Kaloust Guedel (born October 31, 1956) is a Cyprus-born American artist of Armenian descent. He is a self-educated artist and theorist. Guedel is known as the founder of the Excessivism movement. He lives and works in Los Angeles, California since 1975.
Works Kaloust Guedel's work explores contemporary issues often taking a critical stand on various societies shortcomings. Throughout the years, it has explored subjects as genocide, war, abuse and others. Regardless of the styles and technics he has employed, his work has been consistent with contemporary sensibility and has reflected the consciousness of its time. Guedel is the first artist who used vinyl as a medium in paintings. He has been featured in publications like Masters of Today and has been known to explore capitalism and excess in his minimalist conceptual artworks.
Kaloust Guedel presented the Excessivism movement in an exhibition "Excessivist Initiative" in LA Artcore Brewery Annex, and the Excessivism Manifesto was published in Downtown News weekly in September 2015. Downtown News, Excessivism Manifesto, September 28, 2015 p. 10.
Immersive paintings Later he rediscovered inlay technique as a method of investigation of immersion with his new group called Immersive paintings. When he placed one of his three-dimensional works into a painting by carving its shape out of it and inserting it into the hollow space that corresponded with the shape of the object, the result was unexpected. An ancient technique known as inlay was discovered by chance. The use of inlay is a key element of this artistic concepts. The inserted object has more visual weight, while the surrounding space, which is less conceptually important, is seen as the body of the painting. Use of the inlay produces a silhouette of the subject; most often, it is used with a contrasting background, or texture to draw attention to the main subject, which is then seen as the relationship between the two objects.
Selected exhibitions
Modern Art Museum of Yerevan, Armenia, 2024 Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, 2023 Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA, 2023 Armenian Library and Museum of America, Watertown, Ma., 2022–23 The National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan, 2019 Nagasaki Fine Art Museum, Nagasaki, Japan, 2017 Saatchi Gallery, London, UK 2013 Sejong Center, So. Korea, 2008 Modern Art Museum of Yerevan, Armenia, 2005 Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale), the Museum, Glendale, CA, 2003 Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH, 1986
Awards and commendations
Laura Friedman, Assemblymember, 43rd Assembly District, April 19, 2019 Anthony Portantino, Senator, April 19, 2019 Marquis Who's Who in American Art Lifetime Achievement, 2017 ArtSlant 1at 2015 Prize Showcase Winner/ Awards artslant.com Adam B. Schiff, Member of Congress, April 25, 2013 Ara Najarian, Council Member Chair, June 18, 2009 Frank Quintero, Mayor of Glendale, April 25, 2003 New American Paintings, Number 31, by The Open Studios Press, 2000
Bibliography
'Mirror Spectator, Convergence: An Exhibit That Keeps The Conversation Alive, 'Colorado Boulevard, Armenian Diaspora Artists Take Center Stage at Forest Lawn’s New Exhibition, 'Global Art Critique, Kaloust Guedel – Unauthorized Stage of Tension, 'Voyage LA, Check Out Kaloust Guedel’s Story, 'Showcase My Art, Kaloust Guedel: Reshaping the Norms of Contemporary Art, by Caroline Margaret 'Shoutout LA, Meet Kaloust Guedel - Visual Artist, February 19, 2025 'Medium, "Excessivism: The Art of More in a World of Plenty", 'Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, The 22nd international Art Exchange Exhibition, (exhibition catalog), 2023 'India Art'n Design, Old Inlay Technique in Contemporary Art!, Oct. 12, 2022 Boston Herald, How A Los Angeles Artist Transforms An Ancient Chinese Technique Into Contemporary Painting, September 8, 2022 'Fahrenheit Magazine, Kaloust Guedel, with excess in his veins, May 2021 'Fahrenheit Magazine, Irony, imbalance and study at the heart of excessivism, May 2021 Diversions LA, All That Glitters, by Genie Davis January 6, 2017Diversions LA Asbarez, Խառնաշփոթից Դէպի Արուեստ՝ Ըստ Գալուստ Գէոդելի, by Ani Tadevosyan, August 10, 2023 West Hollywood Lifestyle, Expansive Space Inside The Historic 7th Street Market Features New Work Fashion Thinking: Creative Approaches to the Design Process, by Fiona Dieffenbacher, 2021 Irony, imbalance and study at the heart of excessivism, Fahrenheit Magazine, March 13, 2021 New American Paintings, 2020 Featured Artists / Recent Work, 2020 Artillery Magazine, The Nothing that is, by Genie Davis, November 20, 2019 'Art and Cake, “The Nothing That Is” at Brand Library and Art Center, by Lorraine Heitzman, November 27, 2019 The Best modern and Contemporary Artists, by Salvator Russo and Francesco Saverio Russo, 2017 Art & Museum, (p. 48) Autumn 2017Art and museum HotArtStuff, WALLS: A quest for immersive space in DTLA's newest collaborative studio/project, PRODUCE HAUS, By Shana Nys Dambrot, March 22, 2017 Yokohama Civic Gallery At Azamino, exhibition catalog, 2017 Artillery Magazine 'List of 8 Light And Space Famous Artists Painters 'HonaragaArt, by Kiana Boroumand, May 2017 LA Art Party, Celebrate the Art of Zadikian, Kaloust Guedel, and KuBO! by Kathy Leonardo Artcopyblog, KALOUST GUEDEL’S EXCESSIVISM AND THE RISE OF DONALD TRUMP, by Brenda Haroutunian, JUNE 26, 2016 WideWalls Magazine, Excessivism - A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic, December 1, 2015 Նոր Ուղղութիւն Արուեստում՝ Պարտադրում Է Ժամանակակից Մարդը, Asbarez, (Armenian), by Ani Tadevosyan, January 13, 2016 Abstre Sanat Akımı, Soyut Resim, Abstract, 2016 Gallereo Magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, Nov. 20, 2015 CaliforniaNewswire, New Art Movement, Excessivism, is a Commentary on Economic Materialism, Nov. 02, 2015 Miemi Herald, Excessivism is Best Kept Secret in the Art World, Nov. 02, 2015 Downtown News, Excessivism Manifesto, September 28, 2015, page 10 The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, September 23, 2015 Effetto Arte, July/August, 2015 Bare Hill Publishing, The State of Art – Installation & Site Specific #2 | Bare Hill Publishing Installation & Site Specific #2, 2015, Hardcover : Asbarez, Ani Tadevosyan, May 15, 2015 Artweek LA May 13, 2015Artweek LA May 11, 2015 Reuters, Why Donald Trump's Bid for Presidency Related to New Art Movement is Essential? Artist Kaloust Guedel Explains, Dec. 14, 2015 «Excess The New Norm» Գալուստ Գեոդելի Նկարչական Գործերի Անհատական Ցուցահանդէսը, Asbarez, by Ani Tadevosyan, October 29, 2014 Bienal Internacional De Curitiba 2013 (Exhibition Catalogue), 2013 Գալուստ Գէօդելի Նկարը Լոնտոնի «Սաաթչի» Ցուցասրահում, Asbarez, by Ani Tadevosyan, August 15, 2013 Hetq, Saatchi Gallery in London to Display Work of Kaloust Guedel, by Anush Kocharyan, 24 May 2013 Yerevan Magazine, Nare Garibyan, September/October, 2012 Eyes On: Abstracts by Blaze Hill Press, page 53 Armenian Observer, Ruben Amirian, Jan. 11, 2012 International Dictionary of Artists by World Wide Art Books, 2011 "L'inhumanité de l'homme envers l'homme : voyage au bout de la nuit" / Exhibition : "Man's Inhumanity to Man : Journey Out of Darkness" April-2010 New American Paintings, 15th Anniversary edition by Open Studios Press, 2009, cover LA Daily News, Susan Abram, April 23, 2009, page 1 Man's Inhumanity to Men: Journey Out of Darkness ... (Exhibition Catalogue), 2009 Afisha, Larisa Pilinsky, Nov. - Dec. 2008 Masters of Today by MOT, 2008 Trends by MOT, 2008 GIAF (Exhibition Catalogue), 2008 BIAF (Exhibition Catalogue), 2008 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, March 1, 2008 The Armenian Reporter, March 1, 2008 Glendale News-Press, Art:the remix - Four artists will display works in New Mixed Media show at Brand Library and Art Galleries, By Joyce Rudolph Oct. 07, 2006Brand library art galleries glendalenewspress.com 2006 Peter Frank, "Pick of the Week: New Mixed Media," LA Weekly, 2006 Panorama, May 28, 2004 Texas National, Stephen F. Austin State University (Exhibition Catalogue), 2003 From Ararat To America- Contemporary Armenian Artists /Forest Lawn Museum (Exh. Catalogue), 2003 Voice of America (Radio Interview in Armenian), July 7, 2003 News-Press, April 29, 2003 Los Angeles Independent, April 23, 2003 The Artists Blue Book by Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson, 2003 Arts & Entertainment, April 23, 2003 17th Annual Greater Midwest International, Central Missouri State University (Exhibition Catalogue), 2002 The Artists Blue Book by Ask Art, 2001 New American Paintings by Open Studios Press, December 2000 Gallery Guide, March 1991 Artspace, summer 1991 Artscene, December 1990 50th National Midyear Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art (Exhibition Catalogue), 1986
References