Wade Guyton is a notable American post-conceptual artist, born in 1972 in Hammond, Indiana. Raised in Lake City, Tennessee, by a family deeply rooted in steelworking, Guyton carved a path that led him to the forefront of the digital art scene. He holds a BA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and furthered his education with an MFA from Hunter College after moving to New York in 1996. Guyton’s artistic practice merges traditional concepts with modern technology, primarily utilizing digital inkjet printers and scanners to create what he describes as digital paintings on canvas. These artworks often incorporate simple yet potent motifs like the color black and the letter 'X', and are known for their unique interplay with the mechanical glitches and imperfections of digital printing. His career gained traction in the early 2000s with his innovative approach, leading to significant solo and group exhibitions worldwide. Noteworthy shows include his 2012 retrospective at the Whitney Museum and a 20-year retrospective at Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany, in 2019. His work has been included in major international exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale in 2009. Guyton’s works are part of prestigious collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He has also been recognized in the art market, with some pieces selling for over $1 million. Despite his success, Guyton has critiqued the commercialization of art; in one instance, he responded to the high auction prices of his work by reproducing and sharing images of the pieces on social media just before an auction. Currently, Guyton continues to explore the boundaries of digital and physical art forms, maintaining collaborations with artists like Kelley Walker and operating Leopard Press with fellow artist Seth Price. He is represented by prominent galleries such as Matthew Marks Gallery in New York and Galerie Gisela Capitain in Cologne.
