Carroll Dunham  (American, 1949) 

Carroll Dunham (American, b.1949) is a painter and printmaker best known for his playful, erotic, and brightly-colored biomorphic paintings. Born in New Haven, CT, Dunham studied at Trinity College before settling in New York. He was initially inspired by Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art, as well as the depiction of the body in the work of artists such as Brice Marden (American, b.1938), Robert Peter Mangold (American, b.1937), and Robert Ryman (American, b.1930). In the 1980s, Dunham painted abstracted geometric compositions on wood veneer. For his Integrated Paintings series (c.1991), he created a multidimensional surface by applying balls and chips to the painted canvas. Dunham began using several recurring motifs in his work, such as waves, mounds, genitalia, teeth, and tongues. His series of Mounds, begun in the early 1990s, resemble mounds of earth but are covered with holes in neon colors. More recently, Dunham has focused on cartoon-like figures and nudes, as well as textured trees. His series of Mule paintings, begun in 2006, features male nudes wearing fedoras, knives, and guns. Dunham has held solo exhibitions at the New Museum in New York and the Millesgarden in Stockholm, and has participated in the Whitney Biennials of 1985, 1991, and 1995. His work is held in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. He currently lives and works in New York.