Trevor Shimizu
Trevor Shimizu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 (age 47–48) Santa Rosa, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Occupation | Visual artist |
| Known for | Painting, video art |
| Spouse | Erica Papernik |
Trevor K. Shimizu (born 1978) is an American visual artist, known for his work as both a painter and video artist.[1][2][3] His work is often described as performative in nature because Shimizu uses stories and fantasies from his everyday life as source material for paintings. Since the 1990s, he has made works that focus on self-presentation, often in humorous and self-effacing ways. He lives in Long Island City.[4]
Life and career
Trevor Shimizu was born in 1978, in Santa Rosa, California.[5][4] His mother is Japanese.[6] He graduated in 1996 from Analy High School in Sebastopol, California.[7] Shimizu attended college at University of California, Santa Cruz, but dropped out before graduating.[8]
He was the former technical director of Electronic Arts Intermix, through which he developed close friendships and collaborations with artists including Dan Graham, Carolee Schneemann, Shigeko Kubota, and Dara Birnbaum.[5][9] He worked as an assistant to artists Carolee Schneeman and Shigeko Kubota.[10] He also supported himself through various odd jobs that became the subject of a series of paintings in the 2000s. He briefly ran a gallery space called Shimizu Brand.[10] Shimizu is also known as a member of the band The Curtains, along with Chris Cohen. Shimizu participated in the Whitney Biennial in 2014.[11]
His wife, Erica Papernik-Shimizu, is an associate curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, in the media & performance department.[3][12]
Video paintings
Shimizu made a cycle of video works from 1996 to 2020 that have been presented publicly as his "Video Paintings," because they developed in parallel with his painting practice, and were often installed as video monitors on top of abstract oil paintings.[4]
References
- ^ "What to See Right Now in New York Art Galleries". The New York Times. March 11, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Roberta. "TREVOR SHIMIZU." New York Times 13 Mar. 2020, p. 1. ProQuest. Web. 20 Jan. 2026 .
- ^ a b Watlington, Emily. (November 2019) "Painter Persona: An Illustrated Quarterly Magazine." Art in America, pg 70.
- ^ a b c "Trevor Shimizu: Performance Artist". e-Flux. 2020-01-08.
- ^ a b "Trevor Shimizu". Electronic Arts Intermix.
- ^ "Trevor Shimizu". Nonaka Hill. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ "1996 Analy High Graduates". Sonoma West Times and News. June 19, 1996. p. 28. Retrieved 2026-01-21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Yeh, Spencer C. (2019-02-19). "Conusing and Accurate and Deadpan: Trevor Shimizu Interviewed". BOMB Magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ "Trevor Shimizu on Dan Graham." ArtAsiaPacific July 2021: 12. ProQuest. Web. 20 Jan. 2026 .
- ^ a b Bucciero, Joe (April 1, 2020). "Openings: Trevor Shimizu". Artforum. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ Robinson, Walter. "The Many Faces of the 2014 Whitney Biennial" (PDF). Artspace.
- ^ "Getting Started: A Shared Responsibility—Caring for Time-Based Artworks in Collections". Mediaconservation.io.
Further reading
- Yeh, C. Spencer (February 19, 2019). "Confusing and Accurate and Deadpan: Trevor Shimizu Interviewed". BOMB (Interview). Retrieved 2026-01-21.