Peter Max Lawrence (born March 19, 1977, in Topeka, Kansas) is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist, as well as performance artist, curator, filmmaker, and film director. He is known to work in painting, video installation, sculpture, photography and drawing.[1][2] Lawrence has had art exhibitions in galleries throughout the United States and Europe.[1] He has lived in San Francisco[3] and Kansas City, Missouri.
Lawrence received his B.F.A. in 2009 in new genres from the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI).[citation needed] He received the CAAC fellowship in 1999 and the Garber Grant in 2001.[1] While he was a student, he worked under artist Ian McDonald at a De Young museum artist residency and they produced a film for the Truly CA series.[7][8]
He lived and worked in California for 15 years.[9]
Career
His discography includes such music as Banana Blues, On Your Own Time, Queer from Kansas, and The Media.[10]
One of his early showings of his art was The Man Who Was Too Loud (2001) at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, about coming out publicly as gay.[6] It was followed later in 2001, by a showing in Montreal.[6] Lawrence also was in the art exhibitions, The Indelible Sulk (2013) a solo art installation at Mission: Comics and Art in San Francisco;[11]Ungodly: The Spiritual Medium (2020) a group exhibition at Oregon Contemporary gallery in Portland, Oregon;[12] and At War (2012) with Truong Tran at SOMArts in San Francisco (as part of a curatorial residency).[13][better source needed]. Lawrence was the third artist in residence for Kalup Linzy's project Queen Rose Art House in tandem with Tulsa Artist Fellowship (2023) [2]
Collaborations
Paper Waster Press was a collective project with Lawrence, he first engaged with Amy Whitehead,[when?] and later with Nico Peck; the duos collaborations continued until 2011.[citation needed] Lawrence was part of, The Cries of San Francisco: Saturday Market #2 (2011), a group project by Allison Smith at Southern Exposure, San Francisco, California.[14][15] Lawrence was part of the art event, Breaking My Spell (2011) at Reykjavik Culture Night, Reykjavik, Iceland; working with fellow SFAI students Michelle Morby, Kirk Wilder, Jenalee Harmon, and Melkorka Helgadottir.[16][17][better source needed]
Performances
Live performances include collaborations and a trilogy of performances in Athens, Greece, that were the cumulative work of an extended residency at Sub Rosa Space[18] including Beyond Say: An American in Athens (2018),[19]The Umpire Strikes Back (2018),[20]Return of the Yeti (2018).[21] Lawrence performed, I Miss America (2018)[22] at CHEAPArt gallery in Athens.[23][24]
Lawrence performed Whimper (2014), The Stud bar in San Francisco.[25][26] He performed at 4WAVES: 40 Performances for the Hole (2019) in the group event in San Francisco.[27]
Filmography
Lawrence has also directed music videos such as Krystle Warren's[28]I've Seen Days[29] and On that First Day of Autumn;[30] Carletta Sue Kay's, The Lady and the Creature From the Black Lagoon, For the Birds, and Just Another Beautiful Boy; Pookie and the Poodlez's, go go away from me; and The Centauros[31] featuring AL-V, Calavera in Barcelona, Spain.
Glitter (2005)
Negative Space/Jane Sommerhauser (2006)
Poor Pandora (Spring 2008)
Something to Trade (2008)
Queer in Kansas (2008), an autobiographical film.[32][4]
