Photo by Aram Boghosian
Duncan Reid (b 1964) is a contemporary artist primarily focused on vibrant, glazed oil paintings and crackled, aged-looking acrylic works that portray dreamlike natural scenes and sky-scapes often enriched with figures in surreal tableaus. Reid's artistic practice involves unique concepts exploring how objects and memories change over time. His acrylics, in particular, present themes of science and history, rendered through distressed and antiqued methods. Through this approach, Reid delves into the obstacles of human understanding and the interplay of historical interpretation with our relation to technology and physics. Painting on hand-prepared hard panels, he crafts thought-provoking visual narratives with symbolic vocabulary and icons of man-made objects against landscapes and graphic elements.
Among his important projects and series is "The Thirty Million Dollar Suit That Never Gets Pressed" (2014-2016), an exploration of public perceptions surrounding astronauts and the space program, juxtaposed against everyday human relations and unconscious ideas, employing the icon of the spacesuit as a central motif. Additionally, "Lunar Activity" (2019-2020) is a series that investigates the moon's mythos and its profound connection to humanity. Utilizing gold leaf and other techniques, Reid embellishes the story of our nearest celestial neighbor against the small adventures of life.
Notable participation in recent group shows include the "Spliced Connector Invitational Exhibition" at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning in Jamaica, New York; "A Window to the Universe" at The Art Center Dover in Dover, New Hampshire; and the "November Annex Show" held at the Fountain Street Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. Additionally, Reid's artistic contributions were recognized when his participation with the Art House Gallery in "The Scavenger Project" at The Museum of Design in Atlanta, Georgia in 2008 led to a solo show entitled "Contents Enclosed" at the Art House Gallery itself.
Duncan Reid’s works are in private collections in the United States, England, and Australia. Reid currently lives and works in Norwood, Massachusetts.
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Atmospheres, Winter term show, Munro Gallery, William R. Elfers Center for the Arts
at the Fessenden School, West Newton MA
2016 The Thirty Million Dollar Suit That Never Gets Pressed, DigitasLBi, Boston MA
2009 Contents Enclosed, Art House Gallery, Atlanta GA
2008 Monsters, Tilt Cafe, Atlanta GA
2007 Monsters and Other Paintings, The Good Life, Boston MA
Monsters, Trident Café, Boston MA
2006 The Imaginean Sea, Galleria at Umbria, Boston MA
Explorations and Discoveries, Trident Café, Boston MA
2005 Selected Paintings, Trident Café, Boston MA
2003 Re-Invention, Jefferson Cutter House, Arlington MA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 Spliced Connector, Winter 2023 Exhibition - Into Wilderness, Artsy.net
SONO Arts Open Studios, Norwood Space Center, Norwood MA
Button Factory Open Studios, Portsmouth NH
2023 SONO Arts Open Studios, Norwood Space Center, Norwood MA
2022 Spliced Connector, exhibition at Artsy.net
2022 Annual Open Studios, The Button Factory Lofts, Portsmouth NH
Spliced Connector Invitational Exhibition, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Jamaica NY
Spliced Connector, exhibition at Artsy.net
Annual Juried Exhibition, Zullo Gallery, Medfield MA
A Window to the Universe, The Art Center Dover, Dover NH
2021 Annual Open Studios, The Button Factory Lofts, Portsmouth NH
November Annex Show, Fountain Street Gallery, Boston MA
Annual Juried Exhibition, Zullo Gallery, Medfield MA
2020 Lunar Activity, Linden Ponds, Hingham MA
2019 Body of Work, Norwood Space Center, Norwood MA
2018 Body of Work, Norwood Space Center, Norwood MA
2017 Annual Open Studios, The Button Factory Lofts, Portsmouth NH
Quincy ArtsFest, Quincy Art Association, Quincy MA
ArtsAffair, Marina Bay, Quincy MA
Spring Into Art, Quincy Art Association, Quincy MA
2016 Annual Open Studios, The Button Factory Lofts, Portsmouth NH
Quincy ArtsFest, Quincy Art Association, Quincy MA
ArtsAffair, Marina Bay, Quincy MA
Spring Into Art, Quincy Art Association, Quincy MA
2015 Annual Open Studios, The Button Factory Lofts, Portsmouth NH
Quincy ArtsFest, Quincy Art Association, Quincy MA
ArtsAffair, Marina Bay, Quincy MA
Spring Into Art, Quincy Art Association, Quincy MA
Discover Quincy Pop-Up Gallery, Quincy MA
2014 Digitas Art Club, Digitas Inc., Boston MA
2011 The Sketchbook Project: 2011, The Art House Gallery, Atlanta GA
2009 Inaugural Opening, Cartel Studios, Atlanta GA
The Sketchbook Project, The Art House Gallery, Atlanta GA
2008 The Scavenger Project, The Museum of Design Atlanta, Atlanta GA
The Scavenger Project, The Art House Gallery, Atlanta GA
2006 South End Art Walk, SOWA District, Boston MA
2005 South End Art Walk, SOWA District, Boston MA
2004 South End Art Walk, SOWA District, Boston MA
2003 Fort Point Open Studios, Fort Point Art District, Boston MA
Mural Projects
2023 Biddy’s Irish Comfort Food, Brand Identity Mural, Norwood MA
2023 Norwood 150th Anniversary Celebration mural, Outdoor Digital mural Installation, Norwood MA
Freedom Fighter Mural, Indoor painted mural, Irish Brewing Boston, Norwood MA
2006 The Smoking Crow Wall, Indoor Digital mural Installation, Digitas Inc., Boston MA
Collections
The Brooklyn Art Library [collection destroyed by fire February 2022]
Works held in private collections in the United States, England, and Australia
Awards
2022 First Place: Painting, A Window to the Universe, The Art Center Dover, Dover NH
2017 Second Place: Oil, Quincy ArtsFest, Quincy MA
2016 Best of Show, ArtsAffair, Marina Bay, Quincy MA
First Place: Mixed Media, Spring Into Art, Quincy MA
2015 Third Place: Watercolor, Quincy ArtsFest, Quincy MA
Third Place: Oil Painting Prize, Spring Into Art, Quincy MA
1989 Cleo Award: Ad Club Calendar, Pre-press Artist, Bronner, Slosberg Associates, Boston MA
Other Works
Hand painted and digital murals; stage props; theatrical production; sound design; graphic art including theatrical promotion, print advertising, photo retouching, illustration, bookbinding, and comprehensive dummy creation