Marybeth Rothman is a contemporary American artist known for her fictional visual biographies and abstract narratives. Her portraits were featured in "Modigliani and the Modern Portrait" at the Nassau County Museum of Art. This historic exhibition, curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, Director of the Modigliani Project, showcased the portraiture of Amedeo Modigliani along with works of his renowned contemporaries Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Gaston Lachaise, and others. Additionally, the exhibition featured the work of contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe, Eric Fischl, and more. Rothman was a Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery Semifinalist in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2022. She exhibited in the Heckscher Museum of Art, Delaware Contemporary Museum, New Jersey State Museum, Bristol Art Museum, Cape Cod Museum of Art, and galleries throughout the US. Her most recent solo exhibition, "Recent Observations and Conjectures Near Madaket Road," was on view at Frederick Holmes and Company Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA. Her work can be found in collections throughout the United States and abroad. Rothman was born in Massachusetts and earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her home and studio are in New Jersey.
StatementI celebrate the subtleties of identity by creating fictional visual biographies from historically marginalized communities and underrepresented voices. Combining abstraction and realism with a focus on metaphor and symbolism, each of these mixed media works is composed of many subtle layers of pigmented beeswax, photographs, and abstract drawings. The photographic elements are a fusion of reclaimed and reimagined vintage photographs, along with my digital photographs that I combine and repurpose to add narrative texture. I manipulate the image by exaggerating, adding and subtracting physical attributes to create illusory detail. I develop a series of paintings by creating an imagined fellowship, community, geographic location, or cultural bond to further enrich the narrative in my work.
CvEDUCATION
BFA Rhode Island School of Design
GALLERY AFFILIATIONS
Frederick Homes and Company Gallery, Seattle, WA
Mark Gallery, New York, NY
EXHIBITIONS
SOLO
2023
Frederick Holmes and Company Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA, Recent Observations and Conjectures Near Madaket Road
2019
Mark Gallery and Lichtundfire Gallery, New York, NY, Reclaimed and Reimagined
2014
Frederick Holmes and Company Gallery, Seattle, WA, A Curious Collection of Strangers
2008
Treasure Room Gallery, New York, NY, Artifacts of Gains and Losse
GROUP
2024
Seattle Chamber Music Society, Seattle, WA
Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT
2023
Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn, NY, Modigliani and the Modern Portrait
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ, 2022 New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence
The Delaware Contemporary Museum, Wilmington, DE, Radius, Soft Girl Era
Newark Liberty International Airport, Terminal A, Newark, NJ, Journey of Surprises
Fotofoto Gallery, Huntington, NY, 18th National Photography Exhibition
The Painting Center, New York, NY, Uncommon Narratives
The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ. Traces
Studio Montclair Gallery, Montclair , NJ, ViewPoints 2023
Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT
2022
Newark Liberty International Airport, Terminal A, Newark, NJ, Journey of Surprises
Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC, 2022 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, Semifinalist.
Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI, Putting the Pieces Back Together!
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ, 2022 New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence
Studio Montclair Gallery, Montclair , NJ, ViewPoints 2022
2021
Art Fair 14C, Jersey City, NJ, Rothman, Pressman & Nielsen-Fried
The Painting Center, New York, NY,? One in a Year
2020
The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY,?Emerging Artists Series 2020
World Trade Center Oculus, New York, NY, Ad Art 2020
RJD Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY, Shades of Light
The Painting Center, New York, NY,?The Blues
2019
Laura Rathe Gallery, Houston , TX, Ta Da!
Monmouth University, NJ, A Sense of Place in Contemporary Encaustic
Azart Gallery, The Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY
Azart Gallery, Art Market San Francisco
Frederick Holmes & Co. Gallery, Seattle, WA, Summer Group Show
2018
The Billboard Creative, Los Angeles, CA, Citywide Exhibition, among an international group of artists that included Marilyn Minter, Laurie Simmons and Lawrence Weiner.
Azart Gallery, The Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY
Frederick Holmes & Co. Gallery, Seattle, WA, Gallery Artists Group Show
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston, TX,
The Painting Center, New York, NY, Chain Reaction
2017
Frederick Holmes & Co. Gallery, Seattle, WA, Gallery Artists
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston, TX, Heart of Texas
2016
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston, TX
Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Lanoue Gallery, Boston, MA, Winter Group Show
Frederick Holmes & Co. Gallery, Seattle, WA
2015
Lanoue Gallery, Boston, MA, Winter Group Show Part I
Frederick Holmes and Company Gallery, Seattle, WA, Encore
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston, TX, Double Vision
Lanoue Gallery, Boston, MA, Winter Group Show Part II
2014
Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ, Swept Away: Translucence, Transparence, Transcendence in Contemporary Encaustic. Curator: Michael Giaquinto
Tria Gallery, New York, NY, In Situ
Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA, New Work
Tria Gallery, New York, NY, Summer Cocktail
2013
Frederick Holmes and Company, Seattle, WA. Gallery Artists Group Show
Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA. Winter Group Show
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA. Swept Away: Translucence, Transparence and Transcendence in Contemporary Encaustic. Curator: Michael Giaquinto
Laconia Gallery, Boston, MA. The Elephant in the Room: Contemporary Encaustic Work. Curators: Linda Cordner and James Hull
Mark Gallery, Englewood, NJ. Faces and Figures
2012
Tria Gallery, New York, NY, c’est quoi la femme?
Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA. Lights, Camera…Click, Photography in Contemporary Art
Mark Gallery, Englewood, NJ. Face It
School House Gallery, Provincetown, MA. Conference Presenters. Curator: Mike Carroll
Castle Hill Gallery, Truro, MA. Merge: Contemporary Encaustic Print Invitational. Curator: Cherie Mittenthal
Panopticon Gallery, Boston, MA. What’s In A Face
Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL. Wax: Medium Meets Message. Curator: Leslie Neuman
2011
Schiltkamp Gallery, Clark University, Worcester, MA. Kindred Spirits. Curator: Toby Sisson
Kobalt Gallery, Provincetown, MA. Beeline. Curator: Francine D’Olimpio
Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY. Ripped: The Allure of Collage, with collage works by Jean Arp, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Hoch, George Grosz, Dali, Romare Bearden, Roy Lichtenstein and others. Curator: Kenneth Wayne
Carroll House Gallery, Keene State College, Keene, NH. New Views of Encaustic Art.
Curator: Peter Roos
2010
Hewitt Gallery, Mary Mount Manhattan College, New York, NY. Waxing Poetic. Curator: Millie Burns
Mark Gallery, Englewood, NJ. Winter Group Show
Tria Gallery, New York, NY. Identity, Three Artists
G.A.S. Gallery, Maplewood, NJ. Encaustic Group Exhibition
Walter Wickiser Gallery, New York, NY. Confluences of Culture V
Mark Gallery, Affordable Art Fair NYC, New York, NY
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton NJ. New Jersey Arts Annual: Fine Art, Reality + Artifice. Curator: Margaret O’Reilly
Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ, Group Show
National Association of Women Artists, New York, NY. 121st Annual Exhibition
Bill Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA, Group Show
2009
Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ. Fourth Annual Encaustic Invitational
Walter Wickiser Gallery, New York, NY. Confluences of Culture Part III: Collection of Small Works East & West
Midday Gallery, Englewood, NJ 1969-2009 ARTiversary
Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, New York. Encaustic Works
Bill Lowe Gallery, Atlanta GA, Group Show
COLLECTIONS
Novo Nordisk Corporation, Copenhagen, Denmark
Rockefeller Family
Private collections: United States, Hong Kong, Denmark, Cayman Islands
LECTURES AND GALLERY TALKS
2024
Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT,
2023
Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn, NY
Frederick Holmes and Company Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ
The Painting Center, New York, NY
2020
Emerging Artists Series
Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY
2019
Mark Gallery and Lichtundfire Gallery, New York, NY
2014
Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ
2013
Wax Collage: Beyond Technique, 7th International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA
2012
Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY
Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL
Wax Collage: Beyond Technique, 6th International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA
2011
Schiltkamp Gallery, Clark University, Worcester, MA
Hewitt Gallery, Mary Mount Manhattan College, New York, NY
2010 Tria Gallery, New York, NY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Modigliani and the Modern Portrait. Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn, NY. Kenneth Wayne, PhD. 2023.
New Visionary Magazine, Issue 4, October 2022, USA
Photo Trouvee Magazine, Issue 7, April 2022, USA and Brazil
Swept Away: Translucence, Transparence, Transcendence in Contemporary Encaustic, Cape Cod Museum of Art; introduction by Michael Giaquinto, curator
The Elephant in the Room, Laconia Gallery, Boston; essay by Linda Cordner and James Hull
Nash, Catherine. “Authentic Visual Voices: CP&E.” 2012. Web.Rothman, Marybeth.
“Portraits of Strangers.” EA Magazine, June 2012 www.eainm.com/magazine/.
Mattera, Joanne. Encaustic Works 2012: A Biennial Exhibition in Print Selected by Joanne Mattera. Kingston, NY 2012. rfpaints.com.Fifth Annual International Encaustic Conference Blog, Featured Artist. Web.Best of Worldwide Portrait & Figurative Artists Vol. 1, 2011 Kennedy Publishing, Williamsburg, VA. Print.
Shiels, Darlene. “The Drooel Collection.” Drooel Contemporary Paintings From Around the Web. January 2011.
Web.Reality + Artifice. New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ, 2010; essay by Margaret O’Reilly, Curator of Fine Arts.
Fourth Annual Encaustic Invitational. Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ, 2009.
Encaustic Works ’09. The College of New Rochelle, Castle Hill Gallery New Rochelle, NY, 2009; essay by Heather Hutchinson. Third Annual Encaustic Invitational. Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ, 2008.
Womack, Linda. Embracing Encaustic, 2nd Edition. Portland, OR. 2008. Print.
WomanMADE Gallery, Her Mark, Chicago, IL, 2006. Print.
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