.[3] Geldersma works with aspen, pecan, weathered driftwood, and salvaged wood to create totemic poles, cairns, and tablets.[4] Gelderma has said he makes the pieces with eyes at eye level to give viewers a sense of "confrontation and connection".[2]

The artist's creative process involves studying the wood and its twists and turns. The original shape of the wood often dictates how the totem will ultimately look. Beginning with the raw material, Geldersma first removes the bark with a knife and then works the piece of wood with a chainsaw to get the rough shape. Using increasingly smaller tools, from grinders to sandpaper and steel wool, Geldersma works the wood into his desired form. He then applies color either by painting the totems in bands of colors or by burning them to achieve blacks.

Solo exhibitions[5]
  • 2013 Variations, Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe
  • 2011 Black Wings, Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe
  • 2009 Presence of Spirit, Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, Louisiana
  • 2007 Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee
  • 2006 Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2005 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 2005 S.O.F.A, courtesy of Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
  • 2004 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Marguerite Oestriecher Fine Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2003 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 2002 Marguerite Oestriecher Fine Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2001 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 2000 Marguerite Oestricher Fine Arts, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1999 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1998 Marguerite Oesteicher Fine Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1998 Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
  • 1997 Retrospective Exhibition, Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, Louisiana
  • 1996 Hotel díVille, Surrenne, France
  • 1996 R. Treger Gallerie, Paris, France
  • 1996 Cline LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1995 Butters Gallery Ltd., Portland, Oregon
  • 1994 Captured Spirits: John Geldersma Sculpture 1964–1994,
  • 1994 University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana
  • 1993 Gasperi Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1992 Mill Street Gallery, Aspen, Colorado
  • 1991 Willougby Sharp Gallery, New York, New York
  • 1991 Artworks Gallery, Seattle, Washington
  • 1990 LewAllen/Butler Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1989 Duplantier Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1989 LewAllen/Butler Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1988 Primitivist Sculpture: John Geldersma, Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, Texas
  • 1987 Via Serpents, University Art Museum, Lafayette, Louisiana
  • 1977 Memphis Art Academy, Memphis, Tennessee
  • 1967 Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 1965 Fine Arts Gallery, The University of Southwestern, Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana

Selected group exhibitions[5]
  • 2012 Totems & Talismans, ENO Gallery, †Hillsboro, North Carolina
  • 2011 NEWMEXORADO, Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, New Mexico
  • 2010 Introducing . . . Three New Gallery Artists, Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Materials Matter, Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 2001 Artists of S.O.F.A., Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
  • 2000 Under the Influence: Artists Respond to the Twentieth Century, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Palates and Pate: A Joining of Creative and Culinary Arts, Acadiana Outreach Center, Lafayette, Louisiana
  • Levy Gallery, Monroe, Louisiana
  • Petite Physique: A Body of Small Work, Marcia Wood Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Art Heart, Sophia Georg Gallery, Denver, Colorado
  • Five From Louisiana, Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Pensacola, Florida
  • School House Show, Fort Collins, Colorado
  • 1999 Winter Group Exhibition, J. Cotter Gallery, Beaver Creek, Colorado
  • S.O.F.A., courtesy Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
  • Levy Gallery, Monroe, Louisiana
  • LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1998 S.O.F.A., courtesy of Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
  • McLaren Markowitz Gallery, Boulder, Colorado
  • J. Cotter Gallery, Beaver Creek, Colorado
  • 1997 Southern Stars, Art Center Galleries, Contemporary Masterworks from
  • Florida Museums, Jacksonville, Florida
  • 1996 Gallerie R. Teger, Paris, France
  • 1995 Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, Idaho
  • 1994 Born on the Bayou: Celebrating Arts of Louisiana, CBís 313 Gallery, New York, New York
  • Horwitch-LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1993 The Bayou Biennial, BCís 313 Gallery, New York, New York
  • 1992 Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukie, Wisconsin
  • American House Gallery, Piermont, New York
  • Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, Idaho
  • 1991 Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukie, Wisconsin
  • Born on the Bayou: Celebrating Arts of Louisiana, CBís 313 Gallery, New York, New York
  • Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, Idaho
  • Southwest Louisiana Artists, Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Gallery Selection 1991, LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 1990 Art in the Garden VIII, American Crafts Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Interstate 49, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, Louisiana
  • Galerie R. Teger, Paris, France
  • 1989 Bogus Beasts II, International Gallery, San Diego, California
  • Fresh From Down the Road, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1988 Multiple Sights, University Art Museum, Lafayette, Louisiana
  • Academy Gallery, New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Unrealism, Fayerweather Gallery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
  • 1987 Return to Eden: John Geldersma and David Butler, Todd Capp Gallery, New York, New York
  • Animals, Todd Capp Gallery, New York, New York
  • Gris-Gris, Artistís Alliance, Lafayette, New York
  • Museum Show, Peidmont Museum, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • 1986 Visual Arts: The Southeast 1986, One Securities Center, Georgia State University, Georgia
  • 1985 Louisiana Now, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1984 The Third Coast Exhibition, Art League of Houston Gallery, Houston, Texas
  • 1983 A Collection-A Collector: The Norman Fischer Collection, Jacksonville Art Museum, Jacksonville, Florida
  • 1982 Sculpture Biennial, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1981 Shreveport Art Guild, Meadows Museum of Art, Shreveport, Louisiana
  • 1980 First Louisiana Biennial Sculpture Invitational, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1979 U.S.L. 1960–1979, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1977 Fetishes, 112 Greene Street, New York, New York
  • Artists Biennial, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Louisiana Environments, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Vision, Process, Environment, Lafayette Natural History Museum, Lafayette, Louisiana
  • Ninth Annual Invitational, Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • 1976 Louisiana Bien Amis, Louisiana Bicentennial Exhibition, Paris, France
  • Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, Louisiana
  • Ninth National/International Sculpture Conference, Lakefront, Louisiana
  • 1975 Artistís Biennial, New Orleans Art Museum, Louisiana, Louisiana
  • 1974 Curved Air, Union Gallery, The University of Southwestern Louisiana, Louisiana
  • 1973 Louisiana Craft Council Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Louisiana American Revolution, Bicentennial Art Exhibitions, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • 1966 Avant Garde Annual Exhibition, Central Park, New York, New York
  • 1965 Twenty-Third Annual Southeastern Competition, Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1964 Louisiana State Annual Competition, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • 1963 Annual Competition Sponsored by the American Association of University Women, Dallas, Texas

References
  1. "Sculptor John Geldersma Dances with Wood..." Chasing Santa Fe. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  2. "Arthur Roger Gallery". Arthur Roger Gallery. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  3. Johnson, David (September 12, 2012). "Know Louisiana". Know Louisiana. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  4. "John Geldersma". Chiaroscuro. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  5. Geldersma, John (March 21, 2018). "John Geldersma Sculpture". John Geldersma Sculpture. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
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