Michael Knigin (1942 - )

  Michael Knigin was born in Brooklyn, New York. He did his undergraduate study at the noted Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Pa. Knigin later became director of Chiron Press, N.Y., a tine art silk-screen and lithography workshop. The shop remained in existance for seven years, printing and publishing editions for the most renowned contemporary artists, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Paul Jenkins. After selling Chiron press in 1974, Knigin was invited by the Israel Museum by the Jerusalem Foundation to establish the first professional silkscreen and lithographic workshop in Israel, and to train a group of young Israei artists. While in Israel, he collaborated with the Ministry of Labor and Education, along with nationally and internationally known artists from Israel, the United States and Europe. After his tenure at the graphic center he returned to New York and proceeded to create his own prints and paintings. At that time, Knigin was appointed a Professor at Pratt Institute, where he still teaches.

In 1988 he was appointeed to the NASA Art Team and was sent to the Kennedy Space Center to visually interpret the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, celebrating NASA's return to space after the Challenger's disaster in 1986.

In 1991 he was recalled to interpret the touchdown of the space shuttle Atlantis at Edwards Air Force Base. Along with these honors, he has received many awards including Cleo Award for art direction, a fellowship of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, and Art Technology Grant, two certificates of Merit from the National Society of Illustrators. He has judged seven national and international art shows. From 1978 to the present he has had 17 one-person shows, and has been included in approximately a hundred and twenty group shows here and abroad.

His work has been written about in approximately 40 articles, featured in publications such as The New York Times, Art in America, and Art News. Last but not least he has been commissioned to create art by over 40 corporations and institutions. His accomplishments in the art field are significant. His contributions to Israel and The United States are well respected by artists, educators, and collectors alike.

Mr. Knigin's images are acclaimed internationally. Knigin intermingles a variety of images, including photo, with the purpose of making specific statements. Most often, he juxtaposes natural images with man-made works, often photographically rendering parts of the imagery for effect.

The subjective content of Knigin's work illustrates his concern with specific themes: the dehumanization of mankind, the schism between modern man and nature, the appar- ent lack of concern with the "beautiful" and the "elegant" in the Mainstream of contem- porary culture.
With startling contrast, Knigin portrays the distances that have appeared in our lives between elements of nature and modern industrialized society. Always present is a profound sense of the whimsical, a touch of magic.

Knigin's imagery takes us closer to our modern realities in a meld of the classical and the current, both technically and con- ceptually. The images, sometimes lyrical, other times piercing, transform the experience of "reality" for the viewer. We're no longer in the presence of objects as we know them, but transported into a multi-layered repre- sentation of a potentially new reality. The unexpected play of objects is reinforced by exquisitely manipulated colors and a range of complementary surfaces and textures. With this, Knigin creates an original pictoral "language" that pleases as it perplexes. This "language" is not a new one.. .the vocabulary consists of objects and environ- mental elements familiar to us.

Through the various means (color, texture, fragmentation) plus the use of the viewer's imagination, Knigin presents a "new translation" of the language we know. The viewer is free to per- sonalize the symbols, thus completing Knigin's image-statements.

SELECTED ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS

2002 Blue Heron Arts Center, N.Y., N.Y.
2002 Artist’s Woods, East Hampton, N.Y.
2001 Jewish Community Center, East Hills, N.Y.
2001 Holocaust Memorial & Educational Center of Nassau County
2000 Jewish Community Center,Stamford, CT. (Holocaust)
1998 David Barnett, Milwaukee, Wisc.
1997 Prism Gallery, Port Washington, N.Y.
1992 Clayton/Libertore Gallery, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
1989 Mussavi Gallery, Southampton, New York
1988 Balogna - Landi Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1988 Shirley Scott Gallery, southampton, N.Y.
1985 Kyron Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
1984 Arras Gallery, New York
1983 Fred Dorfman Gallery, Southampton, N.Y.
1983 Gallery Von Brahler, Alexandra, Virginia
1982 Interiors Group, Tenefly, New Jersey
1981 Works Gallery, Southampton, New York
1981 The Nippon Club, New York
1980 Renneth Gallery, Westhampton, N.Y.
1980 Jack Gallery, New York
1979 Foreign Correspondent’s Club, Tokyo, Japan
1979 Arts Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
1978 Ito-Ya Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1978 Govinda Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1978 Gallery Ravel, Austin, Texas

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2002 Terrain Gallery, N.Y.
2002 Ashwaugh Hall, East Hampton, N.Y.
2002 Artist’s Wood Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
2002 Nassau County Holocaust Museum, Glen Cove, N.Y.
2002 Nassau County Holocaust Museum, Glen Cove, N.Y.
2002 Artist’s Woods Gallery, East Hampron, N.Y.
2002 Guild Hall, East Hampton, N.Y.
2000 Terrain Gallery, N.Y.
1999 West Hampton Beach Performing Arts Center
1999 Millenium Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1998 Millenium Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED

1998 Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
1998 Sundance Gallery, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
1998 Guild Hall, East Hampton, N.Y.
1997 Arlene Bujese Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1997 Millenium Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1997 Owl Gallery, Woodmere, N.Y.
1997 David Barnett Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisc.
1996 Vered Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1996 Arlene Bejeuse Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1996 East End Arts Council, Riverhead, N.Y.
1995 Vered Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1994 Owl Gallery, Woodmere, N.Y.
1993 Renee Dahl Gallery, East Quogue, N.Y.
1993 Ann Harper Gallery, Amagansett, N.Y.
1993 Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
1997 Arlene Bejuse Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1993 Odeon Gallery, Sag Harbor, N.Y.
1993 RVS Gallery, Southampton, New York
1992 Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, New York
1992 RVS Gallery, Southampton, New York

GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED

1992 Odeon Gallery, Sag Harbor, New York
1992 J. Claramunt Gallery, New York
1991 Balogna-Landi Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1990 RVS Gallery, Southampton, New York
1990 Centoria Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1990 Organization of American States, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1990 Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
1990 Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
1990 Black Swan Gallery, Albequerque, New Mexico
1990 Vered Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1989 Mussavi Gallery, N.Y. & Southampton, N.Y.
1989 NASA Gallery, Cape Kennedy, Fla.

1988 Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton
1988 Balogna/Landi Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y.
1988 Shirley Scott Gallery, Southampton, N.Y.
1987 Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, N.Y.
1987 Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton • “Prints of the Eighties”
1987 AAA Gallery, New York
1986 Blue Hill Cultural Center, Blue Hill, N.Y.
1986 MGM Grand, Las Vegas
1986 Kyron Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
1985 Lillian Heidenberg Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1984 Japan/America Society, Washington, D.C.

1984 Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Montevideo, Uraguay
1984 AAA Gallery, Prints of New York City
1984 Fred Dorfman Fine Arts, N.Y.
1984 Lillian Heidenberg Gallery, N.Y.
1983 Jefferson National Bank, Miami Beach, Florida
1983 Terrain Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED

1983 Limited Impressions Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii
1983 Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1983 Jack Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1983 Gallery 99, Bay Harbor Islands, Fla.
1983 Cooper Hewitt Museum, N.Y.
1982 Graphics International, Honolulu, Hawaii
1982 Gaijun Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia
1982 The Brooklyn Museum
1982 Sea Breeze Gallery, Block Island, Rhode Island
1982 llinois Regional Print Show, Evanston, Ill.
1982 Society of American Graphic Artists, N.Y.
1982 The Delaware Museum, Willmington, Del.
1982 The Fred Dorfman Gallery, N.Y>
1981 Terrain Gallery, N.Y.
1981 The Nippon Gallery, N.Y.
1981 Albright - Knox Museum, Bufalo, N.Y.
1980 Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Oregon
1980 Cooper Hewitt Museum, N.Y.
1980 The Print Club/Philadelphia Art Alliance, Phildelphia, Pa.
1980 The Fred Dorfman Gallery, N.Y.
1979 Parsons School of Art, N.Y.,N.Y.
1979 GWAJ Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1979 Rubicon Gallery, Palo Alto, CA.
1979 The State Department, Washington, D.C
1978 The Arts Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
1978 Ito - ya Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1978 Simon-Maier Gallery, N.Y.
1978 “New Talent In Printmaking”, Associated American Artists Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
1978 The Philadelphia Art Alliance/The Print Club, Philadelphia, Pa.
1978 The Govinda Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1978 Sindin Gallery, N.Y.
1978 The Museum of Modern Art, Members Lounge, N.Y.
1978 The Print Club, Philadelphia, Pa.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED

1978 The Fred Dorfman Gallery, N.Y.
1977 Pratt Manhattan Center, N.Y. • “Photograpy as a Tool”
1977 Sindin Gallery, N.Y.
1977 Associated American Artists Gallery, N.Y.
1977 The Taiwan Museum of Art, Taiwan
1976 U.S. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
1976 New York University, N.Y.
1976 Associated American Artists Gallery, N.Y.
1976 The Minnesota Museum of Art, Minn., Minn.
1976 The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
1976 The Fred Dorfman Gallery, N.Y.
1976 The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
1975 Arta Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
1975 The Mabat Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1975 The Little Gallery, Jerusalem, Israe
1975 The Israel Museum, Israel
1974 The Burston Graphics Center, Jerusalem, Israel
1973 Kutztown State College, PA
1972 Worchester Museum of Art, Worchester, Mass.
1971 Associated American Artists Gallery, N.Y.
1971 Cali - Columbia Exposition, Cali, Columbia
1971 The Whitney Museum of Art, N.Y.
1970 Osaka World’s Fair, Osaka, Japan
1975 Arta Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
1972 University of Mississippi
1972 University of California, Davis, CA.
1972 Worchester Museum of Art, Worchester, Mass.
1971 South Dakota Sate University
1971 University of Wisconsin
1971 Antioch College, Ohio
1971 University of Texas, El Paso, TX.
1971 Williams College, MA.
1971 Associated American Artists Gallery, N.Y.
1971 Cali - Columbia Exposition, Cali, Columbia
1971 The Whitney Museum of Art, N.Y.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED

1970 Osaka World’s Fair, Osaka, Japan
1970 N.Y. State Council on The Arts
1970 Albright - Knox Museum, Bufalo, N.Y.
1969 New York University, N.Y.
1969 Carnegie - Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.
1969 National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
1969 Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1968 Pratt Graphics Center, N.Y.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS (CORPORATE/MUSEUM)

The Whitney Museum, N.Y.
Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, N.Y.
The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C

SELECTIVE COLLECTIONS (CORPORATE/MUSEUM) CONTiNUED

The National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
The Carnegie Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The New York University Art Collection, N.Y.
The New York State Council on the Arts, N.Y.
Worchester Art Museum, Worchester, Mass.
The Israel Art Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The Minnesota Museum of Art, Minneapolis, Minn.
The Taiwan Museum, Taiwan
The McNay Museum, Texas
The Cooper Hewitt Museum, N.Y.
The Portland Museum, Portland, Oregon
The Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City, Mexico

SELECTIVE COLLECTIONS (CORPORATE/MUSEUM) CONTiNUED

The Delaware Museum, Willmington, Del.
The Mint Museum, Charlotte, N.C.
The North Miami Museum of Art, Miami, Fla.
The Selzer Group
Security Pacific National Bank, Calif.
Citibank, N.Y.
The Toyota Corporation, Calif.
NASA Art Collection, Washington, D.C. / Fla.
Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
Readers Digest Collection, N.Y.
The Japan Society, N.Y.
United States Department of State, Washington, D.C.
Phillip Morris Collection, N.Y.
Bank of Tokyo, N.Y.
Amoco Oil Corp.
The Port Authority of N.Y. & N.J.
Bankers Trust Co., N.Y.
Marine Midland Bank, N.Y.
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Miami, Fla.
U.S. Air Force, Nelis A. F. B., Las Vegas, Navada
Chicago Merchantile Exchange, Chicago, Ill.
Playboy Enterprises, Chicago, Ill.
Dan’s Papers, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
The Japan Society, New York
The New York Aquarium, Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Bronx Botanical Garden, Bronx, N.Y.
Indiana Museum of Art, Indiannapolis, Indiana
Philadelphia Stock Exchange
Pace Furniture Collection, L.I.C., New York
Jefferson National Bank, Miami Beach, Florida
GSI - Globe Comm Systems, Happague, N.Y.
The Marcia & Frederick Weisman, Foundation, CA.
Alan Funt, N.Y.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS (CORPORATE/MUSEUM) CONTINUED

Borden Foods, Inc.
Air Travel Research Group, Corp.
Rolling Stone Magazine, N.Y.
Carly Simon/James Taylor, N.Y.
Dino DiLaurentis, Italy
The Walker Collection, Minn., Minn.

BOOKS, ARTICLES & REVIEWS

2001 “Profile” The Easthampton Star, Pamela Thiele
2000 “Fine Arts Magazine”, Victor Forbes
2000 “The East Hampton Star”, Candice Ferrette
2000 “Easthampton Independent” Overview, Debbie Tuma

1998 “Hampton’s Magazine”, Renee Dahl
1997 “International Magazine”
1986 “USA Today”
1996 “The Independent”, Renee Dahl
1996 “The New York Times”, Helen Harrison
1996 “The Southampton Press”, Marion Woldberg Weiss
1996 “The Independent”, Renee Dahl
1995 “Dan’s Paper”, Marion Wolberg Weiss”
1993 “Dan’s Paper”, Marion Woldberg Weiss
1992 “Sag Harbor Herald”
1992 “Hampton’s Magazine”

BOOKS, ARTICLES & REVIEWS CONTINUED

1991 “Dan’s Paper”, Marion Wolberg Weiss
1991 “Daily News” Debbie Tuma
1991 “East Hampton Star
1989 “Florida Today” Arts & Leisure”, Irene Klotz
1989 “The Sag Harbor Express”, Sag Harbor, N.Y., Connie Sica
1989 “The South Shore Record”, N.Y. Roberta Graff
1989 “The East Hampton Star”
1988 “The Long Island Monthly”, Elaine Benson
1988 “New York Art Review”, Les Krantz
1986 “The New York Times”, William Zimmer

BOOKS, ARTICLES & REVIEWS CONTINUED

1985 “Town Talk” Wilmington, Del.
1985 “The Mexico City News”, G.G. De Matons
1985 “Printworld”, Selma Smith
1984 “The New Lithography”, Mel Hunter, 1984
1983 “Encyclopaedia Britannica”
1983 “Miami Beach Sun Reporter”
1980 “The Mainichi News”, Tokyo, Japan
1980 “Artspeak”, N.Y., Palmer Paroner
1979 “Art in America”, Judy Goldman
1979 “Artists Christmas Cards”, Steven Heller
1979 “Artweek”, Cal.
1979 “Asahi Evening News”, Tokyo, Japan, Jane Rees
1979 “Austin American Statesmen”, Austin, Texas, Dathryn Bolger
1979 “The Baltimore Sun”, Balitmore, MD., Elizabeth Stevens
1978 “The Washington Post”, Washington, D.C. Benjamin Forgey
1978 “Art News Magazine”, Ann Jarmusch
1978 “Art News Magazine”, Suzanne Boorsch
1978 “The Philadelphia Inquirer”, Philadelphia, Pa.
1978 “Who’s Who In American Art”
1978 “Who’s Who”
1977 “Artist’s Prints”, Calif., Jean Millant
1977 “Pittsburgh Post Gazette”
1977 “Newsday”, Malcolm Preston\

1976 “The Print Collectors Newsletter”, N.Y.,
1975 “The Jerusalem Post”, Jerusalem, Israel
1974 “Art News”, New Editions
1973 “Art in America”, “The Print Establishment”
1972 “Pioneer Press”, Indianapolis , Indiana
1971 “Baltimore Sun”, Elizabeth Stevens

AUTHORED

1974 “The Contemporary Lithographic Workshop Around The World”, Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Co - author, Muray Zimiles
1970 “The Technique of Fine Art Lithography”, Van Nostrand Reinhold
Co - author, Murray Zimiles

ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED

1990 “The Complete Printmaker”, John Ross/Clare Romano
1984 “The New Lithography”, Mel Hunter
1982 “Lithography, A Complete Guide”, Maryann Wenniger

PUBLISHED ILLUSTRATIONS & CORPORATE COMMISSIONS

2002 United Nations, Face To Face Original Lithographic Edition
2001 Cover Art, Dan’s Papers
1999 Poster - Hillary Clinton, Long Island Visitors Bureau
1999 Christmas Card, Philadelphia Stock Exchange
1999 Poster for LIAAC - Long Island Association for AIDS Care
1999 Poster for East Hampton Artists Alliance
1998 Cover Art “Dan’s Papers
1996 Poster for the “Music Festival of the Hamptons”

PUBLISHED ILLUSTRATIONS & CORPORATE COMMISSIONS

1996 Poster for “Pionofest of the Hamptons”
1996 Cover Art, “Dan’s Papers
1996 Cover Art, “Dan’s Papers
1993 Cover Art, “Dan’s Papers
1990 “Japan Society”, Annual Report
1988 Painting for “Rosecroft Raceway”
1987 “Money Magazine, Full page color
1981-1984 Posters for “Tsing-Tao Beer “
1983 Poster for “Bronx Botanical Gardens”
1983 Poster for “The New York Aquarium”
1983 Painting for “Bank of Tokyo
1983 “Bank of Tokyo” Annual Report Cover
1983 Poster for “The Long Island Philharmonic”
1981 “Fortune Magazine”, Full page color, Half page color
1980 “Japan Society” , Annual Report Cover
1977 “Ring Magazine”, Cover

AWARDS & HONORS

2000 Faculty Development Award, Pratt Institute - “Holocaust Series”
1991 Appointed to the NASA Art Team to cover the landing of the shuttle, “Atlantis”
1988 Appointed to the NASA Art Team to cover the launch of the shuttle, “Discovery”
1982 Certificate of Special Merit-Graphic Arts Exhibition, N.Y., N.Y.
1980 Certificate of Merit, National Society of Illustrators, N.Y., N.Y.
1979 Certificate of Merit, National Society of Illustrators, N.Y., N.Y.

AWARDS & HONORS CONTINUED

1979 Clio Award: Art Direction, Cinetudes Film Production, Ltd., N.Y.
1979 John B. Turner Memorial Award, Society of American Graphic Artists
1972 Fellowship to the American Film Institute, Los Angeles, California
1969 Awarded E.A.T. Grant to LA -ALA Lithographic Technical Institute, N.Y.
1964 Ford Foundation Grant: Tamarind Lithography Workshop, L.A., Cal.

ORGANIZATIONS

1987-2002 East Hampton Artist’s Alliance, East Hampton, N.Y.
1981 Board of Directors, Society of American Graphic Artists
1986-1999 East Hampton Artists Alliance
1975-1981 Society of American Graphic Artists

JUDGE/JURIES & LECTURES

1997 Judge, South Bay Art Association, Bellport, N.Y.
1997 Judge South Bay Art Association, Bellport, N.Y.
1982 Northwestern University; Evanston, Illinois, Lecture & Judge: Contemporary Trends in Printmaking”
1982 Audobon Artist’s Annual Show, National Arts Club, N.Y., N.Y.
1981 New Jersey League of Women Artists, N.Y., N.Y.
1979 Society of American GHraphic Artists, N.Y., N.Y.
1975 Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Israel

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1996 Adjunct Professor L.I.U., Southampton, N.Y.
1967- 2003 Full professor Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1972 Professor Yale University, New Haven, Conneticut
1975-76 The Burston Graphics Center, Jerusalem, Israel

EDUCATION

1966 B.F.A. Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia