BIOGRAPHY
Max Ferguson – Biography
Born in New York City in 1959, Max Ferguson started as a filmmaker, making award-winning animated films as a teenager. But it was while he was a visiting student at an art school in Amsterdam that his interest shifted to painting. “While my fellow art students were painting nudes of young women, I was painting octogenarians with canes.” "I am not consciously a contrarian, but it would seem that the louder and larger the work of my contemporaries grows, the quieter and smaller my paintings become.”
"My work is essentially autobiographical," says Ferguson, with his two most frequent models being his father and himself. "The more personal you get, the more universal you become." "My paintings are generally populated by a solitary figure. In one sense it is a soliloquy. But there is someone else involved; the viewer. So it is more like a dialogue. It is that silent, emotional pas de deux between the two in which I am most interested."
Ferguson’s paintings are in many prominent private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The British Museum, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the soon to open Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2024 Group exhibition, MEAM, European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
2023 Storied Strings, Frist Museum, Nashville curator, Leo Mazow
2023 Summer Selections, Cavalier Gallery, New York, NY
2022 Storied Strings, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, curator Leo Mazow
The Art of the American Guitar, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
2020 "On Being Human" (group exhibition), Valley House Gallery, Dallas
Yeshiva University Museum, (group exhibition), New York
2019 Creatures (group exhibition) Gallerie Bassenge, Berlin, Germany
20 x 20, (group exhibition) MEAM Museum, Barcelona
2018 "American Dream" Kunsthalle, Emden, Germany
2017 Solo Exhibition, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York
2014 Touring Solo Exhibition, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Tough and Tender, P8 Gallery, Tel Aviv
2012 By the Book, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, curated by Shlomit Steinberg
Painting My Father, Hebrew Union College Museum, New York (solo)
2011 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Arkansas
E.G. Conference (presenter), Monterey, California
Reflex Museum of Miniature Art, Netherlands
From the Hand: Drawings from the Collection, Hofstra University Museum, New York
Dallas Art Fair, Texas
2010 Paintings of Urban Intimacy, Gallery Henoch, New York (solo)
Dallas Art Fair, Texas
2009 Art of the Twentieth Century, New York
Los Angeles Art Fair, California
2008 Art of the Twentieth Century, New York
2006 The Eye of the Collector, Hebrew Union College, curator Laura Kruger, New York
2005 Yeshiva University Museum (solo), curator Reba Wulkan, New York
Impressions of New York, New-York Historical Society, curator Marilyn Symmes, New York
Beauty and the Book, The Israel Museum, curator Hagit Alon, Jerusalem
2004 The Art of Sport, The Israel Museum, curator Efrat Natan, Jerusalem
The Art of Aging, (national tour) Hebrew Union College, curator Laura Kruger, New York
92nd Street Y, New York (solo)
2003 ACA Galleries, New York (solo)
2002 Summer in the City, ACA Galleries, New York
Madison Art Partners, New York (solo)
2000 Cow Parade, New York
Art for Embassies Program U.S. State Department
1999 First Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
1998 Realism, Amarillo Museum of Fine Arts, curator Jay Fletcher, Amarillo
TDI Bus Poster, International public awareness campaign
1997 20th Century Realism, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Qgunquit
Contemporary Realism, Van Der Griff Gallery, Santa Fe
1996 Gallery Henoch, New York (solo)
1995 Virtual Reality, The Armory, New York
Picturing New York, The Museum of the City of New York
1994 New York Realism a touring exhibition, curator Douglass Dreishpoon, Japan
1993 Gallery Henoch, New York (solo)
1992 Urban Realities, Fairfield University, curator Amy Simon
1991 Monochrome/Polychrome, Florida State University Museum, curator Allys Palladino-Craig,
Tallahassee
Artists Love New York, City Arts, New York
Art Cologne, Galerie Ulrich Gering, Cologne
Basel Art Fair, Galerie Igne Baecker
1990 Coney Island, Gallery Henoch, New York (solo)
Self-Portraits, John Szoke Graphics, New York
1988 Art at the Armory, New York
1987 Contemporary New York Urban Visions, Adelphi University, curator Amy Simon, Garden
City, New York
Nocturnes and Nightmares, Florida State University Museum, curator Allys Palladino-Craig,
Tallahassee
Prints in Motion, Associated American Artists, New York
Mainstream America: The Collection of Phil Dessing, The Butler Institute of American Art,
Youngstown, Ohio
Mural Project, Canal Street Post Office, New York
1986 Littlejohn-Smith Gallery, New York (solo)
Musee D’Arte Contemporain de Dunkurque, France
Nocturnal Imagery, OK Harris Works of Art, New York
Pratt/Silvermine International Print Competition, curator William S. Lieberman, Purchase
Award, New Canaan, Connecticut
1985 Starved for Art, School of Visual Arts Museum, curator Lowery Sims, New York
1984 Gallery Henoch, New York (solo)
1983 Audubon Artists Annual Stefan Hirsch Award, New York
1981 Gallery Mokum, Amsterdam
1980 Small Works, New York University Washington Square East Galleries, New York
1979 Koopt Kunst, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam
SELECTED PERIODICALS
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2022 |
American Psychologist (cover story) February Anne. E. Kazak |
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2019 |
La Gazette Drouot May |
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2018 |
The Mick Imlah Poetry Prize 2018, The Times of London, Literary Supplement, December 20 |
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2017 |
American Art Collector, May |
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2014 |
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Llei D'art, Luisa Noriega, January |
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2013 |
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2012 |
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American Artist, June |
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City Arts, Valerie Gladstone, April 18 |
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Fathers and Sons: Max Ferguson's "Paintings of My Father," 1982-2011, June 17 |
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Huffington Post, Jeanine Barone, June 17 |
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Worth Magazine, June |
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The Jewish Press Magazine, Menachem Wecker, March 23 |
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2011 |
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Professional Artist Magazine (cover story), Louise Buyo, September |
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2010 |
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2009 |
Logos, (Italy), June |
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2008 |
Super Interessante, (Brazil), December |
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New York Spaces, June |
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Focus, (Italy), May |
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2007 |
Art & Antiques, Collector’s Sourcebook, Joseph Jacobs, December |
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2004 |
In New York, July |
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2002 |
The Robb Report, December |
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2000 |
Harper’s Magazine, January |
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1999 |
The New York Times, May 18 |
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1998 |
ARTnews, Milton Esterow, April |
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The New York Post, Neil Travis, April 12 |
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The New York Post, Cindy Adams, January 28 |
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Artspeak, Ed McCormack, January |
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The Villager, Jerry Tallmer, January 21 |
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The Dublin Examiner, (Ireland), Sean McCarthaigh, January 8 |
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The Evening Herald, (Great Britain), Smantha McCaughren, January 6 |
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1997 |
The Forward, May 16 |
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1996 |
New York Magazine, John Connolly, September 9 |
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The Daily News, Salvatore Arena, September 2 |
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The Forward, Douglas Century, May 17 |
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Where Magazine, Paulette Weiss, May |
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The New York Post, Matt Tader, May 14 |
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The New York Post, Philip Messing, May 8 |
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The Daily News, George Rush, Joanna Molloy, May 3 |
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Our Town, April 25 |
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1994 |
Hadassah Magazine, Joan Schwartz-Michel, March |
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1993 |
Yiddish Forverts, Miriam Schmulevitz-Hoffman, May 28 |
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The Jewish Week, May 21 |
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The New York Post, Jerry Tallmer, April 30 |
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1992 |
Manhattan Spirit, Tim Cavanaugh, September |
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The New York Times, (Westchester Edition), Vivien Raynor, March 15 |
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1991 |
The New York Times, (Westchester Edition), William Zimmer, August 4 |
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Art & Antiques, Patrick Pacheco, May |
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1990 |
The New York Post, Jerry Tallmer, June 15 |
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Downtown, June 6 |
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The New York Times, Lonnie Schlein, May 27 |
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1987 |
The New York Times, Richard Levine, December 9 |
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The New York Times, (Connecticut Edition), Phyllis Braff, October 25 |
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The New York Times, Vivien Raynor, August 14 |
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New York Newsday, Scott Ladd, May 11 |
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X Man Magazine, (Japan), Hajima Koyama, March |
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1986 |
Arts Magazine, John Loughery, November |
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The New Yorker, September 29 |
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New York Newsday, Stuart Troup, September 3 |
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The New York Times, (Connecticut Edition), William Zimmer, February 16 |
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1981 |
New Israelitisch Weekblad, (Netherlands), June 26 |
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
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2022 |
Storied Strings, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Leo Mazow 300pp |
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2017 |
The American Dream, Harry Tupan, W Books, 212 pp. |
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Lulu in New York, Unicorn Press, 128 pp. |
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2012 |
Painting My Father, Gail Levin, 32 pp. |
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Marquis Who's Who in American Art |
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2011 |
Art Journey America: Landscapes, North Light Books, Cincinatti |
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From the Hand, Hofstra University Museum, Karen T. Albert, New York |
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Richard Brown Baker Collection, Yale University |
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Art and Freedom VI, Arte Libro Gallery, Spain, 290 pp. |
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Reflex Museum of Miniature Art, Catalogue, Netherlands |
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2010 |
Paintings of Urban Intimacy, Introduction by Christian Viveros-Fauné, New York, 32 pp. |
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Yeshiva University Museum: The First 35 Years, Sylvia Herskowitz, New York, 256 pp. |
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2008 |
Seven Bridges Collection: The First 15 Years, 389 pp. |
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Intorno Alla Pittura, Dario Lodi, Piccola Bilioteca, Italy, 106 pp. |
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2006 |
Going, Going, Gone Paintings of a Vanishing New York, 48 pp. |
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The Eye of the Collector: The Jewish Vision of Sigmund R. Balka |
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Hebrew Union College, Laura Kruger, New York, 220 pp. |
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40 Years: A Dealer’s Collection, Gallery Henoch, New York, 32 pp. |
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2005 |
Impressions of New York, New York Historical Society, Marilyn Symmes,New York, 304 pp. |
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Beauty and the Book, Israel Museum, Hagit Alon, Jerusalem, 24 pp. |
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2003 |
The Art of Aging Hebrew, Union College, Laura Kruger, New York, 102 pp |
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Max Ferguson, exhibition catalogue ACA Galleries, New York, 32 pp. |
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2001 |
Love: A Celebration in Art and Literature, Edited by Jane Lahr Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, 240 pp. |
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2000 |
Painting the Town, Paintings from the Museum of the City of New York, Yale University Press, 374 pp. |
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1999 |
Monochrome/Polychrome, exhibition catalogue, Jerome Sternn, Florida State University Gallery and Museum, 48 pp. |
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1996 |
Great Jewish Quotations, edited by Alfred J. Kolatch, Jonathan David, Inc, New York, 612 pp. |
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Max Ferguson, exhibition catalogue, Gallery Henoch, New York, 24 pp. |
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1994 |
New York Realism-Past and Present, exhibition catalogue, Douglas Dreishpoon, Ph.D.,166 pp. (touring exhibition of five museums in Japan and the United States). |
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1993 |
Yiddish II, textbook, Mordekhe Schaechter, Yiddish Language Resource Center, New York, 561 pp. |
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1987 |
Nocturnes and Nightmares, exhibition catalogue, Allys Palladino-Craig, Florida State University Gallery and Museum, 56 pp. |
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Prints in Motion, exhibition catalogue, Robert P. Conway, Associated American Artists, New York, 12 pp. |
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1986 |
International Prints, exhibition catalogue, Pratt Graphics Center and the Silvermine Guild Center for the Arts, William S. Lieberman, Silvermine, Connecticut, 2 |
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1983 |
Audubon Artists Annual, exhibition catalogue, New York, 16 pp. |
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1978 |
Koopt Kunst, exhibition catalogue, Gemeentekunstaankopen, Amsterdam, 264 pp. |
TELEVISION / RADIO
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2013 |
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2012 |
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NBC Evening News with Chuck Scarborough, June 5 |
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1996 |
ABC, New York Views with Roz Abrams, July |
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1992 |
ARD Television, (Germany), Brighton Beach, April |
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1991 |
National Geographic Explorer Series, The Subways, September |
EDUCATION
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1980 |
New York University, B.S. |
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1979 |
Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam |