Born Arturo Secunda in New Jersey in 1927, Arthur Secunda has maintained a broad and constant association with the arts in America for over 60 years. He studied at New York University prior to serving as a staff artist to the United States Air Force in World War II and, following the war, studied at the Art Students League. Secunda’s oeuvre includes prints, paintings and sculpture and he has worked as a curator, a teacher and an arts critic. He was the founding editor of the journal Artforum in 1963 and came to work at Gemini Ltd on several print editions in 1965.
The looters, Peace brother and Negro owned are good examples of the striking collage graphics for which Secunda is renowned. The works use images taken from contemporaneous media to address issues of racial tension and war that were at the forefront of American society in the mid 1960s.
Emilie Owens
1927
Born Jersey City, New Jersey, United States of America
1946
Conscripted for Army Air Force, serving as staff artist with Special Services
1947
Studies at New York University, New York and Art Students League, New York where he comes under the influence of Harry Stenberg, Reginald Marsh, Julian Levy and Robert Beverly Hale
1948-50
Studies at Académie Julian and Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Paris under Andre Lhote and Ossip Zadkine; further studies at Istituto Meschini, Rome and Esmeralda Escue, Coyoacan, Mexico with Jose Ruiz and Antonio Lazo
1952
Solo exhibition, Galerie Lucien Gout, Montpellier, France
1956
Lives in Mallorca, Spain
1958
Moves to Santa Barbara, California where he works as Curator of Education, Santa Barbara Art Museum, California
Produces and hosts radio broadcast “Arts of all times”, on KTMS Channel 3
1960
Co-founder, Gallery 8, Santa Barbara
1963
Inaugural editor of journal, Artforum
1965
Completes editions of Peace brother, Negro owned, The looters, at Gemini Ltd., Los Angeles
1966
Solo exhibition, La Jolla Art Museum, California
Completes editions of Search and David Stuart Galleries, at Gemini Ltd., Los Angeles
1968
Solo exhibition, Richard Foncke Gallery, Ghent, Belgium; included in exhibitions: James Ensor Museum, Ostend, Belgium; National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden
1969
Included in exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
1970
Receives Tamarind fellowship, California
Solo exhibition, Memorial Union Art Gallery, University of California, Davis; included in exhibition, Oakland Museum, California
1971
Solo exhibition, the Konstsalongen Kavaletten, Uppsala, Sweden
Receives grant from Centre Genevois de la Gravure Contemporaine, Geneva, Switzerland
1972
Receives Tamarind fellowship, Mexico
1973
Included in exhibition, Alderich Museum of Contemporary Art, New York
1974
Included in exhibition, San Jose Museum, California
1978
Included in exhibition, Los Angeles County Institute of Contemporary Art, California
1979
Included in exhibition, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1983
Included in exhibition, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California
1987
Solo exhibition, Fukui Cultural Center, Fukui, Japan
1987
Solo travelling exhibition, organised by Galerie Cramer, Geneva travelled to Nagoya, Tokyo, Fukui, Sendai and Osaka; invited as a guest artist to the Otaki Imadate-Machi paper mill
1990
Included in exhibitions, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris; Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
1993
Solo exhibitions: Roberts Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona; Las Vegas Art Museum, Nevada
2001
Included in exhibition, the Greengate Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland
2003
Solo exhibitions: at McMasters University, Hamilton, Canada; Robert Roman Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona; Pfriem Gallery, Lacoste, France
Kate Buckingham, 2007
This chronology provides an overview of selected biographical information, major solo and group exhibitions held within the artist's own lifetime.
