Samuel Yates

Samuel Yates is a Professor of Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he serves as a Critic in Painting. He has established a significant career as a conceptual artist with works in major public collections including SFMOMA, Berkeley Art Museum, di Rosa Foundation, and Ballett Frankfurt.

Education:

• BA, University of California Berkeley
• MFA, Columbia University

Yates' research spans conceptual art, sculpture, public interventions, and digital documentation practices. His work often explores the intersection of urban space, documentation systems, and bureaucratic processes. Particularly notable is his pioneering work in citywide street-level photography with "The Color of Palo Alto" project, which predated Google Street View by six years and created the nation's first photo-assisted 9-1-1 emergency response system.

His artistic output reveals consistent themes of documentation, urban space, and the relationship between physical objects and bureaucratic systems. Many works like "Clarion Alley Vacation" demonstrate long-duration performance practices, while others like "Vern" integrate legal documentation as part of the artwork itself.

Notable Awards:

• Joan Sovern Sculpture Award
• SECA Award Finalist at SFMOMA
• Best Art Project in Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine
• Nice Modernist Humanitarian Award from Dwell Magazine

Yates has presented his work internationally at institutions ranging from Hewlett-Packard Laboratories to the University of Chiang Mai. His teaching career spans prestigious institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and UC Berkeley. He has also created significant public art installations that engage with municipal systems and urban planning processes.

His studio practice incorporates both physical installations and digital documentation systems, with notable projects including "Endless Objects" which explores artworks designed to evolve infinitely through external systems and bureaucratic processes.