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Biography
The visual arts have been a lifelong occupation for Xavier Phelp. He has been a photographer since childhood. His education, at University College London, Stanford and elsewhere, provided an arts education and a fundamental understanding of camera optics, and of digital data acquisition and manipulation. He was an early adopter of the digital camera, and now works almost exclusively digitally.
Artist Statement
Born to a father, a political refugee, imprisoned for his nationality, shot through the chest, saved by a stranger who subsequently bore me. As an infant, homeless, perplexed by the thud of bombs exploding. At puberty, found that I was closest to foreigners, refugees and subversives. Married someone from a different continent, who had suffered at the hands of bigots.
Taunted as an enemy alien, arrested for possession of recorded music, separated by authorities from my family, crossing borders illicitly, mounted police trampling me underfoot. My relatives persecuted by the secret police simply because of their relationship to me, and dying at the hands of the regime.
Is it any wonder that I discovered release in an engagement with art and pure aesthetics. Is it any wonder that I find myself creating works concerned with politics and social issues.
Recent Exhibitions and Awards
October 2011: ArtSpan Open Studios, exhibits at ArtSpan and Arc Gallery
July 2011: Arc Studio Artists Group Show
June - December 2011: San Francisco Travel Group Show
April 2011: Open Studios at ARC Gallery, San Francisco
March 2011: Benefit Art Show and Auction, ArtSpan
February 2011: Curated Solo Exhibition, San Francisco, Misho Gallery
December 2010: Art Explosion Winter Exhibition
November 2010: Curated Solo Exhibition, San Francisco, Bacchus Bar
October 2010: ArtSpan Open Studios, exhibits at ArtSpan and Art Explosion
May 2010: Camerawork: Roll Call
March 2010: Ugallery, Curated Web Gallery
June 2009: Camerawork, San Francisco: Ersatz Group