Fred Tomaselli: Early Work or How I Became a Painter

by Mike McGee, Bill Arning (With), Gregory Volk (With)

The exhibition Fred The Early Works or How I Became a Painter will feature one video, seven installations, and twelve mixed media works dating from 1984-1992. Many of these works have not been exhibited since they were originally fabricated and this is the first time the works will be exhibited together.

Tomaselli made these works prior to the paintings for which he is best known. Mostly created shortly after moving to Brooklyn, these early works were influenced by Tomaselli's punk rock roots and interest in the California Light and Space art; two movements that were never supposed to be together. One of the unifying themes in this early work is the use of low cost, nondescript commercial objects to generate perceptually modifying experiences in the viewer.

The exhibition is accompanied by a book published by the Cal State Fullerton, University, Grand Central Press. The publication will document all the works in the exhibition and include essays by Contemporary Art Museum Houston, director, Bill Arning; CSUF, Begovich Gallery, director, Mike McGee; and freelance curator, writer, and Art in America contributing editor Gregory Volk.

120 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

In 1999, McGee helped form Bleeding Edge Spoken Word, under the directorship of his then-roommate. Over two and a half years, the two released 33 compilations of contemporary American spoken word. Although the label is now defunct, McGee started his own imprints – 3XMsound and 3XMpress, in 2001 – in order to produce and release his own CDs and chapbooks.
In 2001, after three years of competing at the San José Poetry Slam, McGee earned a spot on the slam team and went to his first National Poetry Slam held that August in Seattle, Washington. He then returned to the National Poetry Slam with the same team in 2003 and 2004.
In 2003, McGee co-founded the Vancouver, B.C.-based "talk-rock" trio Tons of Fun University with Shane Koyczan and C. R. Avery. Their debut was before a crowd of 15,000 at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, July 2004. The trio has since toured extensively throughout Canada, performing primarily in music festivals.
In 2005, McGee performed a revised version of his popular poem "Like" on a fifth season episode of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO.