Victoria Fuller (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victoria Barrett Fuller
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Global Garden Shovel, a 2010 public sculpture by Fuller, installed at Columbia City station in Seattle
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| Born | May 13, 1953 Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Denver Regis University (BA) School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA) |
| Known for | Sculptor, artist |
Victoria Barrett Fuller, born on May 13, 1953, is an American artist. She is known for her sculptures and paintings. She is also a talented singer, songwriter, and musician.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Victoria Fuller was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She grew up on a farm in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. She went to grade school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Later, she graduated high school in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
College Years
Fuller attended the University of Denver for college. She then moved to Aspen, Colorado. While living in Aspen, she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. She got this degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
In 1977, Fuller met and married artist Jack Bowers. They divorced in 1980. While in Aspen, she studied at the Anderson Ranch Art Center. She also took workshops with famous artists. These included Jim Dine and Red Grooms. In 1985, she helped artist Deborah Butterfield build a horse sculpture. It was made from old wood pieces.
Fuller also studied art in Paris for a time. In 1980, she spent two semesters at the San Francisco Art Institute. In 1984, she moved to New York City. She showed her art in galleries there. She had an art studio in the Tribeca neighborhood.
Graduate Studies
In 1992, Fuller moved to Chicago. She studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in 1994. Her teachers included artists Michiko Itatani and Jim Nutt.
Art Career
Victoria Fuller creates art using many different materials. She makes paintings, sculptures, and installation art. Installation art is when an artist creates a special art setup in a space.
Art Style and Inspiration
In the 1980s, her art often looked like pop cartoons. She used shaped canvases and everyday objects. From 1990 to 2010, she started using industrial materials. She combined common objects with geometric shapes. Her work reminds people of 1960s minimalism and pop art. It also has a touch of 20th-century surrealism.
Fuller gets ideas from both natural and man-made things. She likes to find connections between them. Her art often explores ideas about society and popular culture. Lanny Silverman, a curator, said Fuller uses factory-made parts. She combines them in fun ways. This makes us think about our consumer culture.
Notable Sculptures
Fuller has created some very large public sculptures. One is "Shoe of Shoes" in St. Louis, Missouri. It's a giant high-heeled shoe. It's made from about 2,000 cast aluminum shoes. Another big sculpture is "Global Garden Shovel" in Seattle, Washington. This bronze sculpture is 35 feet tall.
Art Exhibitions
Fuller has had four solo art shows. One was "Extraordinary Ordinary" in Michigan in 1998. Another was "The Emancipation of the Common Object" in 2001. This show was at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Her art has also been part of many group shows. In 2011, her work was in "Recycled, Reclaimed, Repurposed." This show was in the Willis Tower lobby in Chicago. In 2010, her art was in "Sculpture Invasion 2010" in Des Plaines, Illinois. She also had art in "Countercurrents" at Art Chicago.
That same year, Fuller made a piece for Comed's "Fine Art Fridges" display. Her work, "Peas and Quiet," is now at the Discovery Center Museum. It is located in Rockford, Illinois.
Other important shows include "Species Affected by Global Warming." This was at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago in 2009. Her sculpture "Shoe of Shoes" was shown in "The Really Big Shoe Show" in 2000. This was at the City Museum in St. Louis. The Brown Shoe Company later bought "Shoe of Shoes." It is now on public display outside their offices.
Fuller's art has been bought by many places. These include Sound Transit in Seattle and the Allentown Art Museum. Her work is also at ESPN Zone in Chicago.
Music Career
Besides being a visual artist, Victoria Fuller is also a singer and songwriter. Her music mixes alternative rock, pop, jazz, and blues.
Music Releases and Awards
Her first CD, Small Moments, came out in 2006. It was available as a physical CD and digitally on iTunes. Grammy winner Scott Bennett played on the album. He tours with Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson. Jeff Jacobs, who has played with Billy Joel, also performed on the album. Fuller's band is called Victoria Fuller and The Brushmen.
In 2008, Fuller's song "Barcelona Nights" was nominated for an award. It was in the Jazz Category by The Independent Singer Songwriter Association. She also received Honorable Mentions for her songs in other contests. These included the Mid Atlantic Song Contest and the Unisong Songwriting Contest. Her songs have been played on various radio stations. These include 93.1 WXRT-FM and WGN Radio.
Awards and Recognition
Victoria Fuller has received several awards for her art. In 1986, she got the Creative Fellowship Award. This was from the Colorado Council on the Arts. In 2000, she received a Fellowship Award from the Illinois Arts Council. She also won "Best of 3D" at the Rockford Art Museum. She received a "Juror’s Award" at the Evanston Art Center. More recently, she received the CAAP Grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
Publications and Media
Articles and reviews about Victoria Fuller's work have appeared in many places. These include the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News. Her art has also been featured on TV stations. These include NBC, CBS, and ABC in Chicago. Fox news in St. Louis has also covered her work.
