معرفی
Joe Scanlan is a Professor of Visual Arts at Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts, where he has maintained an active teaching position with upcoming courses scheduled through Fall 2025 including Sculpture: Craft, Words as Objects, and Sculpture I. He previously served as Director of the Visual Arts Program from 2009-2017, during which he completely overhauled the program's curriculum, expanded the faculty significantly, and elevated Princeton's visual arts program to become one of the best undergraduate art programs in the country.
Scanlan received his BFA in Sculpture from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, which forms the foundation for his diverse artistic practice. His educational background in traditional sculpture has evolved into a multifaceted approach that challenges conventional artistic boundaries.
Scanlan's artistic practice is defined by what he terms a "willful subterfuge" - deliberately using deception, fictional personae, and institutional critique to explore complex themes in contemporary art. His work spans sculpture, design, publications, and conceptual projects that address the political economy of site-specific labor, as seen in works like Massachusetts Wedding Bed. Perhaps most notably, he has developed the fictional artist Donelle Woolford, collaborating with professional actors to script this persona's life and work, thereby interrogating issues of racial identity in the art world.
His recent projects demonstrate continued innovation and international reach, including the exhibitions Décor and Avant-poste at FRAC Pays de la Loire in Nantes, and New Tricks, New Schemes, his fifth solo exhibition at Galerie Martin Janda in Vienna. Scanlan also created a large-scale installation for Klassenverhältnisse (Class Relations), a group show exploring class and art at the Kunstverein Hamburg.
Scanlan's publications form a significant part of his practice, with five major books including Object Lessons (2013), Passing Through (2007), DIY (2003), Pay Dirt (2002), and his self-titled monograph (1996). His writing appears in prestigious venues such as Artforum, frieze, and Parkett, and he maintains the former website thingsthatfall.com.
Beyond his artistic and academic work, Scanlan holds U.S. patent no. 6,488,732 for converting postconsumer waste into viable potting soil, demonstrating his interest in practical applications of artistic thinking. This project bridges conceptual art with environmental concerns and functional utility.
As an educator, Scanlan transformed Princeton's visual arts program by expanding the faculty to include distinguished artists such as Fia Backstrom, Martha Friedman, Deana Lawson, Pam Lins, Moon Molson, David Reinfurt, James Welling, and Jeff Whetstone. His leadership created a more ambitious, socially engaged environment for visual arts students, significantly increasing the visibility of visual arts on campus.
Scanlan maintains active professional relationships with galleries internationally, including Galerie Jan Mot in Brussels and Galerie Martin Janda in Vienna, while continuing his foundational work with The Broodthaers Society of America, which he founded, built an archive for, and continues to operate.
