Jason Karolak (b. 1974, Rochester, MI) earned a BFA from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY and an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Recent solo exhibitions include The Boulder Museum of Art, Boulder, CO; McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY; Devening Projects, Chicago, IL; and Grölle Pass Projects, Wuppertal, Germany. Karolak has participated in numerous group exhibitions at venues such as Kavi Gupta, Chicago, IL; Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, IL; and Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest, Germany. His work has been reviewed in Hyperallergic, Art in America, ARTnews and The New York Times. Karolak lives in Brooklyn and works in Long Island City.
EDUCATION
2006
MFA, Painting and Drawing, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
1997
BFA, Painting, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
Argot, Grölle Pass Projects, Wuppertal, Germany
2017
Night Vision, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO
Slow Talkers, Devening Projects, Chicago, IL
Prospects, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2015
Linemaker, Korn Gallery, Drew University, Madison, NJ
Polyrhythm, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2014
Harper College, Palatine, IL (catalogue)
Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2013
McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Drawings, Trailer Park Proyects, San Juan, PR
2012
Night Strainer, Goodyear Gallery, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
2011
Dolphin, Kansas City, MO
2008
Rivers of the Same Mountain, Massimo Audiello, New York, NY
2007
New Paintings and Drawings, Rowland Contemporary, Chicago, IL (catalogue)
New Paintings, Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, IL
Project Room, Rowland Contemporary, Chicago, IL
2006
Dusty Groove, Chicago IL (curated by John Corbett)
2004
Recent Work, Marygrove College, Detroit, MI
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Multilayer: Vision 20/20, Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest, Germany
2019
Paperfile, Galerie Oqbo, Berlin, Germany
Century / Idee Bauhaus, Dr. Julius, Berlin, Germany
No Coincidence, Grölle Pass Projects, Wuppertal, Germany
Die Sprache der Formen: Jessica Buhlmann, Jason Karolak, Volker Saul, Galerie Oqbo, Berlin, Germany
2018
Hazy and Pure / Painting, curated by Michael Schneider, Raum für Gäste, Aachen, Germany
Scaffold, curated by Matt Kleberg, The Garage, Charlottesville, VA
2017
Backboard, Grölle Pass Projects, Wuppertal, Germany
Soft Geometries, curated by Andrea Myers, Hammond Harkins Gallery, Columbus, OH
2016
Drawings, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Dynamic, Steckline Gallery, Newman University, Wichita, KS
Four Colleges, Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ
Construction Site, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Line Up, Ess Ef Eff, Brooklyn, NY
(Un)conditional Color, curated by Mark Wethli, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY (catalogue)
Ficton (With Only Daylight Between Us), Corridor Projects, Dayton, OH
2015
Full Tilt, curated by John Yau, Novella Gallery, New York, NY
Painting Problems, Cuevas Tilleard Projects, New York, NY
Breathing Room, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (catalogue)
Microscopes and Binoculars, Hoffman Lachance Contemporary, St. Louis, MO (catalogue)
Space Available, 1329 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn, NY
DucksLA, Minotaur Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2014
Making Space, curated by Susanne Doremus, Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, IL
Group Exhibition, Galerie Gris, Hudson, NY
Color as Structure, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Jason Karolak and Andy Vogt, C2C Project Space, San Francisco, CA
Made at Saltonstall: Art from the Residency, CAP Artspace, Ithaca, NY
Convergence: Jason Karolak and Antoine Lefebvre, Flecker Gallery, SUNY-Suffolk, Selden, NY (catalogue)
2013
Meta Vista, 16 Wilson, Brooklyn, NY
Reticulate, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY
Future Folk, Brooklyn Fireproof, Brooklyn, NY
Angular Seduction, TSA, Brooklyn, NY
2012
Faculty Exhibition, Flecker Gallery, SUNY-Suffolk, Selden, NY
Jason Karolak and Leah Patgorski: Recent Works, Gahlberg Gallery, College of Dupage, Chicago, IL (catalogue)
2011
Group Exhibition, Dolphin, Kansas City, MO
2009
Big Youth, Corbett vs Dempsey Gallery, Chicago IL (catalogue)
Summer Exhibition, Massimo Audiello, New York, NY
Variations on a Theme, Kavi Gupta, Chicago, IL
Faculty Exhibition, Harrington College of Design, Chicago, IL
Group Exhibition, Lemberg Gallery, Ferndale, MI
2008
Paper Love, Devening Projects, Chicago, IL
2007
Group Exhibition, curated by Mary Beyer, Thomas McCormick Gallery, Chicago, IL
Drawn In, Estudiotres Gallery, Chicago, IL
2006
Bentnames, Fifty 50 Gallery, Chicago, IL
Moreover: Practicing Representation + Abstraction, curated by Michelle Grabner, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL
Slowness, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL (catalogue)
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Gallery 2, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2005
Love 8, Gallery X, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Edit, 1926 Exhibition Space, Roger Brown House, Chicago, IL
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2018
Curator of the group exhibition Primary, Korn Gallery, Drew University, Madison, NJ
2006
Co-Curator (with James Kao) of the group exhibition Slowness, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
PUBLICATIONS
Video Catalogue, Don’t Look at Me Like That: Seventeen Artists in Time, Grölle Pass Projects, Wuppertal, Germany, May 2020
Exhibition Catalogue for (Un)conditional Color, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY. Essay by Mark Wethli, "(Un)conditional Color," February 2016
Exhibition Catalogue for Breathing Room, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY. May 2015
Exhibition Catalogue for Microscopes and Binoculars, Hoffman LaChance Gallery, St. Louis, MO. Essay by Michael Wille, "Curator's Essay," March 2015
Exhibition Catalogue for Convergence: Jason Karolak and Antoine Lefebvre, Maurice Flecker Gallery, Selden, NY. Essay by Thomas Michelli, "Convergences: Jason Karolak and Antoine LeFebvre," March 2014
Exhibition Catalogue for Jason Karolak, Harper College, Palatine, IL. Essay by Sofia Leiby, "Jason Karolak: Paintings," February 2014
Boxed suite of 12 solar plate etchings, Alembic. Produced by Oehme Graphics. Prints by Jason Karolak with selected text of Ralph Waldo Emerson, edition of 15, 2013
Exhibition Catalogue for Jason Karolak and Leah Patgorski: Recent Works, Gahlberg Gallery, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL. Essay by Jason Foumberg, “The Phenomenological Unconscious,” May 2012
Exhibition Catalogue for Big Youth: New Painters from Chicago, Corbett vs. Dempsey Gallery, Chicago, IL, July 2009
Exhibition Catalogue for New Paintings and Drawings, Rowland Contemporary, Chicago, IL. Essay by Michelle Grabner, “Mother Tongue,” November 2007
Exhibition Catalogue for Slowness, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL. Essay by Terry Myers, "Time Is On Our Side," June 2006
Letterpress Broadside, Poetry Center of Chicago, Poem by Thomas Sayers Ellis,"Ways to be Black in a Poem," Drawing by Jason Karolak, edition of 50, 2006
PRESS
Monika Werner Staude. “Kunst mit Kalkuliertem Bruch,” Westdeutsche Zeitung, September 9, 2019
Monika Werner Staude. “Vom Überleben im Lauten New York,” Westdeutsche Zeitung, May 9, 2018
Peter Tonguette. "Covering All the Angles," The Columbus Dispatch, October 15, 2017
James Kalm. "Abstract Quartet: Motherwell, Karolak, Belag, Bellinger," James Kalm Report video survey, October 9,
2017
James Panero. “The Critics Notebook,” The New Criterion, September 26, 2017
Thomas Micchelli. "The High Drama of Hot Color in a Field of Black," Hyperallergic, September 15, 2017
Tom Pekovitch. "Jason Karolak: Slow Talkers at Devening Projects," Delicious Line, April 24, 2017
Kelly Reaves. "Electric, Eclectic Neural Nets," New City, April 21, 2017
Michael Paglia. "Review: At Robischon, Eight Solos Add Up to a Major Look at Contemporary Abstraction," Westword,
January 25, 2017
Thomas Micchelli. "Painting from the Ground Up," Hyperallergic, July 9, 2016
Michael Paglia. "Ink Masters at Space Gallery," Westword, March 23, 2016
Thomas Micchelli. "The Pursuit of Art, 2015," Hyperallergic, December 26, 2015
Steven Alexander. "Some Notable Shows of 2015," Steven Alexander Journal, December 26, 2015
Michael Paglia. "Getting the Most out of Minimalism at the Robischon and Rule Galleries," Westword, June 2, 2015
Jennifer Samet. "Beer with a Painter: Jason Karolak," Hyperallergic, May 3, 2015
Dar Dowling. "Jason Karolak at McKenzie Fine Art," Modernnyc, February 27, 2015
Thomas Micchelli. "Dark Matter: Jason Karolak's Wayward Abstractions," Hyperallergic, February 21, 2015
Ann Landi. "Color as Structure," ARTnews, October 2014
Joanne Mattera. "Color as Structure at McKenzie Fine Art," Joanne Mattera Art Blog, July 25, 2014
John Haber. "Put on a Show," Haberarts, July 23, 2014
Arthur Whitman. "Urban Color Spectrum: Brooklyn Abstractionist Shines in CAP's Saltonstall Exhibit,” Ithaca Times, July 16, 2014
Paul D'Agostino. "4 Exhibits You Need to See," The L Magazine, July 3, 2014
Michael Paglia. "Conceptual Abstraction runs through shows at Robischon and Vertigo," Westword, February 20,
2014
James Panero. "Gallery Chronicle," The New Criterion, November 2013
David Linneweh. “Interview: Jason Karolak,” Studio Break, August 13, 2013
John Haber. "Theme Party," Haberarts, August, 2013
Thomas Micchelli. "Spinning a Web: When Art Addresses the Infinite," Hyperallergic, July 13, 2013
Carl Gunhouse. "Jason Karolak at McKenzie Fine Art," Searching for the Light, March 26, 2013
Joanne Mattera. “Two Solos on the Lower East Side: Jason Karolak at McKenzie Fine Art, Sarah Walker at Artifact,” Joanne Mattera Art Blog, March 8, 2013
Sharon Butler. “Painting of the Day: Jason Karolak,” Two Coats of Paint, February 25, 2013
Xiomara Martinez-White. “Jason Karolak at McKenzie,” Artery, February 13, 2013
Caleb DeJong. “Jason Karolak at McKenzie Fine Art,” Thoughts That Cure Radically, February 10, 2013
Valerie Brennan. “Interview: Jason Karolak,” Studio Critical, July 16, 2011
Dana Self. “’Discourse Matters’ at the Dolphin Gallery is Magnetic, Immersive,” Kansas City Star, July 13, 2011
Crystal Wiebe. “Discourse Matters,” The Pitch, July 2011
Ruth Lopez. “To Stay or not to Stay: The Creative Dilemma,” The Art Newspaper, May 2009
Ann Wiens. “5 Young Artists,” Chicago Magazine, August 2009
Robin Farrell Roulo. “New Kids on the Block,” Artslant, August 2, 2009
Laura Pearson. “Big Youth at Corbett vs. Dempsey,” Time Out Chicago, July 30, 2009
Chris Miller. “Big Youth at Corbett vs. Dempsey,” New City, July 27, 2009
Carley Demchuk. “Big Youth: New Painters from Chicago,” Art Talk Chicago, July 15, 2009
Stephen Mueller. “Jason Karolak at Massimo Audiello,” Art in America, January 2009
Roberta Smith. “Chelsea: Art Chockablock with Encyclopedic Range,” New York Times, November 14, 2008
Paddy Johnson. "Jason Karolak at Massimo Audiello," Art F City, October 20, 2008
Lauren Weinberg. “Paper Love,” Time Out Chicago, July 17, 2008
Jason Foumberg. “The Manifold World,” New City, December 13, 2007
Karissa Lang. “Tip of the Week: Jason Karolak,” New City, November 22, 2007
Alan Artner. “Exhibition Review,” Chicago Tribune, April 6, 2007
AWARDS AND HONORS
Mellon Grant for research on color, Drew University, Madison, NJ, 2017
Artist in Residence, Saltonstall Arts Colony, Ithaca, NY, 2014
Artist in Residence, Oehme Graphics, Steamboat Springs, CO, 2013
Artist in Residence, Soaring Gardens Artist Retreat, Laceyville, PA, 2013
Graduate Fellowship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2006
PRESENTATIONS
Visiting Artist Lecture, Aurora University, Aurora, IL, 2020
Artist Lecture, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO, 2017
Artist Lecture, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY, 2017
Visiting Artist, Hoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD, 2016
Artist Lecture, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY, 2016
Artist Lecture, Korn Gallery, Drew University, Madison, NJ, 2015
Visiting Artist, Harper College, Palatine, IL, 2015
Visiting Artist, Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL, 2015
Artist Lecture, McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY, 2015
Visiting Artist, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, 2012
Visiting Artist Lecture, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, 2011
Visiting Artist, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE, 2011
Artist Lecture, Oxbow School of Art, Saugatuck, MI, 2010
Visiting Artist Lecture, Depaul University, Chicago, IL, 2009
Visiting Critic, Fall Critiques, Dominican University, Chicago, IL, 2008
Visiting Critic, Spring Critiques, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 2007
Visiting Artist, Wells College, Aurora, NY, 2007
