Contemporary Art
Watling's new series of paintings and sculptures utilizes significant moments in space and time, both past and present, to symbolize a variety of emotional states that he had while going through cancer treatment and recovery, from the fear and anxiety of being diagnosed with cancer and looking death in the face to the love he felt from those around him and the hope of a better tomorrow.
BIO
Jake Watling forms his graphic narrative imagery by combining his recorded ideas and experiences with a personal language of signs and symbols. The signs and symbols take many forms, including: people, text, signage, cars, architecture, esotericism, religion, as well as others.
Jake Watling received his B.F.A. from the College of Visual Arts in Minnesota. He has exhibited his artwork throughout the United States. His work can be found in many private collections as well as the Museum of Modern Art collection in New York. Watling currently lives and works in Oakland, California.
EDUCATION
B.F.A., College Of Visual Arts, St.Paul, MN 1998
California College of Art and Crafts, Oakland, CA 1996, 1999
Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, DC 2003
UC Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 2003
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
SOLO SHOWS/TWO PERSON SHOW
2022 - Anno Domini Gallery, Strangers in the Night, San Jose, CA, 11/22
2014 - Nowheresville Gallery with Bill Dunlap, With Skulls and Bones I Made a Rattle, San Francisco, CA 04/14
2013 - Rise Above Gallery, Temescal, Oakland, CA 11/13
2009 - Swarm Gallery with Jared Clark, Enter/Exit, Oakland, CA 02/09
2008 - Foursided Gallery with Anna Kipervaser, Where the Buffalo Roam, Chicago, IL 02/08
Oakland International Airport, Oakland Art Gallery, Oakland, CA 03/08
2007 - Receiver Gallery with Bill Dunlap, Saved!, San Francisco, CA 03/07
2006 - Buzz Gallery, Used Cars, Oakland, CA 02/06
diPietro Todd Salon, Slow Down, Palo Alto, CA 07/06
2002 - Pass Gallery, BW/CMYK, Washington, DC 4/02
GROUP SHOWS
2022 - Nielsen Arts, 510 Allstars, Berkeley, CA 12/22
2019 - Anno Domini Gallery, Dual Duel, San Jose, CA 05/19
Telegraph Mural, 43rd and Telegraph, Oakland, CA 11/19
Nielsen Arts, Long Strange Trip, Berkeley, CA 12/19
2017 - Nowheresville Gallery, Grown-Ups Hanging Out in a Parking Lot San Francisco, CA 10/17
Nielsen Arts, Flat Files, Berkeley, CA 12/17
2016 - Faultline Art Space, Hands & Pants, Oakland, CA 1/16
Nowheresville Gallery, Paisly Skates, San Francisco, CA 2/16
Berkeley Art Center, Exhibition and Art Auction, Berkeley, CA 9/16
2015 - Nowheresville Gallery, Group Show, San Francisco, CA 2/15
2014 - Nowheresville Gallery, NFS, San Francisco, CA 1/14
Bedford Gallery, The Skull Show, 8/14
Nielsen Arts, 510 Allstars, Berkeley, CA 12/142013 - Faultline Gallery, 8×10, Oakland, CA 12/13
Bluxomy Gallery, Hands & Pants, San Francisco, CA 07/13
Bedford Gallery, Peaceable Kingdom, Walnut Creek, CA 03/13
2012 - Electric Avenue, Group Show, San Francisco, 02/12
Albion Mural Project, San Francisco, CA 04/12
PRESS
San Francisco Magazine, December 2017
“Double Dare at Swarm Gallery” by DeWitt Cheng, East Bay Express, January 5, 2011
Artist profile, Beautiful Decay Magazine, beautifuldecay.com, February 19, 2010
"Critics' Best Bets for December", Contra Costa Times, December, 6, 2009
"Critic's Choice: Enter/Exit", East Bay Express, By DeWitt Cheng, March 2009
"Enter/Exit", KQED Arts, By Victoria Gannon, March 23, 2009
"Bedford's Local Voice Exhibition", Diablo Magazine, d-blog by Martha Ross, August 18,2008
"Profile: Jake Watling", Juxtapoz Magazine, Feruary, 2008
“Richmond: Past, Present and Future", Oakland Tribune by Robert Taylor, September 17, 2006
“Richmond: Past, Present and Future", Contra Costa Times by Robert Taylor, September 9, 2006
“Local Artist”, SF Bay Guardian, September 13, 2006
"Calendar", Diablo Magazine, September 2006
“Inspiration Lies Outside Front Door” by Jennifer Modenessi, Contra Costa Times, July 16, 2006
KQED Gallery Crawl (text and video of Used Cars at Buzz Gallery) February 2006
"Used Cars", East Bay Express, February 22, 2006
"Leave Home", SF Bay Guardian, February 8-14, 2006
“The Neighborhood Show", East Bay Express, November 23, 2005
“After the Gold Rush”, SF Bay Guardian, November 9, 2005
“Common Strangers”, Mused Magazine, Winter Issue 2004
“Georgia on His Mind”, Washington City Paper, May 3-9, 2002
Related works
Title- When the Moon Hits Your Eye
Medium- Acrylic on canvas
Size- 12" x 9" x 1.5
Year- 2022
Title- Only You
Medium- Acrylic on canvas
Size- 30" x 24" x 1.5"
Year- 2022
Title- Rolling Through the Valley
Medium- Acrylic on canvas
Size- 30" x 24" x 1.5"
Year- 2022