Quin de la Mer
Collection
"Employing abstract expressionism to convey emotional truths, I create art inspired by beauty bleeding through the scars humans leave in their wake.
Intimately, I am deeply moved by emotions that arise while experiencing beauty, wonder, mystery, awe, and the sublime. On the global scale, I make work about intolerable emotions I feel in response to the formations that arise out of collective agreements.
As a nomadic artist, I travel to explore our world and connect with more than human residents as they communicate their experience of the Anthropocene. Paying close attention to the unseen but often felt forces that exist beside us in time, I bond with place and collaborate with the natural world. For example, cyanotypes are made on site with water and debris where currents, wind, and natural light are the hands that guide the image as it comes into being. With sustainability in mind, I collect soil, rocks, charcoal, and found objects to make pigments for oil paintings.
My practice begins with ideas and then moves to the appropriate form or media for that idea. Crossing media boundaries, inventing new methodologies and technologies, and creating hybrid art forms are regular parts of my process."
Quin de la Mer, an American artist born in 1966, has gained renown for their abstract artwork that utilizes found pigments and plant matter. Through extensive travels and connections made with more-than-human beings, de la Mer sources these materials to create a diverse collection of art ranging from large oil paintings measuring 5 feet high and 15 feet wide to tiny cyanotype prints measuring only 1x1 inch.
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The work of de la Mer invites contemplation and promotes deeper examination. Notably, the artist has been recognized for pioneering new techniques in brush strokes and mark-making, resulting in highly textured artwork despite its flatness. Upon closer inspection, the viewer may notice the subtle aroma of spike oil of lavender, which replaces traditional turpentine in the creation of the artwork.
De la Mer, the prominent artist, was born in Los Angeles, California and spent a significant portion of their adult life in San Francisco before returning to the greater Los Angeles area. They pursued a Master of Fine Art degree at both Newcastle University in the UK and the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Currently, de la Mer is a doctoral student in the Philosophy, Cosmology, Consciousness, and Integral Ecologies program at CIIS, where they integrate philosophical inquiry with artistic practice.
Their works have been exhibited both nationally and globally in various settings, including galleries, public forums, and film screenings. Additionally, they have been an artist in residence in the US and abroad, and their creations have been featured in print and web magazines worldwide.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Exhibitions 2022-23
Solo Exhibitions
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2023 The Last Exhale, Distillations of Human History, Hatton Gallery Atrium, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, January 13-29
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2022 Action Art for a Dying World, a collaborative art project with Marius Ritual, The Long Gallery & Hatton Gallery Atrium, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, May 4 - 11
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2022 The Spirit of Los Angeles, The Long Gallery, Newcastle University Fine Art Building, UK, March 7-11
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2022 Butterflied, Boiler House, Newcastle University, UK, January 31-February 2
Group Exhibitions
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2023 Art On Loop Milan, The Holy Art, Milan, Italy, 1st – 3rd September
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2022 The Last Exhale, Newcastle University Summer Exhibition Degree Show, Hatton Gallery and Newcastle Fine Art Building, 20 August – 3 September
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2022 Exhibition of Fine Art, Newcastle Contemporary Art, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, February 16-26, 2022
Group Exhibitions Online
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2023 What’s Next for Earth? Building Community Resilience, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, January-March
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2022 What’s Next for Earth? Community Resilience in the 21st Century, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, October-December
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2022 What’s Next for Earth? What is Resilience, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, July - September
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2022 What’s Next for Earth? Culture Change & Neuroscience, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, May - June
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2022 What’s Next for Earth? Shifting Our Cultural Stories, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, March - May
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2022 What’s Next for Earth? Thinking in Systems, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, January – March
Film Screenings
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2023 At Death We Forage, Best Covid-19 Film official selection, Liber Films International Festival, screening event October 2023, Athens, Greece
Publications
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2022 Action Art for a Dying World – MAHB, article published March 25 https://mahb.stanford.edu/artscommunity/action-art-for-a-dying-world/
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2021 EXTRACTION: Art on the Edge of the Abyss, featured artwork Requiem for the Salton Sea https://www.extractionart.org/participants
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2021 featured artist, Murze Magazine, Issue Fifteen, UK
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2020 cover artist, Murze Magazine, Issue Thirteen, Re-Wilding, UK
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2020 artist interview CIIS@MFA Medium, July 26
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2020 artist interview Murze Magazine, Issue Twelve, Human, UK
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2020 artist interview, http://www.allthesins.co.uk, Nomads
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2019 featured artist http://www.allthesins.co.uk, issue 11 Making Your Mark
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2018 Autocosmology: The Art and Experience of a Time-Developmental Universe
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2018 Blacklisted, issue 01, featured artist with interview, Copenhagen Denmark
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2018 featured artist/cover art, http://www.allthesins.co.uk, issue 8 Meaning
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2018 de la Mer, Quin. Convergence: Cosmological Powers. Blurb
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2018 CIIS MFA facebook page cover photo
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2018 advertisement for Litquake, San Francisco
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2018 featured website artist, Commonality Institute
Artist In Residence
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February-May 2023, Collepino Castle, Italy
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March 2022, (Tynemouth-London-Liverpool-Holy Island Lindisfarne-Barmouth Wales), UK
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October 2018, My Good Judy Artist in Residence, New Orleans, Louisiana
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June 2018, FaveLAB, Leonidio, Greece
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June 2018, “One Artist a Week, 2018”, Athens, Greece
Online Residencies
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December 2020, Murze Magazine, Art for Advent, 24-day digital residency, UK
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June 2020, Murze Magazine, Isolation 3 – digital residency, UK
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May 2020, Murze Magazine, Isolation 2 – digital residency, UK
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April 2020, Murze Magazine, Isolation 1– digital residency, UK
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March 2020, Murze Magazine, Clarity – digital residency, UK
Education
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Doctoral Student of Philosophy, Cosmology, Consciousness, and Integral Ecologies, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2020-present
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Studied on the Master of Fine Art course at Newcastle University, UK, 2021-2022
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Master of Fine Arts, Creative Inquiry and Interdisciplinary Arts, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2019
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Master of Arts, Speech and Language Pathology, San Diego State University, 1991
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Bachelor of Arts, Communicative Disorders, San Diego State University, 1989
Scholarships
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2021-22 Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship, Newcastle University, UK
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2022 Bartlett Travel Scholarship, Newcastle University, UK
Honors/Awards/Grants
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2021-2023 Forshaw Bursary Award, Newcastle University
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2022 Bartlett Sustainable Materials Bursary Award, Newcastle University, UK
Exhibitions 2020-2021
Solo Exhibitions
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2021 AutoCosmology, The Long Gallery, Hatton Gallery Atrium, Fishbowl Space, & Seminar Room, Newcastle University Fine Art Building, UK, 29 November – 3 December
Group Exhibitions Online
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2021 What’s Next for Earth? Belief Systems, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, August
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2021 What’s Next for Earth? Social Structure: Systems of Political and Economic Management, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, June
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2021 What’s Next for Earth? Pollution from Greenhouse Gasses, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, May
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2021 What’s Next for Earth? Depletion, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, April
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2021 What’s Next for Earth? Population & Consumption, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, March
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2021 What’s Next for Earth? Interconnected, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford University, California, January-February
Film Screenings
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2021 Cold Sharp & Merciless *Finalist, Toronto Independent Film Festival of CIFT, Toronto, Canada, July 17. *Official Selection, Toronto International Women Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, July 12
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2021 Plant Matters *Official Selection, MicroActs 8: Artist Film Screenings, June 24, Hotel Elephant, London, UK.
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2021 Bones, moving poetry collaboration with moving images by Kathleen Quillian & poetry by Quin de la Mer. *Official Selection, 9th International Video Poetry Festival, Athens, Greece, due to Covid-19 the screening will be held online through their website for one year beginning June 6. *Official Selection, Aurora Picture Show’s Extremely Shorts Film Festival, screening June 5-6, Houston, TX.
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2020 Bones, moving poetry collaboration with moving images by Kathleen Quillian & poetry by Quin de la Mer. *Shapeshifters Cinema, December 20, Oakland, CA.
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2021 Waking, experimental moving poem. * Official Selection, Aurora Picture Show’s Extremely Shorts Film Festival, screening June 5-6, Houston TX. * Official Selection, Toronto International Women Film Festival, February 18.
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2020 Waking, experimental moving poem * Honorable Mention, Hollywood International Golden Age Festival, December. * Official Selection MicroActs: Artist Film Screening, Hotel Elephant, December 10, London, U.K.. * Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, Stanford, California.
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2021 Talk of the Town, moving poem/experimental poetry film collaboration with poetry by Didi Goldenhar & moving image art and voice by Quin de la Mer. *Official Selection, Queen’s World Film Festival, screening June 23-July 3 Queens, NY.
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2021 At Death We Forage, experimental film. *Official Selection, New York Tri-State International Film Festival, online Feb 27-Mar 2. * Finalist, Athens International Monthly Artist Film Festival, January.
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2020 At Death We Forage, experimental film *Official Selection Venice Shorts Film Festival, screening December 17, Venice Beach, CA. *Finalist Hollywood International Golden Age Festival, October, NYC, U.S.
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2020 Exquisite Corpse, collaborative experimental film combining moving image and poetry in various forms *Maysles Documentary Center, screenings: December 14-19 with live discussion on December 17; Harlem, NYC.
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2020 Tenuous We, a multi-faceted collaborative potlatch of moving image and poetic verse. *Shapeshifters Cinema, December 20, Oakland, CA.
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2020 Still/Moving final showcase, collaborative experimental film. *Maysles Documentary Center, Harlem, N.Y
Exhibitions 2017-2019
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2019 Solo exhibition and permanent collection, CIIS Wellness Center, San Francisco, CA
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2018 Solo exhibition, Archives and Bones: A Weaving, Egg egg Gallery, Leonidio, Greece
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2018 Solo exhibition, Beauty Bleeding Through, Panourgias Store, Athens, Greece
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2018 Solo exhibition, Shells and Pearls, The Alcove, San Francisco, California
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2019 Group exhibition, Juror Anne Herbst, World of Abstraction, San Francisco Women Artist Gallery, San Francisco, CA
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2018 Group exhibition, Black Snake Silent, Gallery 5, San Francisco, CA
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2018 Group exhibition and permanent collection, New Orleans Healing Center, Inking the Ghost in Exile, New Orleans, Louisiana
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2018 Group exhibition, Juror Matt McKinley, Vibrant Vision, San Francisco Women Artist Gallery, San Francisco, CA
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2018 Group exhibition, Juror Kim Anno, Gaia-Age of Climate Change, San Francisco Artist Gallery, San Francisco, CA
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2017 Group exhibition, Threshold, Matta Desai Gallery, San Francisco, California