Skip to content
Adam Putnam - Artists - PPOW

Adam Putnam
Untitled (neck I), 2014

Through photography, drawing, sculpture, and film, Adam Putnam (b. 1973) examines the social and aesthetic dimensions of human bodies, often by pushing the physical limits of his own. Wrestling with the body's relationship to light and space, Putnam engages with live action as a means of investigating the intersection of our physical selves with the architectural spaces we inhabit. Putnam’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at P·P·O·W, New York, NY; Kunstverein Munchen, Munich, Germany; Locust Projects, Miami, FL; and Andrew Kreps, New York, NY, among others. His work has been featured in group exhibitions including Drawing 2020, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY; Rockaway!, MoMA PS1, New York, NY; Paper, Artists Space, New York, NY; Whitney Biennial 2008, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Busan Biennale 2008, Busan, South Korea; 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia; and The Plain of Heaven, curated by Peter Eleey, Creative Time & The Highline, New York, NY. In 2009, he curated Everything Must Go, a solo exhibition of works by Martin Wong at P·P·O·W and in 2007, he co-curated Blow Both of Us with Shannon Ebner at Participant Inc.

Adam Putnam        

b. 1973
Lives and works in New York, NY

Education

2000    
M.F.A. Yale University of Art

1995    
B.F.A. Parsons School of Design

Solo Exhibitions

2023 
Holes, P·P·O·W, New York, NY 

2019    
Adam Putnam, P·P·O·W, New York, NY

2018    
Reclaimed Empire/The Unseen Obelisk, Galveston Artist Residency, Galveston, TX

2017    
Portholes, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
Reclaimed Empire (Deep Edit), Kunstverein Munchen, Munich, Germany

2014    
Adam Putnam, P·P·O·W, New York, NY

2013    
Artpace, San Antonio, TX 
The Armory Show, P·P·O·W, New York, NY

2012    
Locust Projects, Miami, FL

2011    
Magic Lanterns, BCA, Burlington, VT

2009    
Taxter & Spengemann, New York City, NY
Hedreen Gallery, Seattle University, Seattle, WA

2008    
Art Statements, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland

2007    
PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, NY
Taxter & Spengemann, New York, NY

2005    
Andrew Kreps, New York, NY
Sandroni Rey, Los Angeles, CA

2004    
Magic Lanterns, Artists Space, New York, NY

Select Group Exhibitions

2024
Airhead, P·P·O·W, New York, NY 
The Secret History, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY

2023
A Meeting with Eldfell, Safnahús Vestmannaeyja, Vestmannaeyjabær, Iceland

2022
Human Threads, curated by Artlink, Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland

2021    
The Going Away Present, Kristina Kite Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2020    
Drawing 2020, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY

2019    
Melt, Chart, New York, NY

2017    
Soil Erosion, curated by Shannon Ebner, Altman Siegel, San Francisco, CA
Visual Notes for an Upside-Down World, curated by Jack McGrath, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
Thinking Songs of Things, curated by Stefano Collicelli Cagol, Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art, Vienna, Austria

2016    
The Cypress Broke, Rodeo Gallery, London, England
On the Waterfront, Lowlands Bar, Brooklyn, NY
Under the Tongue, curated by Marie Catalano, Evening Hours, New York, NY

2015    
Erika Vogt: Artist Theater Program, curated by Charles Aubin, PERFORMA 15, Brooklyn, NY
Astoria: Bob Nickas, Amy O’Neill, Arthur Ou, Adam Putnam, Grazer Kunstverein, Graz, Austria

2014    
One Thing Then Another, 3 Days Awake and Artist Curated Projects, Los Angeles, CA
Perpetual Systems, 80wse Gallery, New York University, New York, NY
Rockaway!, MoMA PS1, Fort Tilden and Rockaway Beach, New York, NY
Soft Target, organized by Phil Chang and Matthew Porter, M + B Art, Los Angeles, CA
On the Blue Shore of Silence, collaborative exhibition between Tracy Williams, Ltd. and Fitzroy Gallery, New York, NY
Buildering: Misbehaving the City, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH

2013    
Valori Plastici, Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York, NY
Hair and Skin, curated by Isaac Lyles, Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NY
WALLSPACE, New York, NY
Moving Image Contemporary Video Art Fair, P·P·O·W, London, UK
August, Galerie Mezzanin, Vienna, Austria

2012    
Black Lodge, Interstate Projects, New York, NY
B-Out, curated by Scott Hug, Andrew Edlin, New York, NY
That Sinking Sense of Wonder, curated by Jesse Bransford, North 7th Gallery, New York, NY
These Transitional Spaces, Front Street Gallery, Stamford, CT

2011    
December, curated by Howie Chen, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York, NY
In the Name of the Artists, Bienial Pavillion, Sao Paolo, Brazil
New Age End of the World, Taxter and Spengemann, New York, NY
Phantoms, Shadows and Phenomena, Kennedy Museum of Art, Athens, OH

2010    
Group Show, Taxter and Spengemann, New York, NY
Swagger, Drag, Fit Together, Wallspace, New York, NY
Look Again, SEECA, Winston-Salem, NC
50 Artists Photograph the Future, curated by Dean Dederko, Higher Pictures, New York, NY
One and Three Quarters of an Inch, The Former Convent at St. Cecilia’s Parish, New York, NY
The Secret Knows, Los Angeles Nomadic Division, Austin, TX
Interim in Three Rounds, Round 3, curated by Jason Murison, Freidrich Petzel, New York, NY
Guilty Feet, curated by Tova Carlin, 179 Canal, New York, NY

2009    
The Audio Show, Freidrich Petzel, New York, NY 
Paper, Artists Space, New York, NY
Un Plan Simple (Perspective), Maison Populaire; Montrueil, France

2008    
Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Busan Biennial, Busan, South Korea
Number two: Fragile, Julia Stoschek Collection Dusseldorf, Germany
Not So Subtle Subtitle, curated by Matthew Brannon, Casey Kaplan, New York, NY
Male Fantasies, curated by Ellen Blumenstein, CoMa, Berlin
The Crack Up, Leila Khastoo, Los Angeles, CA
The World is All, That is the Case, curated by Arthur Ou, Hudson Franklin, New York, NY
PM Dawn, Taxter & Spengemann, New York, NY
Intimacy, curated by Anne Pasternak, The Fireplace Project, East Hampton, NY
History Keeps Me Awake at Night, P·P·O·W, New York, NY

2007    
2nd Moscow Biennial, Moscow, Russia
Between the Two Deaths, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany
Infinite Orogeny - Ilana Halperin & Adam Putnam, Studio Visconti, Milan, Italy
Office Party, Participant Inc./Rental, New York, NY
My flashing Laundrette, Galleria Raucci/Santamaria, Naples, Italy
I AM Eyebeam, Gallery 400, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Funny Shadows, curated by Dinaburg Arts, Clifford Chance, New York, NY
Harry Smith Anthology Remixed, alt.gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

2006    
The Square Root of Drawing, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Only the Paranoid Survive, HVCCA, Peekskill, NY
Bring the War Home, QED, Los Angeles, CA
The Rabbit as King of the Ghosts, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York, NY
The Uncertain States of America, CCS, Bard College & Serpentine, London, United Kingdom

2005    
The Uncertain States of America, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo, Norway
Plain of Heaven, curated by Peter Eleey, Creative Time and Friends of the Highline, New York, NY
Annotations, Champion Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
The Most Splendid Apocalypse, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
Adam Putnam & Seth Kelly, Derek Eller Gallery; New York, NY
I Still believe in Miracles, Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France
Group Show, Sandroni Rey, Los Angeles, CA

2004    
Axxxpresssunizum, Vilma Gold; London and Aliceday, Brussels
Lumpen Decadents, curated by Gean Moreno, Ingalls & Associates, Miami, FL
NeoQueer, Center of Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA

Curatorial Projects

2009    
Everything Must Go – Martin Wong, P·P·O·W, New York, NY

2007    
Blow Both of Us (co-curated with Shannon Ebner), Participant Inc.

2005    
Something Else, a lecture series, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo
Breakout Sessions with Adam Putnam, Whitney Museum at Altria, New York, NY
Passing Time, a lecture series, Tracy Williams Ltd., New York, NY

Select Public Collections

Perez Art Museum, Miami, FL
Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, Australia

Select Articles

2018    
Beal, Justin. “Touchpiece,” Touchpiece.

2015    
Simmons, William J. "Exhibition Review: Adam Putnam, P.P.O.W," Art in America.

2014    
O’Neill-Butler, Lauren. “Review: Adam Putnam, P.P.O.W,” Artforum.
Baker, R.C., “Adam Putnam and Jason Tomme Will Splinter Your Mind,” The Village Voice.

2012    
O’Neill-Butler, Lauren. “500 words,” Artforum.

2011    
Green, Susan. “Making Magic,” Burlington Free Press.

2010    
Rosenberg, Karen. “Art in Review: Martin Wong, Everything Must Go,” The New York Times.
Laster, Paul. “Reviews,” Time Out New York.
Monforton, Mary-Ann. “On Bended Knee,” Bomblog.
Kitamura, Katie. “Reviews,” Frieze.

2009    
Aletti, Vince. “Reviews,” New Yorker.
Carlin, T.J. “Reviews,” TimeOut New York.
Gartenfield, Alex. “Wrap/Unwrap: Adam Putnam,” Art in America.

2007    
Banai, Nuit. “Introducing,” Modern Painters.
Order, Abraham. “Reviews,” Flash Art.
Baumann, Daniel. “Reviews,” Spike.
Banai, Nuit. “Reviews,” Time Out New York.
Chamberlain, Colby. “Critic’s Pick,” Artforum.

2006    
Moreno, Gean. "The Ghost in the Machine," Art Papers.

2005    
Eleey, Peter. "Adam Putnam", Plain of Heaven Catalogue.
Murison, Jason. "Adam Putnam/Seth Kelly" NYArts Magazine, vol. 10.
Murison, Jason. "Passing Time", Review, AC: Collaborative.

2004    
Donnelly, Trisha. "The Top Ten", Artforum.
Potterf, Tina. Visual Arts: Seattle Times.

2002    
Moreno, Gean. "The End of the Future", Art Papers.

1997    
Goldberg, RoseLee. Reviews,” Artforum.

Select Bibliography

2021
Drawing 2020, Verlag Der Buchhandlung W, S.I. 2021, p. 103. 

2020    
Portholes, Adam Putnam, New York: Penumbra Foundation

2010    
Brion Gysin – Dream Machine Cat.

2009    
Everything Must Go: Martin Wong.
Blind Spot, Issue 40.

2008    
Mythtym, ed. Trinie Dalton.

2007    
Frozen Tears 3, ed. John Russell.

2005    
Werewolf Express, ed. Trinie Dalton.
Plain of Heaven.
The Uncertain States of America.
Untitled.
I Still Believe in Miracles.
North Drive Press, ed. Matt Keegan.

2004    
Frozen Tears 2, ed. John Russell.

2003    
Into the Abyss, ed. Adam Putnam.
Escape from New York.

2002    
Zing Magazine, no.17.
Charley Magazine, ed. Mauricio Catellan.

Selected Works

Selected Works Thumbnails
Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Hole 3, 2022
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Hole 3, 2022
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm

Photograph by Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam
Tower I, 2021
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm

Painting by Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam
Untitled (Suite 9), 2019
ink on paper
12 1/8 x 15 1/4 ins.
30.8 x 38.7 cm

Photograph by Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam
Untitled (pull), 2014
silver gelatin print
14 x 11 ins.
35.6 x 27.9 cm
Edition of 5

Adam Putnam
Visualization 416 (Eldfell Annex), 2023
ink on paper
5 1/2 x 4 ins.
14 x 10.2 cm

Adam Putnam
Visualization 416 (Eldfell Annex), 2023
ink on paper
5 1/2 x 4 ins.
14 x 10.2 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Galveston 3, 2022
silver gelatin print
20 x 16 ins.
50.8 x 40.6 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Galveston 3, 2022
silver gelatin print
20 x 16 ins.
50.8 x 40.6 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Hole 3, 2022
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Hole 3, 2022
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm

Photograph by Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam
Tower I, 2021
mixed media on paper
44 x 30 ins.
111.8 x 76.2 cm

Painting by Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam
Untitled (Suite 9), 2019
ink on paper
12 1/8 x 15 1/4 ins.
30.8 x 38.7 cm

Photograph by Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam
Untitled (pull), 2014
silver gelatin print
14 x 11 ins.
35.6 x 27.9 cm
Edition of 5

Adam Putnam
Visualization 416 (Eldfell Annex), 2023
ink on paper
5 1/2 x 4 ins.
14 x 10.2 cm

Adam Putnam
Visualization 416 (Eldfell Annex), 2023
ink on paper
5 1/2 x 4 ins.
14 x 10.2 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Galveston 3, 2022
silver gelatin print
20 x 16 ins.
50.8 x 40.6 cm

Adam Putnam
[Untitled] - Galveston 3, 2022
silver gelatin print
20 x 16 ins.
50.8 x 40.6 cm