Artist Statement
Jimmy Riordan is a multidisciplinary artist engaged in both a research-driven social practice, as well as a studio practice focused on print and book making.
Riordan’s projects have involved earth building, augmented reality, video installation and translation, all emphasizing his interest in autodidactics, the self-taught and group learning. His work is often participatory and involves collaboration with other artists, craftspeople and social scientists.
Riordan produces print media under the name Rabbit Rabbit Press (ꓤꓤ). On top of running ꓤꓤ, Riordan helps organize the Anchorage Zine Fair and manages the Alaska Bookmobile, a free library on wheels, mobile venue, and set of resources to help make things happen in Alaska.
Riordan’s artwork has been shown internationally, and the bookwork comprising his Le Roman du Lièvre project can be found in the library collections of the New York MOMA and the Tate Britain.
ꓤꓤ Press
Rabbit Rabbit Press started in 2007 as an imprint for the artist books Riordan created during his studies at Camberwell College in London. ꓤꓤ has continued to be an outlet for Riordan’s own artist books, zines and comics, often overlapping with his other projects, which regularly incorporate self-published print media. At the same time it has grown into a more professional print and book studio, offering design services and contract printing.
Over the last 7 years Riordan has explored a variety of different cooperative models for the making of artist books. As time has passed, these collaborative artist books have grown to make up a larger part of ꓤꓤ’s production.
Ak Bookmobile
The Bookmobile is an Anchorage based free library on wheels, a mobile venue, and set of resources to help make things happen in Alaska. Contact: akbookmobile@gmail.com
The JJPFC (Joe Jim Paul Fan Club) is an Alaska music Archiving project. We are building a library of albums that have connections to Alaska. We are primarily interested in work put out on vinyl and tape, and are actively digitizing, cataloging and documenting what we find.
CV
Education
2008 MA Book Arts, University of the Arts London: Camberwell College
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2020 Alaska Pacific University Grant Hall, I Remember, Anchorage, AK
2019 Bunnell Street Art Center, “LRDL2018.01” Anchorage, AK
2018 Bivy, “LRDL2018.01” Anchorage, AK
2015 Micro Art Space, “21.5cm,” Cleveland, OH
2014 Zygote Press, “LRdL: 1902, 2008, 2014,” Cleveland, OH
2012 Arc Gallery, “Sculpture,” Anchorage, AK
2012 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, “Return to Me,” Anchorage, AK
Participatory and Installation
2019 333 W 4th AVE, “BRICK,” Anchorage, AK
2018 YK Delta, “Home(Working Title),” Bethel, AK
2017 Island Institute, “Walden,” Sitka, AK
2015 Institute of American Art, “Social Object Organic Line," Portland, ME
2015 Anchorage Museum, “Views: Basecamp and Viewfinders,” Anchorage, AK
2015 Chester Creek Trail, “Seeking the Source,” Anchorage, AK
2014 Bunnell Art Center, “Searching for the Sublime at the End of the Road” Homer, AK
2011 Undisclosed Location, “BRICK U-Haul Festival,” Anchorage, AK
2010 Carr Gottstein Gallery, “House,” Anchorage, AK
2010 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, “Dial #00,” Anchorage, AK
2010 MTS Gallery, “Parque?” Anchorage, AK
2009 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, “BERTH: Bicycle Library,” Anchorage, AK
2009 U-Haul Truck, “BRICK Mobile Gallery,” Anchorage, AK
2009 MTS Gallery, "Uno De Mayo,” Anchorage, AK
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020 ALaska Pacific University, “I Remember: New Collaborative Work by Ryan Romer and Jimmy Riordan,” Anchorage, AK
2018 Able Baker Contemporary, “This Desire,” Portland, ME
2016 Neu Kirche, “The Seen and The Unseen,” Pittsburgh, PA
2014 Edsvik Art, “Half of Heaven,” Stockholm, Sweden
2014 Art In General, “Flux Not So Silent Auction,” New York, NY
2013 Out North, “native ALASKAN,” Anchorage, AK
2012 Bunnell Art Center, “Process Alaska,” Homer, AK
2012 Peanut Underground, “Process Alaska,” New York, NY
2012 Good Question Gallery, “Process Alaska,” Brooklyn, NY
2012 Anchorage Museum of History and Art, “Rarified Light” Anchorage, AK
2010 International Gallery of Contemporary Art, “Object Runway,” Anchorage, AK
2009 MTS Gallery, “From There to Here” Anchorage, AK
2008, 23 Sandy Gallery, “Secrets and Lies,” Portland, OR
2008, Dorset, “Geekfest,” UK
2008, Book of a Book, “Leeds Book Fair,” Leeds, UK
2007, Red Gate Gallery, “A Happening,” London, UK
Ongoing Projects
2020-Present Anchorage Zine Fair, Organizer
2019-Present Alaska Bookmobile, Project Lead
2007-Present Rabbit Rabbit Press, Sole Proprietor
Permanent Collections
2015 UW Special Collections, “Le Roman du Lievre,” Milwaukee, WI
2015 Center for Cartoon Studies’ Schultz Library, “SOWSEAR 1-3,” White River Junction, VT
2012 Tate Britain, “Marginalia Appendix G,” London, UK
2009 MOMA, “Le Roman du Lievre: Appendix A-D,” New York, NY
2008 Tate Britain, “Le Roman du Lievre: Appendix A-D,” London, UK
2008 UAL: Chelsea School of Design & Camberwell College, “LRdL: Appendix A-D,” London, UK
Selected Books, Comics and other Artist Publication
2019 Ellang’uq: First Memories/Awareness
2017 What We Eat, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2017 LRdl Excerpts: Wolf/Dog, Sheep/Birds, God’s Garden, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2016 SOWSEAR Vol 2: Umwelt, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2014 Held Up Book One, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK (collecting Held Up Issues 1 - 6(2011-2014)
2014 Le Roman du Lievre, Rabbit Rabbit Press / Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH
2011 LRdL: Marginalia, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2014 Held Up Book One, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2014 Seagull Library, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2014 Le Roman du Lievre, Rabbit Rabbit Press / Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH
2013-15 SOWSEAR 1 - 5, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2012 Process Alaska, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2011 Marginalia: Appendix G, Rabbit Rabbit Press, Anchorage, AK
2009 40th in the 49th State, Rabbit Rabbit Press & Maria Yoon, Anchorage, AK
2008 Le Roman du Lievre: Appendix A-D, Rabbit Rabbit Press, London, UK
Awards and Grants
2021 Innovation and Adaptation, ASCA, Anchorage, AK
2018 Tier 1 Grant, Rasmuson Foundation, Anchorage, AK
2018 Access Grant, ASCA, Anchorage, AK
2018 LIFT grant, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Pittsburgh, PA
2017 Human:ties Participatory Art Grant, Alaska Humanities Forum, Anchorage, AK
2016 Mini Grant, Alaska Humanities Forum, Anchorage, AK
2016 Investing in Professional Artists, Pittsburgh Foundation, Pittsburgh, PA
2015 Mini Grant, Alaska Humanities Forum, Anchorage, AK
2015 Individual Artist Award, Rasmuson Foundation, Anchorage, AK
2014 Career Opportunity Grant, Alaska State Council for the Arts, Anchorage, AK
2014 Northern Placemaking Pilot Project, Art Place America, Anchorage, AK
2014 Ephemeral Art Award, Bunnell Art Center & Art Place America, Homer, AK
Residencies and Fellowships
2020-Present Anchorage Museum Archives, Anchorage, AK
2017/2018 Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK
2017 Project Art, Pittsburgh, PA
2017 Tidelines, Sitka, AK
2017 Artist in School, Shishmaref, Homer, AK
2016 Hewnoaks, Lovell, ME
2015 Flight School, Pittsburgh, PA
2014 Island Institute, Sitka, AK
2014 Hewnoaks, Lovell, ME
2014 Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH
2014 AIS, Nome & Homer, AK
2013 Flux Factory, Queens, NY
Selected Curatorial Activity
2021 IGCA, “Bookmobile Floor Show,” Anchorage, AK
2017 Anchorage Museum, “Territory of Images,” Anchorage, AK
2017 Anchorage COL, “What We Eat,” Anchorage, AK
2016 Anchorage Museum, “Talking Translation,” Anchorage, AK
2014 Flux Factory, “From Baudelaire to Levitation,” Queens, NY
2010 The Green Gallery, “Marginalia: Return To Me,” Milwaukee, WI
2010 Royal Nonesuch Gallery, “Marginalia: Return To Me,” Oakland, CA
2010 SkyDive, “Marginalia: Return To Me,” Houston, TX
2010 Porridge Paper, “Marginalia: Return To Me,” Lincoln, NE
2010 Carr Gottstein Gallery, “BRICK Retrospective,” Anchorage, AK
2009 MTS Gallery, “Marginalia,” Anchorage, AK
Readings and Performances
2015 “Feast of the Beasts,” Neu Kirche Contemporary Art, Pittsburgh, PA
2015 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Sunview Luncheonette, Brooklyn, NY
2015 “Le Roman du Lievre & Held Up,” Center for Cartoon Studies, White River Junction, VT
2015 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Woodland Pattern, Milwaukee, WI
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Three Walls, Chicago, IL
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Island Institute, Sitka, AK
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Resurrect Art, Seward, AK
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Anchorage Community Works, Anchorage, AK
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Blue Holloman Gallery, Anchorage, AK
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Birdsell Project, South Bend, IN
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Salt and Cedar, Detroit, MI
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Guide to Kulchur, Cleveland, OH
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre Salon,” Home of Terrance Hayes and Yona Harvey, Pittsburgh, PA
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Encyclopedia Distructica, Pittsburgh, PA
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Institute for American Art, Portland, ME
2014 “Le Roman du Lievre,” Bunnell Street Art Center, Homer, AK
Artist Talks, Lectures, and Workshops
2015 Book Arts and Advanced Printmaking, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY
2015 Digitally Mediated Performance, Carnegie Mellon School of Art, Pittsburgh, PA
2015 Printmaking, Micro Publishing, Graphic Design, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2015 DIY Printmaking, Anchorage Community Works, Anchorage, AK
2015 Artist Talk, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, MN
2015 Panel on Artist Residencies, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, OH
2015 Book Arts, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY
2015 Printmaking, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
2014 Letterpress, Gotham Arts Academy, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Artist Talk, Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH
2014 “FareWelcome”, Spaces, Cleveland, OH
2013 Flux Thursday: December, Flux Factory, Queens, NY
2011 “The Dying Arts,” Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage, AK
2010 “Barbe Bleue,” Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Employment
2016 - 2017 Curator, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK - Contracted to curate three traveling exhibitions from the Anchorage Museum’s archives on topics related to the circumpolar north.
2015 - 2017 Administration & Design, Neu Kirche Contemporary Art, Pittsburgh, PA - Part time assistance with administration, design, print material, web development
2013 - 2014 Adjunct Faculty, University of Alaska, KBC/Fairbanks, AK - Bookbinding, printmaking
2010 - Present Artist in Resident, ASCA: Artist in Schools, AK - Artist in school: printmaking, book art, murals, woodworking
2010 - 2012 Sculpture Technician, University of Alaska Anchorage, AK - Maintenance of equipment, studio management, assisting students
2011 Master Printer, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK - Executed an edition of prints for Daniel Joseph Martinez for his residency at the Anchorage Museum
2009 - 2012 Adjunct Faculty, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK - 3D Design, Experimental drawing, Color Theory, 2D Design, Beginning Drawing
2009 - 2012 Alaska Regional Affiliate, AYAW New York, NY - Promote competition, coordinate with teachers and jury, hang regional exhibit
2006 - Present Co-Director, Girdwood Fine Arts Camp, Girdwood, AK - Hire instructors, scheduling, management, instruction