Petroglyphs
Artist Kevin Sudeith has renewed the most antiquated art, carving petroglyphs, and infused it with contemporary life.
Kevin Sudeith is a Minnesota-raised and New York-based artist with a masters degree in painting and a longtime fascination with rock art. Since 2007, he has carved his way across North America, living out of his van, depicting in stone the lives and stories of the people and places he visits.
"It is storytelling and documenting, in a lasting way, some of the cool stuff from our moment in time. My hope is that people see themselves in the images I carve and feel a place in history."
Carvings
"Sudeith uses chisels and battery-powered tools to create bas-relief renderings that exhibited perspective, depth and detail."
--The New York Times
Ingomar, MT. These are the original European Settlers on this land. Sudeith's host's parents were married, and this photo taken, moments after his mother arrived from Czechoslovakia as a mail-order bride. They were married 50 years and had nine children.
Eagle Rock, New Hope, PA. Tucked into the woods on the edge of a quarry full of hawks, vultures, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, and songbirds, this eagle announces his reemergence after a long absence from the area.
Fish Rock, Smelt Brook, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Life-size images of the species of fish landed in this small fishing community come from the stories of local fishermen.
Smelt Brook, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The lobster season in Canada is short, by law, making the bounty highly prized.
Big Moose, Smelt Brook, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Cast adrift for weeks in Cape Breton, Sudeith stopped to ask strangers where he might finds some carvable rocks. A few beers later, Sudeith's new host, Ray Briand, had agreed to let him carve this moose on a rock in his yard. A lobster boat appears on the reverse side, facing the cove.
Aerospace Frieze, Berkeley, CA. A moonwalker from the Apollo era floats upside down amidst the ISS, HST and a Gemini capsule; all of which float over a Bay Area frieze featuring ships, sailboats, and BART.
Aerospace Frieze, Berkeley CA. This capsule with its triangular shape ties the Aerospace Frieze above it to the Bay Area Frieze below it.
On The Road
From Berkeley, California to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Sudeith's travels have brought him in touch with communities both small (Ingomar, MT, Pop: 8) and large (Grand Rapids, MI). He works by invitation from friends and people he encounters on the road. His work explores the local culture, industry, and environment.
"It's about leaving little surprises for intrepid explorers -- a type of public art that takes place far away from high-traffic galleries and plazas."
--WNYC.
Works on Paper
From his petroglyphs Sudeith makes a unique sort of work on paper called an impression. Wet paper, or in some cases paper pulp, is pressed over a freshly-painted petroglyph, creating a colorful, embossed negative--a sculpture in paper.
"The prints are the emissaries of the carvings back to town, or society."
Large Works on Paper
Later, in his studio, Sudeith prepares collages from paintings, photos of carvings, impressions, and stencils made from impressions. His goal is to inculcate the spatial relationships between the remote petroglyphs and the local works on paper.
Collage prepared from photos of Sudeith's Emblem, stencils of a NYC police helicopter carving, and a swordfish impression. 5'6"x8"
This hand made paper impression of the swordfish and halibut was made on one giant (10'4"x7'2") sheet of paper that had to be cut to get it off the rock.
Videos
Sudeith's petroglyphs are presented through an array of media: impressions, collage, photography, a database, and time lapse video. His videos docuement both the creation of the imagery as well as Sudeith's physical presence at the petroglyph site. The videos are designed bo be viewed briefly, like here, or slowly in a gallery space.
Hidden City: Unearthing Kevin Sudeith's Urban Petroglyphs
WNYC by Carolina A. Miranda.
Artist Creates Modern Petroglyphs
The Billings Gazette.
The Space Age Enters the Stone Age
Discover Magazine Visual Science.
Rock Star for the Ages
San Francisco Chronicle Ovations.
Alternative Rock
The Daily by David Knowles.
Artist's Work is Rock Solid
Contra Costa Times by Doug Oakley.
Petroglyphist Displays His Artwork on the Prairie
Kenmare News by Caroline Downs.
Modern-Day Petroglyphist Has Two Works-in-Progress on Hastings Mesa
The Telluride Watch.
Website design by Akil Grant.
