About
Karlsen Clay is an artist in Los Angeles primarily known for his ironic character portrayals of West Hollywood and the surrounding film and fashion industries. Using hand cut paper and paint markers as a medium, his work ranges from whimsical portraits to architectural centerpieces.
Artist Statement
"My work, through both its content and medium, aligns our ideas of perfection by portraying commercially attractive characters in a light of vulnerability. Like our movie stars, influencers and politicians, my work is dressed in clean materials, displayed over an attractive backdrop, then presented under gallery lights. Inevitably, it projects a stark confidence. It’s not until one approaches the piece and explores it up close that the countless imperfections and hesitated cuts become evident.
As a 20+ year resident and artist focused on West Hollywood, I continue to draw inspiration from my surrounding friends and neighbors — a community of displaced people who celebrate their insecurities and continue to educate this artist in unadulterated understanding that things are never as they appear on the surface." -- Karlsen Clay
Installations
Granada Fish Lofts, June 2017, Denver
20’ x 24’ marker mural for private owner
20’ x 24’ marker mural for private owner
Dada Art Bar, February 2015, Denver
4’ x 8’ live performance marker drawing and eight 19” x 24” paper-cut exhibition
4’ x 8’ live performance marker drawing and eight 19” x 24” paper-cut exhibition
Saks Fifth Avenue, March 2014, Chicago
8’ x 8’ live performance marker drawing at The Fifth Avenue Man launch party
8’ x 8’ live performance marker drawing at The Fifth Avenue Man launch party
Saks Fifth Avenue, January 2014, Chicago
12’ high four wall marker mural at store entrance
12’ high four wall marker mural at store entrance
Saks Fifth Avenue, December 2013, Nationwide
Paper-cut SNEAKS icon reproduced for stores in Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago and New York
Paper-cut SNEAKS icon reproduced for stores in Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago and New York
PAVE, December 2013, New York
4’ x 8’ marker drawing and 19” x 24” paper-cut as featured artist at Planning and Visual Education Partnership’s 17th Annual Gala
4’ x 8’ marker drawing and 19” x 24” paper-cut as featured artist at Planning and Visual Education Partnership’s 17th Annual Gala
Media Nation, April 2013, Chicago
Five 30” x 40” paper-cuts exhibited in NoMI Gallery with permanent installation at Media Nation Enterprises
Five 30” x 40” paper-cuts exhibited in NoMI Gallery with permanent installation at Media Nation Enterprises
Saks Fifth Avenue, March 2013, Los Angeles
12’ high two wall mural, live performance marker drawing and 30” x 40” paper-cut at store entrance
12’ high two wall mural, live performance marker drawing and 30” x 40” paper-cut at store entrance
The Crown Towers, January 2013, Los Angeles
Thirty eight 30” x 40” paper-cuts commissioned for common area walkways
Thirty eight 30” x 40” paper-cuts commissioned for common area walkways
Larry Picard DDS, April 2012, Los Angeles
Two 30” x 40” paper-cuts commissioned for office lobby
Two 30” x 40” paper-cuts commissioned for office lobby
Publications
Access Mundane, January 2017, Paperback
248 page interview book exploring the intertwined lives of people living, working and struggling in West Hollywood
248 page interview book exploring the intertwined lives of people living, working and struggling in West Hollywood
Gendergarten, January 2014, Hardcover
142 page collection of artwork and essays spotlighting West Hollywood’s changing cultural landscape at the turn of the century
142 page collection of artwork and essays spotlighting West Hollywood’s changing cultural landscape at the turn of the century
Education
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N.Y., BFA Industrial Design, 1999