Born in 1959 near Boston, raised in Washington DC,
Steve Litsios moved to Switzerland with his family in 1967.
He studied art for a couple of years at Geneva's ecole d'arts appliqués before attending the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 70's, then moved back to Switzerland where he has been active internationally as an artist since 1983.
He lives in the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds and can be found playing rhythm bones & washboards with The Crawfish Blues Band and Swamp Train.
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Hiphop-Tango - 1996 - oil on linen - 85x135x6 cm. / 33x53x2 inches.
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Late Again (Madonna & Child) - 1996 - acrylic on wood - 188x66x11 cm. / 74x26x4 inches.
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Hard on Me (Viagra Dream) - 1998 - acrylic on linen, 129x24,5x7 cm / 51x9½x3 inches.
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Walking Man - 2003 - bronze - edition of 4 - H: 39.5 cm. / 14 ½ inches
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'Slice of Air', Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Neuchâtel, CH. in December 1998.
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in-between lines - 2004 - skin glue, ink & paper - 75x28x4cm / 29½x11x1½ inches.
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Held Suspended - acrylic, magnets, aluminum, wood, ink, iron, nylon string and paper - ~12x150x150 cm.
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They tear at my hair - 2005 - acrylic and paper on linen - 35x25 cm. / 14x10 inches.
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Dates & Mediums:
| 1977 – 1999: |
If at first colorful, these abstract and shaped relief oil paintings (canvas or linen stretched over a wooden frame) where often white after 1994. |
| 1990 – 1999: |
Shaped wood abstract painted “constructions”. |
| 1991 – 2003: |
Bronze sculptures, ~40 of them. At first “traditionally” geometric, then more experimental. |
| 1997 – 2006: |
"Painted Objects" made out of paper. |
| Since 1998: |
Installations. |
| Since 2004: |
Works on paper and mixed media paintings. |
Statement:The American culture of my childhood has always seemed dissonant from my Swiss experience. I am part of both cultures, but am also constantly challenged by them as to my belonging. My family passed on a traditional art literacy, and it was left to me to address the 20th century modern and contemporary art omitted in my education. These conditions, however, were catalyst to my evolution, and are evident to me today.
My work is the result of an accumulation of ideas, impulsions and experimentations that often happen while working but not necessarily. It echoes of my interest/anguish for the way things are changing and/or are in transition, as opposed to their apparent stability. It is sometimes invaded by demons and beats to its own rhythm.
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A Blurb From The 2004 Holland Paper Biennial's Catalogue (Spirit Of Paper)
I don't define myself as a paper artist, or a painter or sculptor for that matter, but use whatever materials come my way that happen to spark my curiosity. The following text, that I wrote in 2004 for the Holland Paper Biennial's catalogue, pretty much sums up my attitude towards the creative process:
For drawing, watercolor or the news. Deckled and rough or pressed hot and smooth. Hand made for writing or in a book – Paper is fun and that's all it took, for my interest to be there among ample others. Though, a fact of importance is one of my mother's. Her printmaking habits must I add: in my youth, brought paper to notice; acid free with some tooth.
Now sketching is sensuous and painting abusable, but tearing is subversively enjoyably indisputable. So lacerate the fine fiber I do with much glee, yet not to destruct I hope you agree. While aplenty torn pieces mess up my work space; a gob of A medium will put them in place. And a sheet of clear plastic or a blown up balloon, will give them their shape as I work till high noon.
Thus by A medium it all stays united, with a tad interference to keep me delighted. That's a pigment you see, and one most interesting; since it plays with the light through chromatic refracting. I insert it between layers and apply it on top, until something propitious compels me to stop.
And that's all there is to it, really, a fact, the why and the reasons, the how I did that.
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Selected personal & group exhibitions and activities since 2000
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2010:
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Bronzen Und Transformationen
Galerie
Annamarie M. Andersen, Zürich, CH.
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Don't Piss on Me and Tell Me it's Raining
Apexart, NYC. Curated by Bad at Sports
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2009:
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Biennale de la Société
des Amis du Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH.
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Dynamik und Stille in Wechselwirkung
Galerie
Annamarie M. Andersen, Zürich, CH.
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Back To Borneo
A unique creation for TSKZ09 (XYZ Eternal Tour 2009) by Bill W. Holden
(Tonatem & Skid'fonia fabrication and playing)
Le Locle, CH.
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2008:
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A - Z
Galerie
Annamarie M. Andersen, Zürich, CH.
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2007:
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Biennale de la Société
des Amis du Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH.
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White Is Not White
Galerie
Annamarie M. Andersen, Zürich, CH.
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2006:
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Pas Tout Seul!
Steve Litsios and Mark Staff Brandl, Two Installations.
The Collapsible Kunsthalle with the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire,
Neuchâtel, CH.
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Utopies Urbaines
Globe de l'Innovation, CERN, Genève, CH.
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2005:
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Demonstrating Water With Stones, Installation,
Centre d'art en l'île, Genève, CH.
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2004:
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The Holland Paper Biennial 2004, Museum Rijswijk,
Rijswijk, NL.
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2003:
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Current Affairs, Installation, Temple Allemand,
centre de Culture ABC, La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH.
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Galerie
Annamarie M. Andersen, Zürich, CH.
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Blown up and Hung, at the Biennale de la Société
des Amis des Art, Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH.
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2002:
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Airways, Installation, Ateliers
de la Poudrière,
Seyssel, F.
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2001:
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Light Waves, installation Musée des Beaux-Arts,
La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH.
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Grey
McGear Modern, Santa Monica, USA.
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Slow Motions, at the Biennale de la Société
des Amis des Art, Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH.
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2000:
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La Grande Illusion, Musée d’Art et d’Histoire,
Neuchâtel, CH.
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Public collections
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CERN Meyrin, Genève
CIAL Bank, Basel / Zürich
Collection de la Ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds
Commision Cantonale des Beaux Arts de Neuchâtel
Fonds de Décoration et d’Art Visuel. Genève
Gemeinde Adliswil, Zürich
Kunstsammlung La Roche, Basel
Ludwig Múseum, Budapest
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Neuchâtel
Musée Jenisch, Vevey
Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds
Sammlung der Stadt Wintertur
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Prix Culturel 2002 de la Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise.
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