Project Description

Bill Dambrova

Bill Dambrova (b. 1971)

Jungle Gym July, 2024

My artwork is inspired by hidden worlds, especially the inner workings of living things.  Using expressive marks and dynamic compositions motivated by events happening inside and sometimes outside of our bodies, my art practice allows me to visually explore our biological and metaphysical relationship with plants, animals, the cosmos, and each other. In my work I strive to emulate and celebrate the energy and visceral qualities of
our biotic existence. My goal with the work is to activate the bodies of perception in my audience as a reflection of the motivated bodies that express themselves within all living things. I hope that my work might make an important contribution, not just to how the viewer receives ideas about painting in general or my art specifically, but much more importantly, to how they experience themselves as physical and energetic beings in relationship with all other beings.

I intend to capture a type of crossing between material and spiritual substrates within each composition. For me, this includes thinking about the body as a type of landscape of constant behind the scenes exchanges and interactions within the self, as well as with the more than human world that exists outside of us. This process helps me to create works that are informed by varied taxonomies of the body which are subtly woven together by diagramming different models of conscious experience as a kind of network of larger, molecular, and metaphysical forces.

In an effort to capture these mutually implicated states, my work contains references to evolution, shamanistic techniques, swarm behavior, theories of emergence,
morphic resonance, archetypal symbolism, totemic powers, archeology, global art history, natural history, and many other cross-cultural symbols and references.

EDUCATION
 
1993
BA, Studio Art, Arizona State University
 
AWARDS, GRANTS, AND HONORS
 
2021
Ted Decker Catalyst Fund, Phoenix, AZ
2014
Contemporary Forum Artist Grant, The Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix AZ
 
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
 
2021
VISITATIONS, The Ice House, Phoenix, AZ
2020
Abstract Journeys of Mutation with Fausto Fernandez, Mood Room, Phoenix, AZ
2018
Energy Eaters, Eric Fischl Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2018
Get ‘Em Into Those Bodies, Stark Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2017
A Vein is a River, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2017
Resilient Bodies, Chartreuse, Phoenix, AZ
2016
The Naturalness of Strange Things: Abbey Messmer & Bill Dambrova, Shade
Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2015
Your Thoughts are Not Your Own, Treeo, Phoenix, AZ
2015
This Way to Earth, Practical Arts, Phoenix, AZ
2014
The Body Remembers What We Forget, Shade Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2013
The Body Believes in Images, Eye Lounge, Phoenix, AZ
2013
The Space Between You and Me, Tasty Space, Las Vegas NV
 
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
 
2021
HMA Collective, Ironwood Projects, Sunnylope, AZ
2020
Arizona Biennial 2020, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
2020
I Hear What You Are Seeing, Center Space at Scottsdale Center for the
Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ
2019
The Snake Eats Its Tail, Joseph Gross Gallery (UofA), Tucson, AZ
2019
Art on a Cellular Level, Sky Harbor Airport Museum, Terminal 4 Gallery,
Phoenix, AZ
2019
Alptraum (The Wandering Show), Fine Art Complex 1101, Tempe, AZ
2019
Metempsychosis, AZOKOZA, Tempe, AZ
2019
Chaos Theory 20, Legend City, Phoenix, AZ
2019
Winter Show, Green Leaf Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2019
Art D’ Core Gala, Warehouse 215, Phoenix, AZ
2019
Favorite Things, Sisao Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2019
Observation & Imagination, Royce Contemporary, Scottsdale, AZ
2018
Arizona Biennial 2018, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
2018
Chaos Theory 19, Legend City, Phoenix, AZ
2018
Art D’ Core Gala, Warehouse 215, Phoenix, AZ
2018
Anniversary Exhibition, Practical Arts, Phoenix, AZ
2018
PHX ART Now, Arizona State University Step Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2017
Chaos Theory 18, Legend City, Phoenix, AZ
2017
AltRealities, Mesa Contemporary Art Museum, Mesa, AZ
2017
Good Wonder, Arizona State University Gallery 100, Tempe, AZ
2017
Abstraction in the Singular, Bentley Projects, Phoenix, AZ
2017
Abstract Miniatures, Fine Art Complex 1101, Tempe, AZ
2017
Art D’ Core Gala, Warehouse 215, Phoenix, AZ
2016
Snow, The Coe House, Phoenix, AZ
2016
Chaos Theory 17, Legend City, Phoenix, AZ
2016
Surfacing, Brill Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2016
Then & Now, The Lodge, Phoenix, AZ
2016
Outside-In, Peters Projects, Santa Fe, NM
2016
Mas Attack with ARTRA, Fine Art Complex 1101, Tempe, AZ
2016
Square 16, The Liquor Gallery, Tempe, AZ
2015
AZ45, Teiken Gallery, Paradise Valley, AZ
2015
10X10 Takes a Ride, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
2015
Chaos Theory 16, Legend City, Phoenix, AZ
2015
Contemporary Forum Grant Winners Exhibition, The Phoenix Art Museum,
Phoenix, AZ
2015
Yonderland, Treeo, Phoenix, AZ
2015
Gallery Fake, Eileen Braziel Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2015
Being Human, The Lodge, Phoenix, AZ
2014
CROSSCURRENT, Phoenix Merchandise Mart Building, Phoenix, AZ
2014
Deconstructing Coyote, GF Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2014
Science Fiction Double Feature, Illuminiodal Arts, Long Beach, CA
2014
Chaos Theory 15, Legend City, Phoenix, AZ
2014
Venice Beach VAC Artists Exhibition, Studio 18, Pembroke Pines, FL
2014
Artists Across America, Flower Pepper Gallery, Pasadena, CA
2014
H2O, The Lodge, Phoenix, AZ
2014
Chimerical, Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ
2014
Pseudoscience, Frontal Lobe Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2013
Meme Democracy, Illuminoidal Arts, Long Beach CA
2013
Arizona Biennial 2013, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
2013
Invitational: 25 Years Downtown, Shade Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2013
Poly-Chrome, Illuminiodal Arts, Long Beach, CA
 
SELECTED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
 
The Bauer Potter Collection
Ben Bethel
Ted Decker
DuPont
Steve Hanson
Kemin Industries
Kroger Inc.
Douglas Nielsen
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Museum
Phoenix Suns Legacy Partners LLC
The Stephen Ribbon Collection
Scottsdale Arts (City of Scottsdale)
State of New Mexico: Art in Public Places Program
Tucson Museum of Art
 
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
 
Canal Convergence: Art and Technology Pneuzooid, Scottsdale, AZ
Phoenix Sky Harbor Rental Car Return Sky Train Station, Phoenix, AZ
Valley Metro ArtsLIne, Phoenix, AZ
Fry’s Marketplace, Peoria, AZ
MEOW WOLFs House of Eternal Return, Santa Fe, NM
Stevie Eller Theater, Tucson, AZ
Arizona Science Center, Phoenix, AZ
 
PUBLICATIONS
 
2018
Anderson, Cory, Meow Wolf reopens with upgraded art and a new portal to
the multi-verse, 303 magazine
2018
VoyagePhoenix interview, Meet Bill Dambrova Artist and Exhibition Designer,
March
2018
Young, Amy, Bill Dambrova: Energy Eaters at Eric Fischl Gallery, JAVA
Magazine, November
2017
Nafziger, Christina, Bill Dambrova’s BiOdes, Create!
2017
Royce, Nicole, Abstraction in the Singular Opens at Bentley Projects, Arizona
Foothills Magazine, April
2017
Young, Amy, Abstraction in the Singular, JAVA Magazine, March
2016
Gonzales, Tara, Resilient Bodies, Arts Beacon, December
2016
Morrow, Justine, Resilient Bodies: Bill Dambrova, Beautiful Bizarre, Nov
2016
Nafziger, Christina, The Naturalness of Strange Things, The Arts Beacon, April
2015
Nafziger, Christina, The Pop-Surrealist Paintings of Bill Dambrova Anatomically
Explore the Mind and Body, Beautiful Decay, May
2015
Estes, Mikey, Phoenix Artist Bill Dambrova on Painting, Star Wars and
Spirituality, Phoenix New Times, May
2015
Ross, Deborah, Your Thoughts Are Not Your Own, Visual Art Source, December
2015
Grossman, Jacob, Interview: Bill Dambrova, UNDR RPBLC 36, August
2015
Scavarda, Madison, Spectrum of Dance, Arizona Daily Wildcat, February
2014
Young, Amy, Anatomy of a Painter, JAVA Magazine, November
2014
Royce, Nicole, Spotlight on Artist Bill Dambrova, Arizona Foothills Magazine,
April
2014
Abatemarco, Michael, Totem Polemics: Unmasking the Mystique of the
Howling Coyote, Santa FE New Mexican
2014
Altman-Yee, Top Five Artists to Watch, Modern Luxury, July
2014
Bartkowski, Becky 100 Creatives, Phoenix New Times, May
2014
Davis, Kathryn M., Deconstructing Coyote: Thanksgiving in the
Southwest, THE Magazine
2014
McCreary, Mackenzie, Bill Dambrova Paints Body Imaginations, State
Press Magazine
2014
McCreary, Mackenzie, Bill Dambrova Paints Body Imaginations, State
Press Magazine
2013
Peterson, Kristen, Anatomy of Two Artists, Las Vegas Weekly
2013
Cordova, Randy, Gallery Pays Homage to Phoenix Art Scene, Arizona
Republic
2013
Kenway, Jenessa, First Friday Round Up, Las Vegas City Life, Jan
2013
Royce, Nicole, The Body Believes in Images Exhibition, Local Revibe Magazine
2013
Carter, Geoff, We Heart Art, Vegas Rated Magazine, Feb
2013
Salmon, Howard, Arizona Biennial 2013: Gutsy Art: Tucson’s Art Exhibits
Reviewed
2012
Rolnik, Daniel, Worlds of Internal Wonder, Cartwheel