AUSTIN YOUNG RECONSTRUCTS TROPES OF POP ART AND POP CULTURE INTO ALARMINGLY BRILLIANT NEW ICONS. - Shana Nys Drambot

Austin Young (Tranimal, Fallen Fruit) is a multidisciplinary artist whose trademark style interprets a nuanced visual language of beauty, Pop culture, art history, folk art, and transgressive underground exuberance. Whether he’s working in a photography- and video-based modes of performative portraiture, engaging in assertive visibility for Queer culture, or advocating for a community-based resource sharing culture through the literal and metaphoric prism of public fruit trees, Young’s interest is in illustrating the sublime qualities of humanity that moves us all forward.

Originally from Reno, Nevada, studying at Parsons School in Paris, and currently living and working between Los Angeles and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from an early age, Young has invented novel ways of integrating his diverse interests and eclectic influences into a celebrated image-making career. Young’s practice grew from foundations in celebrity portraiture depicting figures from Margaret Cho to Debbie Harry, Diamanda Galas, Leigh Bowery, Jackie Beat, Alaska Thunderfuck, Siouxsie Sioux, and more in ways that confront personality and identity across gender roles and stereotypical societal constraints, to expansive practices in community engagement, books, performances, and urban agriculture.

Young’s infamous Tranimal Workshop series (with Squeaky Blonde and Fade-Dra) is an experience of radical metamorphosis, transforming willing victims in a gender-bending styling assembly line. “I've been doing portraits of drag queens, transsexuals and androgynes since 1985,” he says. “I’m drawn to the spaces in between what society expects and what’s real. What is gender? What is beauty? Who are we supposed to be and who are we in fact?”

Young is also a cofounder of Fallen Fruit, a contemporary art collective that uses fruit as a material for projects, investigating the hyper-qualities of collaboration, and in its own way is also about challenging dominant paradigms. Using art as their starting point, they take direct action investigating cultural, economic, and ethnic oppression surrounding public and private fruit-bearing agriculture as a function of resources and colonial history. In addition to photography, video, cartography, tree adoption, and raucous jam-making parties, public fruit parks from Del Aire to Downtown LA, and decorative-arts juggernauts from Palermo to London—their includes public art projects, site specific commissions, and installations at museums, churches, gardens, palaces, and bespoke gathering places around the globe.

 Whether creating flamboyant and gleeful transgressive portraiture, or encouraging the proliferation of public access to fruit trees, in a way, all of Austin’s work is about finding beauty and taking pleasure along the margins—and thereby bringing the margins closer to the center.

'Champion of transgender fabulosity in photography, performance, film and public spectacle'- Shana Nys Drambot

"Working with Austin Young is like being alone in a room with a spirit who wants to meet you. He reminds me of the great Hollywood portrait photographers from another era, of George Hurrell, in particular, who was interested in the painting, not the snapshot. There is always a place for the secular in journalism. Thankfully that place will not be in Mr. Young's studio." - Diamanda Galás

"Austin Young is the best artist working in photography today. His work captures beauty at its most vital, carnal, visceral, alive! His exuberant intensity is matched by his innate sense of balance and upmost respect for glamour, in all of its many decent and indecent forms. His work will be seen as important historical reference for our times, and his name will be legend." - Margaret Cho

"Austin's images are, like me, flawless and perfect, They are dreamily artificial -- while somehow simultaneously remaining organic, genuine and very real." - Jackie Beat

“I was beyond thrilled when Austin Young expressed interest in photographing Peaches Christ, not only because I knew Austin would create a gorgeously iconic Peaches image (which he did) but because it meant I’d be included in a brilliant body of work I’ve admired for years. Austin Young’s subjects are my idols and his portraits pay glamorous tribute to the often over-looked world of dark divas, drag superstars, and underground film icons." - Peaches Christ

“I’m pretty unabashed in my enthusiasm for Austin Young’s work. I think he’s the most original photographer to emerge in America since David LaChapelle.” -Richard Metzger

AUSTIN YOUNG (Español)
Vive y trabaja en Los Ángeles. La base de su carrera se construyó estudiando en Parsons en París. Al principio de su carrera, Austin transfirió sus intereses de la pintura tradicional de retratos a una larga y célebre carrera en fotografía; retratos especialmente. Austin se describe con más precisión como un creador de imágenes; sus proyectos ilustran las cualidades sublimes del carácter que hacen a las personas populares únicas. Basado en un lenguaje visual de la cultura pop iconográfica, su estilo de marca y sus técnicas han capturado a una amplia paleta de músicos, artistas, y celebridades que incluyen a Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery y Margaret Cho, por mencionar algunos. En múltiples cuerpos de trabajo, Austin confunde personalidad y problemas de identidad en la imagen de confrontación y va sobre las personas que a menudo dividen el género de roles, restricciones estereotipadas e identidades socialmente construidas. Actualmente, Austin es auto-productor de un largometraje musical titulado TBD, una obra de teatro y proyecto cinematográfico que es co-creado por todos los participantes. Austin, es también co-creador de Fallen Fruit, un colectivo de arte contemporáneo que utiliza la fruta como material de proyectos para investigar las cualidades hiper-sinérgicas de colaboración. Las obras de arte creadas por Austin son transgresoras sobre las cualidades subjetivas y los significados prescritos con un enfoque agudo en la honestidad y representaciones narrativas de lo real. Su obra y proyectos han sido presentados en lugares como: Honor Fraser Gallery, Another Year ., exposiciones contemporáneas, Festival de Cine Frameline, Mix NYC, Out Magazine, etc.

AUSTIN YOUNG (Italiano)

Austin Young (Tranimal, Fallen Fruit) è un artista multidisciplinare il cui stile distintivo interpreta un linguaggio visivo sfumato di bellezza, cultura pop, storia dell'arte, arte popolare ed eccesso trasgressivo sotterraneo. Che lavori in modalità fotografiche e video basate sulla ritrattistica performativa, impegnandosi nella visibilità assertiva della cultura Queer, o promuova una cultura di condivisione delle risorse basata sulla comunità attraverso il prisma letterale e metaforico degli alberi da frutto pubblici, l'interesse di Young è nell'illustrare le qualità sublimi dell'umanità che ci spingono tutti avanti.

Originario di Reno, Nevada, laureatosi alla Parsons School di Parigi e attualmente vive e lavora tra Los Angeles e Puerto Vallarta, in Messico, fin dalla giovane età, Young ha inventato nuovi modi di integrare i suoi interessi diversificati e influenze eclettiche in una carriera celebrata nel creare immagini. La pratica di Young è cresciuta dalle fondamenta della ritrattistica di celebrità raffigurando personaggi da Margaret Cho a Debbie Harry, Diamanda Galas, Leigh Bowery, Jackie Beat, Alaska Thunderfuck, Siouxsie Sioux e altri, in modi che affrontano la personalità e l'identità attraverso ruoli di genere e vincoli sociali stereotipati, fino a pratiche espansive di coinvolgimento della comunità, libri, performance e agricoltura urbana.

La famigerata serie di workshop Tranimal di Young (con Squeaky Blonde e Fade-Dra) è un'esperienza di metamorfosi radicale, che trasforma vittime disposte in una catena di montaggio stilistica di genere. "Faccio ritratti di drag queen, transessuali e androgini dal 1985", dice. "Sono attratto dai vuoti tra ciò che la società si aspetta e ciò che è reale. Cos'è il genere? Cos'è la bellezza? Chi dovremmo essere e chi siamo in realtà?"

Young è anche cofondatore di Fallen Fruit, un collettivo d'arte contemporanea che utilizza la frutta come materiale per progetti, indagando le iper-qualità della collaborazione, e in un certo senso sfida anche i paradigmi dominanti. Utilizzando l'arte come punto di partenza, agiscono direttamente indagando sull'oppressione culturale, economica ed etnica circondante l'agricoltura fruttifera pubblica e privata come funzione di risorse e storia coloniale. Oltre alla fotografia, al video, alla cartografia, all'adozione degli alberi e alle feste di preparazione rumorose, i parchi pubblici di frutta da Del Aire al centro di Los Angeles, e giganti delle arti decorative da Palermo a Londra - i loro progetti includono progetti d'arte pubblica, commissioni specifiche per siti e installazioni in musei, chiese, giardini, palazzi e luoghi di incontro su misura in tutto il mondo.

Creando ritratti trasgressivi e gioiosi, o incoraggiando la proliferazione dell'accesso pubblico agli alberi da frutto, in un certo senso, tutto il lavoro di Austin riguarda la ricerca della bellezza e il prendere piacere lungo i margini - e quindi avvicinare i margini al centro.

BIO D'AUSTIN YOUNG (Français)

Austin Young est originaire de Reno, dans le Nevada, et vit et travaille actuellement à Los Angeles. Les bases de sa carrière sont issues de ses études à Parsons à Paris. Au début de sa carrière, Austin s'est détourné de la peinture de portrait traditionnelle pour se consacrer à une longue et célèbre carrière de photographe de portrait. À bien des égards, Austin est plus précisément décrit comme un créateur d'images : ses projets illustrent les sublimes qualités de caractère qui rendent les personnes célèbres uniques. Fondés sur un langage visuel nuancé de l'iconographie de la culture pop, son style particulier et ses techniques ont permis de capturer une large palette de musiciens, d'artistes et de célébrités, dont Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery et Margaret Cho, entre autres. Dans ses nombreux travaux, Austin confond les questions de personnalité et d'identité dans une création d'images confrontante et sans complaisance sur des personnes qui se partagent souvent les rôles de genre, les contraintes stéréotypées et les identités socialement construites. austinyoung.com et austinyoungforever sur instagram.

AUSTIN YOUNG (English)

Austin young is from Reno, Nevada and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. The foundation of his career is from studying at Parsons in Paris. Early in his career, Austin transferred his interests from traditional portrait painting towards a long celebrated career in portrait photography. In many ways, Austin is more accurately described as an image-maker: his projects illustrate the sublime qualities of character that make celebrated people unique. Based on a nuanced visual language of pop-culture iconography, his trademark style and techniques have captured a broad palette of musicians, artists and celebrities including Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery and Margaret Cho, among others. In multiple bodies of work, Austin confuses personality and identity issues in confrontational and unapologetic image making about people who often split gender roles, stereotypical constraints and socially-constructed identities.  austinyoung.com and austinyoungforever on instagram

Austin is co-founder and artist of Fallen Fruit, artist duo Austin Young and David Allen Burns, a contemporary art collective that uses fruit as a material for projects that investigate the hyper- qualities of collaboration.

Exhibitions

2023

21c St Louis - permanent installation, ‘THE WAY OUT WEST” by Fallen Fruit

FAO- World Food Forum, a Video projection on the building in Rome by Fallen Fruit

Feudi Di San Gregario - permanent installation ‘A Portrait of Dionysus’ by Fallen Fruit

QUEERISH Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Los Angeles, portraits of trans men by Austin Young, curated by Ken Gonzalez Day

OPC, Puerto Vallarta Mexico- QUEER/CUIR a group exhibition with a series of portraits of trans men by Austin Young.

Accademia Carrara, Bergamo Italy, permanente installation ‘Sacred Conversations’ by Fallen Fruit

2022

CMT FESTIVAL, Berlin, featuring Jump Cut #3 by Austin Young presented by Animals of Distinction

LOVE TRAP, at Chiostro del Bramante, Rome Italy: Art installation by Fallen Fruit

2021

Endless Orchard, Creative Capital Launch, Fallen Fruit, Los Angeles State Historic Park,

VBG Chapel, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: permanent art installation by Fallen Fruit

MUTEK festival 2021, Canada: Jump Cut marathon featuring Jump Cut #3 by Austin Young

Take Me Somewhere Festival 2021, Glasgow: Premier of Jump Cut #3 by Austin Young presented by Animals of Distinction

PARADISE, OÖ Landes-Kultur, Linz Austria (Fallen Fruit)

2020

BIJOUX, Never Apart, Montreal, Canada (group exhibition) Austin Young

NGV Triennial, Melbourne, Australia (Fallen Fruit)

SUPERSHOW, PDC Design Gallery, West Hollywood (Fallen Fruit)

2019

LOVE &/or FEAR, Celebration of Genders, Performances Curated by LA Freewaves, Austin Young

FOOD, V&A Museum, London (Fallen Fruit)

THE MIDNIGHT SUN, Kunstahall 4.32 Bergen, Norway (Fallen Fruit)

SPECTRO COMPLETO, Orto Botanico, Palermo Sicily (permanent art installation) (Fallen Fruit)

2018

Ain’t I a Woman? LASHP, Gender Portraits, performances curated by LA Freewaves     Austin Young
     
EMPIRE, Newcomb Art Museum (Fallen Fruit)

MANIFESTA 12, Biennale- Palermo Sicily (Fallen Fruit)

Portraits by Austin Young – Never Apart, Montreal, Canada

2017          
Stoneview Nature Center, Public Fruit Park, Los Angeles, California (permanent public artwork) (Fallen Fruit)

A MONUMENT TO SHARING, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Los Angeles, California (permanent public artwork) (Fallen Fruit)

Block by Block: Columbus, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio (Fallen Fruit)

Fallen Fruit of New Orleans with Pelican Bomb with Tulane Art Museum, New Orleans, Louisianna (permanent public artwork)

2016          
Portrait of Anyone who comes in Drag, Los Angeles Edition, Weho Public Library, 

Drag portraits, A brief History of Drag, Weho Public Library, Austin Young

Rainbow Fruit Barrels- Sites Unseen, Moscone Center Garage, curated by Jessica Shaefer

Lemonade Stand, Sites Unseen, curated by Jessica Shaefer

The Practices of Everyday Life, 21c Hotel and Museum, Louisville, Kentucky (curated by Alice Stites)  (permanent art installation))

2015          
TBD The Musical, TBD BTS, Austin Young, MOAH, Lancaster (curated by Andi Campiogne)

Teen Angst, Honor Fraser Gallery, Austin Young, Culver City (Curated by Laura Fraser  )

Power of People / Power of Place, Bemis Art Center, Omaha, Nebraska (curated by Nicole Caruth) 

Fallen Fruit of Portland, Caldera Arts, Portland, Oregon 

 Paradise, Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon (curated by Stephanie Parrish) 

The Division Of Identification, Portland, Oregon

Park-To-Playa Trailhead, Public Fruit Park, Los Angeles, California  

¡Estás Como Mango!, OPC (Oficina de Proyecto Culturales), Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico (curated by Pilar Pérez)

Mother Patch, Coleman Center For The Arts, York, Alabama

2014          
Accident Perfume, The Institute of Art and Olfaction, Austin Young, (curated by Saskia Wilson Brown)

TBD- A Musical Play, Machine Project, Austin Young, 

TBD- A Musical Play and Video by EVERYONE Who Comes, 

Makeovers, Good Luck Gallery, Austin Young, (curated by Paige Wery)

Fruit Machine, Catharine Clark Gallery, Media room project, San Francisco, California

Fallen Fruit of Love, The Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California

Rainbow Day Trip, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, California 

Public Fruit Jam, Coleman Center For The Arts, York, Alabama

Urban Fruit Trails: MacArthur Park, Heart Of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (curated by Nara Hernandez)

2013         
TBD- A Musical Play and Video by EVERYONE Who Comes, Machine Project,  

Fallen Fruit of Atlanta, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Public Fruit Park / Del Aire Park, Los Angeles County Arts Commission

2012          
TRANIMAL Master Class, Austin Young,  Machine Project

Public Picnic Tables, Coleman Center for the Arts, York, Alabama

Fallen Fruit of Hawaii, Contemporary Art Museum, Honolulu Hawaii

2011          
I am Chloe Flores, Chloe Flores Facebook page, Austin Young, (curated by Chloe Flores)

Fallen Fruit of Utah, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah

Public Fruit Theater, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

 Public Fruit Jam, Machine Project, Los Angeles, California

2010          
YOUR FACE HERE, Austin Young, Pop Tart Gallery (curated by Lenora Claire)

EATLACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California 

Acción Fruta Urbana, Intermediae / Matadero, Madrid, Spain (for ARCO 2010)

United Fruit, Lugar a Dudas, Cali, Colombia 

Fallen Fruit, Wedge Gallery, Woodbury University, Burbank, California

 2009         
TRANIMAL Workshop, Machine Procject, 
Fallen Fruit, Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, California
United Fruit, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Los Angeles, California
The Colonial History of Fruit – as told by fruit, Clockshop, Los Angeles, California (organized by Julia Meltzer and David Thorne)
Fresh n’ Easy, another year in LA, Los Angeles, California
Public Fruit Jam, Machine Project, Los Angeles, California

2008         
A Specter is Haunting the City, Clockshop, Los Angeles, California (organized by Julia Meltzer and David Thorne)

Public Fruit Jam, Museum Of Contemporary Art PDC Complex, Los Angeles, California (organized by Fritz Haeg)

Public Fruit Jam, Machine Project, Los Angeles, California

Salsa Salsa, Farmlab, Los Angeles, California

 2007         
 Celebritism, World of Wonder Storefront Gallery, Hollywood                                                        

God Save The Queen, Art Murmur, Los Angeles

Public Fruit Jam, Machine Project, Los Angeles, California

Public Fruit Jam, Art Fair LA, Los Angeles CA

 2006          
Public Fruit Jam, Machine Project, Los Angeles, California

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2018          
Transgeria – Alfalibra Gallery, Paris France

Tranimal Workshop at ‘Sleepless’ at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion

2017          

2016         
Rainbow Fruit Tree installation,  The Hub at LA Water Biennale, (curated by Dyson and Womak) 

By The People, , Smithsonian, New York, New York (curated by Cynthia Smith) (forthcoming)

Deep Design, Elaine L. Jacob Gallery, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan (curated by Siobhan Clare Gregory)

2015          
Value Of Food, New York, New York (curated by Kirby Gookin and Robin Kahn)

To Live and Dine In LA, Getty Gallery, Central Library, Los Angeles, California (curated by Josh Kun)

Art About The Environment, LAX terminal 3, Los Angeles, California (curated by Jay Belloli)

Unchain Me, Commissioned project, Los Angeles (curated by Lorenzo Martone)

Art | Food | Activism, Davinci Gallery, LA City College (curated by Laurel Paley)

2014          
Food Ways, New Orleans, Louisiana (curated by Pelican Bomb for Prospect 3+)

SLOWLAB: Dust Dialogue & Uncertainty, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, New York, New York (curated by Carolyn Strauss and Ana Paula Pais)

Fruitique!:The Garden of Eden, Los Angeles, California 

The Politics and Pleasures of Food, AAC Gallery, Weimar, Germany 

Food For Thought, Weatherspoon Museum, Greenboro, North Carolina  (curated by Xandra Eden)

Harvest, Queensland Museum of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, Australia (curated by Ellie Buttrose) 

Feast – Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art, Gund Gallery, Kenyon College, University of Ohio, Gambler, Ohio

2013          
Feast – Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art, Blaffer Museum, Houston, Tx (curated by Amy Powell)

Arts Re:Store LA, The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California

AGORA: Athens Biennale, Athens, Greece

         The Politics and Pleasures of Food, Leipzig Germany 

         Around The Table, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, California 

         OPEN, C. Nichols Project, Venice, California 

         Fallen Fruit Goes Bananas!, TEDActive

         FEAST! – The Art of Playing With Your Food, New Children’s Museum, San Diego, California

         Labor and Wait, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California 

                  Dig The Dig, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, California (curated by Bettina Hubby)

2012         

 Beefcakes and Boundaries, Pop Tart Gallery, Los Angeles, part of Pacific Standard Time

Confuse-a-Tron, TRANIMAL Workshop at Berkeley Art Mseum, curated by Mark Allen

Feast – Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art, Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL (curated by Stephanie Smith)

                  Hungry City, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Berlin (curated by Anne Kersten).  

                  Interstice: New Economies for Creative Communities, Begovich Gallery, Cal State Fullerton

                  The Food Revolt, Jönköpings läns Museum, Jönköping, Sweden (curated by Clara Ålvik and Otto von Busch)

                  Borderland, InstantHerlev Institute, Krøyersplads, Copenhagen (curated by Anja Franke)

2011          
Consumptive, curated by Shana Nys Drambot , Garboushian Gallery, Beverly Hills

East Village West, curated by Ann Magnuson and Kenny Scharf, Royal T, Beverly Hills

Living as Form, Creative Time, New York, NY (curated by Nato Thompson)

The Plains of Id, University Art Museum, Cal State University, Long Beach, CA

Challenging (Un)certainties, Uppsala University, Upssala, Sweden (curated by Nina Sundbeck-Arnäs Kaasa)

Botany of Desire, Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, CA (curated by Rebecca Trawick)

2010          
Translvania Mania, TRANIMAL Workshop at Hammer Museum, Los Angeles                            

In The Realm of the Lenses, Stephen Cohen Gallery                                                                  

Artist’s Footprints, Redline, Denver, Colorado - 2010 Biennial of the Americas(curated by Viviane le Courtois)

Gentle Actions, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway (curated by Nina Sundbeck-Arnäs)

Home and Garden, Museum of Jurassic Technology, Los Angeles California (curated by Tom Leeser)

Actions, Conversations, Intersections, Barnsdall Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (curated by Edith Abeyta and Michael Lewis Miller)

Performing Public Space, Casa del Tunel, Tijuana, Mexico (curated by Owen-Driggs)

Charles Valentine’s Day, Freedom Gallery, Los Angeles, California (curated by Julie Dole and Andie Villafañe)

2009          
InstantHerlev, Copenhagen, Denmark (curated by Anja Franke)

In Art We Trust, Artist Pension Trust (online, curated by Yulia Tikhonova)

 Staging Citizenship, Encuentro 2009, Hemispheric Institute, Bogotá, Colombia

Counter Intelligence, Luckman Gallery, CalState Los Angeles, California (curated by Marco Rios)

Actions: What You Can do With the City, Graham Foundation, Chicago, Illinois (curated by Mirko Zardini and Giovanni Borasi)

StayBite: Modes of Operation, University of Texas at Dallas (curated by Karla Díaz & Evelyn Serrano)

LA 2019: Cults, Collectives, Cocooning, 18thStreet Arts Complex, Santa Monica, California (curated by Ciarra Ennis)

Moving Index, ART OFFICE, online exhibition (curated by Julie Orser & Victoria Fu)

                  Scores, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, Washington (curated by Robert Crouch)

                  Ecological Urbanism, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (curated by Gareth Doherty)

2008          
A New Cultural Economy, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria (curated by Johannes Grenzfurthner, Günther Friesinger and Thomas Ballhausen)

Actions: What You Can do With the City, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal, Canada (curated by Mirko Zardini and Giovanni Borasi)

The Gatherers, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, California (curated by Veronica Wiman and Berin Golonu)

Machine Project Field Guide to LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (curated by Mark Allen and Charlotte Cotton)

The Future of Nations: Citizen Artists Making Emphatic Arguments, 18thStreet Arts Complex, Santa Monica, California (curated by Al Nodal) 

Conventions and Attitudes, Exchange Rate: 2008, Los Angeles, California (curated by Karen Atkinson)

The Future of Nations: Citizen Artists Making Emphatic Arguments, Casa del Tunel, Tijuana, Mexico (curated by Al Nodal)

Party Favors, Bonelli Contemporary, Los Angeles, California (curated by Holly Meyers)

thanktank, eighteen-thirty, Los Angeles, California

open source, open knowledge, open world, net.culture.space, Vienna, Austria

Made in the USA, The Brewery, Los Angeles, California

Habeas Lounge, 7thStreet Complex, Los Angeles, California (curated by Linda Pollack)

Ecocentric, Sonoma County Museum (curated by Patricia Watts)

2007    

Celebritism, Solo show by Austin Young, World of Wonder Storefront Gallery, Hollywood, CA      
TheEdible City, Netherlands Architecture Institute, Maastricht (curated by Debra Solomon, Anneke Moors & Hans Ibelings)

Paradox and Practice, University Art Gallery, UC Irvine, Irvine, California (curated by Juli Carson and Nana Last)

Sustainable Shorts, Silver Lake Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA    

Taste, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, California

Merry Titmas - World of Wonder Storefront Gallery, Hollywood CA, Curated by (Lenora Claire)

2006          
Civic Matters, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California (curated by Brett Littman, Irene Tsatos, and Veronica Wiman)

Street Signs and Solar Ovens: social craft in LA, Folk Art and Craft Museum, Los Angeles, California (curated by Marc and Robbie Herbst)

Chung King Commons, TELIC, Los Angeles, California (curated by Tom Leeser)

Fair Exchange, Millard Sheets Gallery, Los Angeles, California (curated by Irene Tsatos)

2005         
Skinless Capital: Neo-Liberalism & Resistance, OPENSOURCE ART, Champaign, Illinois (curated by Daniel Tucker)

Nocturnal Fruit Forage, Temporary Services, Outpost Center for Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, California      

2004         

Mapping, Part 2, Mess Hall, Chicago, Illinois (curated by Daniel Tucker)          

_________________________________________________________-

awards

2018

Americans for the Arts - Public Art Network

Manifesta Biennale - Palermo

2017

National Endowment for the Arts

The Curry Stone Design Prize

2016

Good Works Foundation

Awesome Without Borders

2015

Creative Heights

LA County Arts Commission

Oregon Community Foundation, Creative Heights, Project Award

2014

Art Matters

Center for Cultural Innovation

2013

Creative Capital Grantee

Muriel Pollia Foundation Awardee 

2014          

Art Matters, Project Award

Center for Cultural Innovation, Investing In Artists Grant

Atlas Award, Outstanding Achievement Award

2013          

Creative Capital Grantee, Emerging Fields

Emerging Fields, Muriel Pollia Foundation Awardee

CSAC Challenge Merit Award

2011         
Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Project Award

2010          
Top 10 events of 2010- the opening of my solo show, YOUR FACE HERE- LA Weekly
Top 10 fashion statements of 2010- TRANIMAL Workshop- LA Weekly
MetLife Foundation Museum and Community Connections Grant, Project Award
Intermediae Residency (ARCO 2010), Madrid, Spain

2009          

Andy Warhol Foundation, Project Award
Headlands Center for the Arts Artist’s Residency, Marin, California
Instant Herlev Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
Tromsø Kunstakademiet Artists’s Residency, Tromsø, Norway"
Lugar a Dudas Artist’s Residency, Cali, Colombia

2008          

Art Matters, Project Commission                    
Good Works Foundation, Project Award                         
YouTube, Featured Video                              

2006          
Best experimental video, Silverlake Film Festival
LA Weekly, Best of Los Angeles, Fallen Fruit                                 
Rhizome.org, Project Award                           
Yahoo!, Best of the Web               

2005          
Eyeopener Award, 2ndCity Council / Found Magazine
Taschen’s top 1000 websitesl, “austinyoung.com”

CONFERENCES & PRESENTATIONS

2015          
Visiting Artist, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio 

Visiting Artist, Universidad de Guadalajara en Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design, Printed Matter:  LA Art Book Fair, Los Angeles, California

 “Endless Orchard”, Creative Capital Retreat, New York

2015          
Visiting Artist, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio 

Visiting Artist, Universidad de Guadalajara en Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design, Printed Matter:  LA Art Book Fair, Los Angeles, California

 “Endless Orchard”, Creative Capital Retreat, New York

2014          
Visiting Artist, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio

2013          
“Endless Orchard”, Creative Capital Retreat, Williamstown, Massachusetts

                  “Fallen Fruit: Keynote”, Alliance of Artists Communities, San Jose, California

“Radical Sharing” Ted Active, Palm Springs, California

2012          
“Sweetness,” Molecular Cuisine: The Politics of Taste, School of Visual Art, NYC

                  “Informal Markets”, Hong Kong University/ Shanghai Study Center, Shanghai China

“The Sweetness of Public Space,” Danish Royal Academy of Art, Copenhagen

                  “Fruit Meditation,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Honolulu HI

                  “Fruit Meditation,” Hammer Museum, Los Angeles CA

                  “Staging the World,” The Depot, Vienna, Austria

                  Visiting Artist, Social Practice MFA Program, California College of Art, San Francisco CA

2011          “Social Housing – Housing the Social,” Symposium, SKOR Foundation, Amsterdam

                  Collaborations Workshop, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA

2010          

 “Art in the Field,” panel organized by Fallen Fruit, LACE, Los Angeles, CA

                  Presentación de Fallen Fruit, Intermediae/ Matadero, Madrid, Spain

                  Presentación de Fallen Fruit, Collegio de Laguna de Joatzel, Madrid, Spain

2009         
 Artist presentation, panel with Dan Koeppel, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California

Fallen Fruit, Overgaden, Copenhagen, Denmark

Fallen Fruit, Tromsø Kunstvorening, Tromsø, Norway

                  Postopolis!, The Standard, Los Angeles, California

Is This What Democracy Looks Like?, Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin, California

                  Nuevas Obras de Fallen Fruit, Lugar a Dudas, Cali, Colombia

                  Fallen Fruit, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, California

2008          Aesthetic Projects & Social Space, Outpost For Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California (organized by Mitchell Kane)

Fallen Fruit, Quicksilver, Los Angeles, California

LA Now, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California (organized by Jane Brucker and Damon Willick)

Fallen Fruit, University of California, Irvine, California (organized by Ulysses Jenkins)

2007          Soft Boundaries: Infructescent Extremities, Materials & Applications, Los Angeles, California (organized by Jenna Didier/Oliver Hess)

         Collaboration & Media, The Center For Integrated Media, California Institute Of The Arts, Los Angeles, California

Take Back The Fruit: Public Fruit and Community Activism, FARMLAB, Los Angeles, California

Art + Activism, Kaufman Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, California (organized by Victoria Vesna and David Gere)

2006          Radical Gardening / Fallen Fruit, California Institute of the Arts, (organized by Fritz Haeg)

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2016          Hyperallergic, Planting An Endless Orchard That Could Branch Around The World, CoreyDunne

2015          TheWall Street Journal, “New Exhibitions of Food and Art”, by Kelly Crow

                  TheWall Street Journal, “Museum Exhibitions For The Foodie”, by Kelly Crow

Lumen Station #3, “Fallen Fruit”, Reap and Sow

Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design, Princeton Architectural Press, by Francesco Spampinato

                  How Fallen Fruit Is Changing The Art World & Life in LA, LA Confidential magazine, by Michael Herren

                  Draw your portrait on a lemon and get lemonade, NBC Los Angeles (channel 4 news), by Alisa Gray Painter

2014          Gulf Coast, “Fruit Metaphors, Objects & Histories…“, by Legier Biederman

                  Lumen Station, “Fallen Fruit”, by Virag Major

                  The Los Angeles Times, “Youth`s Plant…Urban Fruit Trails”, by Esmerelda Bermudez

2013          The New York Times, “Tasty and Subversive Too…“, by Patricia Leigh Brown

Forbes, “Did Art Pop-Up Just Save Westwood…“, by Andrew Bender

Ojai Valley News, “New map shows publicly-accessible fruit trees..”, by Chris T Wilson

LA Magazine, “Repopulating The Empty Storefronts…“, by Drew Tewksbury

Artforum, “Fallen Fruit Of Atlanta“, by Cinque Hicks

                  LA Weekly, “Fallen Fruit of Del Aire: L.A.’s First Public Fruit Orchard, by Christine Chaio

                  The Los Angeles Times, “Park’s Makeover Includes Fruit Trees For All to Enjoy,” by Angel Jennings

                  LAist, “L.A.’s First Public Fruit Park is Set to Open,” by Lindsay William-Ross

                  The Santa Barbara News, “Public Fruit Jam”, by Sean Lewis

The California Report/NPR, “L.A. Opens First Public Fruit Orchard,” by Susan Valot

2012          The New Yorker, “Eat a Free Peach: Mapping ‘Public Fruit’”, by Dana Goodyear

                  Big Red And Shiny, “The Growing Trend,” by Nicole Caruth

Hands-on Urbanism,“The Fruit You Want to See,” ed. Elke Krasny [book]

2011          Frieze, “Growth Market,” by Steven Stern

                  Public Art Review,“Still I Rise: California public art in the time of furloughs,” by Helen Lessick

Hemispheres,“Low-Hanging Fruit,” by Steffie Nelson

                  Unframed, “Public Fruit Theater: A Conversation with Fallen Fruit,” LACMA Blog by Scott Tennant

                  California Dreaming, Tegenlicht VRPO Dutch television documentary, by Bregtje van der Haak

                  mondette.com, “Portraits – Fallen Fruit Founders Matias Viegener, David Burns and Austin Young”

                  The Lexicon of Sustainability, by Douglas Gayeton [book & national PBS special]

2010         The Idea of the West, “”Conversation with Fallen Fruit,” by Doug Aitken [book]

Journal of Landscape Architecture,“Unsettling eco-scapes: aesthetic performances for sustainable futures,” by Maria Hellström Reimer, 24-37.

LA Weekly, “The Fruit Opened the Door: Fruit Foregrounded,” by Kate Wolf

Open Daybook, “August 27,” edited by David Earle [book]

Archinect, “EATLACMA was Vital as Fruit,” by Bruna Mori

Unframed, “Fallen Fruit’s Public Fruit Theater,” LACMA blog by Chloe Flores  

The Huffington Post, “Gardens of LACMA: where you can have your art and eat it too!,” Joshua Morrison

The Los Angeles Times,“Take a Big Juicy Bite Out of EATLACMA,” Linda Daly

Coagula, “Performing Public Space,” by Nelly Martin

Treehugger, “Food as Art: Exhibit of Artist’s Gardens,” by Roberta Cruger

127Prince, “Social Art, Oil, Critique, Compromise, and Los Angeles Art Museums,” by Robbie Herbst

NPR (KCRW 89.9FM), Good Food, with Evan Kleiman

Yes Magazine,“Resiliant Ideas: Making Fruit Public,” by Susan DeFreitas

The Huffington Post, “Tackling Hunger by Transforming Food Deserts into Food Oases,” Darrin Nordahl

Saveur, March ’10, issue #127, by Georgia Freedman,

Art Lies, “Trouser House,” by Ben Judson and Emily Morrison

For Your Art, “Performing Public Space,” by Paul Pescador

Think Green Live Clean, “Fallen Fruit: Art, Sustainability, and Food,” by Kristen Taylor

Art:21 blog, “The Fruit of Experience”, by Nicole Caruth

The Los Angeles Times, “LACMA’s art harvest,” by Alie Ward

El País(Spain), “El Ayuntamiento da marcha atrás a su iniciativa de planta 60 frutales,” by Mikel L. Iturriaga

GOOD, “Fallen Fruit’s Tree-planting Dreams Are Uprooted in Madrid,” by Alissa Walker

El País(Spain), “ Un paraíso verde al lado de casa,” by Rosa Rivas

2009          Art in America, Fallen Fruit, by Annie Buckley

                  ArtReview, Fallen Fruit: United Fruit and Fresh N Easy, by Holly Myers

                  Artillery, Fallen Fruit: Art With Some Meat To It, by Tucker Neil

Public Produce: The New Urban Agriculture, by Darrin Nordahl [book]

                  The Magazine, Fallen Fruit: United Fruit and Fresh N Easy, by Jon Rutzmoser

The Los Angeles Times, “A fresh approach to produce”, by Christopher Knight

The Infrastructural City: Networked Ecologies in Los Angeles, by Kazsys Varnellis [book]

KPCC 89.9, “Fallen Fruit,” The Pat Morrison Show

                  The Los Angeles Times, “Art exhibit focuses on the journey of the banana” by George Ducker

Mother Jones, “Inside the Green Zone”, by Josh Harkinson

NPR (KCRW 89.9FM), The Splendid Table, with Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Vice, “Los Angeles O’ Free Bounty, Where Do You Live?”, by Chris Hatherrill

The Guardian(UK), “Lets Hear it...”, by William Shaw 

NPR (KCRW 89.9FM), Good Food, with Evan Kleiman

                  BBC Radio2 (UK), “Drivetime”, by Chris Evans

                  Angeleno Magazine, “Fallen Fruit”, by Steffie Nelson

                  KPBS, “These Days: Public Fruit Jam”, broadcast, by Maureen Cavanaugh

                  FOX6, “San Diego Living”, broadcast, by Christina Russo

                  San Diego Union Tribune, “Scavenging, Neighbors Trees, Fallen Fruit and TNT”, by Keli Dailey

2008          The San Francisco Chronicle, “Exploring the History of Fruit” by Jessica Zach

                  The National Post, “It’s scavenging season,” by Vanessa Farquharson

                  The San Francisco Chronicle, “The Gatherers…” by Reyhan Harmanci

LA Weekly, “LACMA Deconstructed”, by Gendy Alimurung

NPR (KCRW 89.9FM), “Fallen Fruit”, broadcast, by Evan Kleiman

                  The New York Times, “Food Banks… Bounty of Backyard”, by Patricia Brown

                  Insight, “Discipline Without Restraint”, by Pamela Auchincloss

                  Surviving the Suburb, “The Fallen Fruit Collective,” Episode Publishers, Rotterdam [book]

                  New Angeles, “Finding Fruit of the City: The Fallen Fruit art collective”, by Kathy McDonald            

                  The Los Angeles Times, “Jam Yields A New Batch of Friends” by Mindy Farabee

                  The San Francisco Chronicle, “Cut the Grass…” by Glen Helfand

Discovery Channel / Planet Green, “G-Word”, broadcast, by Doug Glazer 

NPR.org, “Delicious Connectivity”, by Bettina Wiesenthal-Birch

                  Discovery Channel / Planet Green, “Alter Eco”, broadcast, by Adrian Grenier

                  PBS (KCET), “California Heartland”, broadcast, by Jennifer Quinonez

                  CBS 2 Eyewitness News, “Free Fruit”, broadcast, by Dave Malkoff                

                  Guerilla Gardening, “Guerilla Gardening”, Something Press, by Richard Reynolds [book, UK]

                  Current TV, “Reap The Harvest Of Your Land”, broadcast, by Alex Reiter

                  N     

                  LA Weekly, “Dirty Fruit”  by Dani Katz

                  PBS (KCET), “Sustaining L.A.”, online media project, by Juan Devis and Bill Kelley

2007          The Los Angeles Times, “Feed and Fund the Ferals”  by Margaret Wertheim                   

                  RTS television, “Future Cities”, broadcast, Belgrade, Serbia by Tijana Jovanovik

                  The Los Angeles Times, “The High Life On The Cheap” by Mindy Farabee

                  Alphabet City:  FOOD, “Take Back The Fruit: Public Fruit & Community Activism”, MIT Press [book]

                  Paradox and Practice, Exhibition Catalogue by Juli Carson

                  Paper Magazine, “Fallen Fruit” by Jonathan Durbin

2006          The Los Angeles Times– Sunday Magazine, “The Craft of Artful Protest”  by Jessica Gelt

                  NPR (KPCC 89.3 FM), “OFF-RAMP”, broadcast, by John Rabe

                  LA Weekly, “Street Signisms” by Doug Harvey

                  Cabinet, “Fallen Fruit”, feature story, by Matias Viegener (also at http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/23/viegener.php)

                  Fair Exchange, “The Shock To The Familiar” Exhibition Catalogue, by Irene Tsatsos    

                  LA Weekly, “Best of Los Angeles”, 2006

                  The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Penguin Press (citation by author), by Michael Pollan [book]

                  LA Alternative, “Harvest Season” by Cord Jefferson

                  NPR (KSRF 90.7 FM) “Fallen Fruit”, broadcast, by Mary Charlotte

                  Nature Conservancy, “Pacific Drift – Secret LA”, podcast, by Queena Kim

                  NPR (KSRF 90.7 FM), “Gardens, Food & Santa Fe”, broadcast, by Bob Ross

                  Planet Magazine, “Fallen Fruit” by Jaclyn Barcewski

                  NPR (KPCC 89.3 FM), “Pacific Drift – Secret LA”, broadcast, by Queena Kim

                  LAist.com, “Fallen Fruit”, online interview, by Andrienne Crew

                  Worldchanging.com, “Lawn Love in L.A.”, by Sarah Rich

                  Saveur, “100 Favorites”

2005          The Los Angeles Times, “Can we get dazzling done?”, by Bob Sipchen

                  Inhabitat.com, “Endless Orchard” by Hannah Lobel

                  Daily Telegraph, UK, “Meanwhile in… Los Angeles” by Catherine Elsworth

                  Utne Reader(online), “Fallen Fruit” by Hannah Lobel

                  NPR (KCRW 89.9FM), “Day To Day”, by Skye Rhode

                  KFWB 980 AM, broadcast, “Fallen Fruit”, by John Brooks

                  Design Forward, “Fallen Fruit” by Lisa Van Veen

                  Los Angeles Magazine, “Fruit-For-All” by Dan Nussbaum

                  Whole Life Times, “Fruits Of Your Neighbor”, by Steven Kremar

                  ReadyMade, “Fallen Fruit”, by Sarah Rich

                  PLOT (UK), “Fallen Fruit”

2004         Metropolis, “An ‘Experiment’ commenting on LA’s ecology” by Krystal Chang

                  The Journal Of Aesthetics And Protest, “Fallen Fruit” 

_________________________________________________________ 

RESIDENCIES

2019 Aki Aora, Tulum, Mexico  

2017          Mccol Center, Charlotte, NC 

                  Pelican Bomb, New Orleans

 2016          21 C Museum Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky

 2015          Coleman Center for the Arts Residency, York, Alabama 

                  Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, Nebraska 

                  The Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York, New York 

                  Oficina Proyecto Culturales, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

                  Caldera Arts, Portland, Oregon

2014          QueenslandGallery Of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia

                  Skirlball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California

                  Heart of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

2013          Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, Georgia

2012          Coleman Center for the Arts Residency, York, Alabama

                  The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii

2011         Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah

2010         Intermediae (ARCO 2010), Madrid, Spain 

                  Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles

2009          Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin, California

                  Instant Herlev Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

                  Tromsø Kunstakademiet, Tromsø, Norway

                  Lugar a Dudas, Cali, Colombia

2008         Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria

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