“If everything is too much in what seems to be it’s proper place, I have to go back and throw it off balance...I believe in broken paintings"
©2024 Les Rogers Studio
Les Rogers (b. 1966) is a New York-area based artist whose singular approach to painting demonstrates a decades-long investigation of a world increasingly saturated by media. Working primarily in oil, his sensitivity towards our fractured reality is represented in his intuitive and spontaneous approach to painting where historical influences collide and transform within a destabilized pictorial space.
In his stylistically promiscuous images, Rogers predilection for painting’s traditions come up against his equal desire to undermine an image's stability resulting in intentionally irreverent and thus formally divergent works that have been described as “post-everything.” As he explains,” [my paintings] build upon this inclusive, encyclopedic and each year more comprehensive record—you can call it Proustian—but there’s so much to cover that my response tends to fluctuate. As long as I can look at each painting 20 years later and still learn from them who cares the style.”
Rogers has had solo shows at Leo Koenig Inc. (New York, NY); Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve (Paris); Allouche Benias (Greece); Half Gallery (New York, NY); Peter Makebish (New York, NY); The Happy Lion (Los Angeles, CA); Galerie Christina Wilson (Copenhagen, Denmark); Galerie Michael Janssen (Cologne, Germany); Karlheinz Meyer (Karlsruhe, Germany), Eleni Koroneu (Greece), MaisterraValbuena (Spain) and Galeria Marabini (Italy) among others.
Rogers has been reviewed in publications including Artforum, Art in America, Tema Celeste, Flash Art, Frankfurter Allgemeine, The Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Rogers work is in collections of note from sixteen countries.
Les Rogers
b. 1966, New Jersey, USA
Education:
1989
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2023
Private Walls Gallery, Sint-Martin Latem, Belgium
2018
Prometheus Now, Allouche Benias Gallery, Athens, Greece
2017
On Our Way, Johannes Vogt, New York, NY
2016
Stars Stars, Makebish, New York, NY
2015
I Don’t Think You Knew You Were In This Song, Makebish, New York, NY
2012
Carrie Moyer & Les Rogers, Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve Paris, France
Summer Swells, Half Gallery, New York, NY
2010
Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve Paris, France
Last House, Leo Koenig Inc., New York, NY
2008
Shadows Now, Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy
Undertow, Galeria Maisterravalbuena, Madrid, Spain
2007
Late Night Paintings, Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Paris, France (cat.)
2006
Leo Koenig Inc., New York, NY
2004
Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Paris, France (cat.)
Galerie Karlheinz Meyer, Karlsruhe, Germany
Old School/with Torben Giehler, Armory Art Centre, Palm Beach, FLA
The Happy Lion, Los Angeles, CA
2003
Galerie Christina Wilson, Copenhagen, Denmark
Galerie Michael Janssen, Cologne, Germany
2002
Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy
Leo Koenig Inc., New York, NY
Eleni Koroneou Gallery, Athens, Greece
2002
Galerie Karlheinz Meyer, Karlsruhe, Germany
2001
Leo Koenig Inc., New York, NY
1999
Elizabeth Dee Gallery, New York, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2012
Permanent Collection, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, USA
Brucennial 2012 – Harder. Betterer. Fasterer. Strongerer, Brucennial, New York, USA
2011
CCA COLLECTION 2001-2011, KUNSTHALLE CCA Andratx, Andratx, Spain
2010
New Jersey Museum of Contemporary Art – Inaugural Exhibition, USA
Four Projects, Haunch Venison, New York, USA
Don’t Piss on Me and Tell Me it’s Raining, Apexart, New York, USA
Bushwick Schlacht! – Germany vs. USA – Painting Pop Up Show, New York, USA
2009
Get It Right Back To Where We Started From…, Leo Koenig Inc., New York, USA
2008
FAXINATION, Galleri Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden
Between Us…, Leo Koenig Inc, New York, USA
2007
Accrochage, Galleri Christina Wilson, Copenhaguen, Denmark
5 year anniversary show, Galleri Christina Wilson, Copenhagen, Denmark
2005
Self-Preservation Society, Leo Koenig Inc., New York, USA
2004
Galerie Rudolphe Janssen, Brussels, Belgium
2003
The Happy Lion Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2002
Leo Koenig, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, USA
Swing Club, Galerie Michael Janssen, Cologne, Germany
The Dubrow Biennale, Kagan Martos Gallery, NYC
2001
Come on Feel the Noise, Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Centro Cultural Andratx, Spain
1999
Les Rogers, Brad Kahlhammer, Millree Hughes, Patrick Gallery, New York, USA
Show, Elizabeth Dee Gallery, New York, USA
Bibliography:
2010
Robinson, Walter, “Weekend Update,” artnet.com, January 12.
Pruitt, Rob, “Esprit de Corps,” W Magazine, November 26.
Schiff, Stacy, “Will the Real Cleopatra Please Stand Up?,” W Magazine, October.
Coggins, David, “Full Frontal: An Interview with Les Rogers,” Huffington Post, July 29.
Froelich, Paula, “Yep, That’s Right… My Ass is an Oil Painting,” Sundance Channel, June 17.
Finch, Charlie, “Les is More,” ArtNet Magazine, January.
2009
“Sightings,” New York Post, December 6.
Aleksander, Irina, “Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood: Painter Wows Speyer, Elton, Horts,” The New York Observer, December 1.
“Conceptuel,” Sur la Terre, September, p.115.
O’Neill, Joseph, “Democracy and Its Discontents, Why we crave a royal Michelle – and why we shouldn’t,” New York Mag, March 15, 2009
2008
“Les Rogers,” Internazionale, May 9, p. 71.
Basile, Franco, “Dal New Jersey inseguendo Morandi,” Il resto del Carlino, May 14, p. XXXI.
Naldi, Paola, “Morandi e De Chirico ispirano Les Rogers,” La Rebubblica, May 15, p.XIII.
“Grandi dimensioni per piccoli capolavori,” Il Resto del Carlino, May 29, p.XXXIV.
Pozzati, Maura, “I mondi di morandi e de Chirico nella sintesi di Les Rogers,” Corriere della Sera, May 29, p.19.
“Les Rogers, Nel segno di Morandi e de Chirico,” Arte, May, p.200.
“Les Rogers,” Trendy Bologna, June, p.51.
“Les Rogers-Shadow Now,” TK Artkey Magazine.
http://www.teknemedia.net/archivi/2008/5/15/mostra/30499.html (Accessed May, 2008).
Ekibart.com, “Les Rogers – Shadows now.”
Undonet, “Les Rogers – Shadows now.”
Righi, Valentina, “Les Rogers colora la vita di Bologna,” Il Sole 24 Ore, June 4, p. 17.
2006
Pasquariello, Lisa, “Les Rogers,” ArtForum, May, p. 290.
“Les Rogers,” The New Yorker, February 27, p. 16.
2005
Paumgarten, Nick, “Salesman,” The New Yorker, Oct. 17, pp. 144-151, 153-155.
2004
“Conceptual,” Sur La Terre, Paris, no. 16, p. 115.
Leydier, Richard, “La Rentree Rive Gauche, artpress, no. 307, Dec., pp. 83-84.
“Les Rogers,” Telerama Sortir, Expos, 11/20-26, p. 34.
“Les Rogers,” Telerama Sortir, Expos, 11/3-9, p. 34”Les Rogers,” Telerama Sortir, Expos, 10/27-11/2, p. 33.
“Les Rogers, New Paintings,” Paris Art, no. 7, Le Guide Sept. – Oct., p. 33.
Lavriador, Juicael, “Le Tour Des Galeries,” Beaux Arts, Sept., p. 38.
Sagne, Jean, “Les Rogers,” Paris Art, Sept.
Littman, Frankie Karlheinz Meyer: Les Rogers,” Klappeauf, Nov., p. 68.
“Les Rogers, New Paintings Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve,” Art Absolument, no. 10, Fall, p. 94.
Sjostrom, Jan, “Inheritors of a Tradition,” Palm Beach Daily News, Sunday April 25, pp A1-A3.
Schwan, Gary, Palm Beach Post, Art Notes, April 11.
Palm Beach Daily News, Arts & Entertainment, Friday, April 9.
2003
Smith, P.C., Les Rogers at Leo Koenig, Art in America, March, p. 124-125.
Marinella Paderni, “Les Rogers,” Tema Celeste 95, January-February, p. 100.
Daniela Lotta, “Les Rogers,” Flash Art Italia, 237, December-January, p. 115.
2002
ZIta, Carmen, “In Sight {20 Artists on the Rise} Les Rogers,” Trace Magazine, April.
Walter Guadagnini, “Nella chiesa sconsacrata Les Rogers fa l’americano,” la Repubblica, October 31, p. XI.
“Les Rogers,” Harper’s Bazaar (Greece) March.
“Die Ordnung der Unterwelt,” Frankfurter Allgemeine, Feb. 9.
2001
Kramer, Brigitte, “Junge Wilde im Dorf,” Mallorca Magazin, Sept. 24-30, pp. 45-47.
1999
Bivens, Heidi, “New York, New York,” Tokion Magazine, Sept.-Oct.
Kozlowski, Sara, Figaro, Japan, No. 156, p.151.
Yablonsky, Linda, “Art Collecting 101,” TimeOut NY, Nov.4, p. 20.
1996
Howe, Susanna, “Players,” Paper Magazine, Nov., pp. 181-182.
1994
Greenberg, Jill, “Shonen Knife in Les’ Studio,” Cream Magazine, March.