Robert Minervini’s practice encompasses painting, printmaking, mural painting, and site specific public artworks. 

His work examines an evolving relationship between nature and culture through the depiction of spatial environments. He utilizes tropes from art history, science fiction, film, and references from quotidian life to depict places and spaces both real and imagined. 

Through grand landscapes and intricate still lives his work addresses the impact of humanity on the landscape. The version of reality he presents, displayed through saccharin sunsets and lush foliage, is a form of hypernaturalism, one that is exaggerated and created through the intervention of the camera and computer. Diving through a dense archive of imagery both found and personal, he typically makes digital sketches for each composition, which are then transferred to the canvas and painted using a multitude of painting techniques. 

He’s interested in the many ways acrylic paint can be applied to create an image and builds his paintings through a laborious process of layering paint through hand cut stencils, hand painting, airbrushing, spray painting, and silk screen printing. He is drawn to the artificially flat nature of acrylic paints and their properties, which are often in contrast and dialogue with the subjects he approaches. 

Minervini’s naturalism is one that is tethered to the rich traditions of Western painting while striving to make new interpretations of a contemporary idea about beauty and the sublime.

EDUCATION

2009   MFA San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA

2005   BFA Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022   L'Attessa, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2019   Crystal Palace, Local Language Gallery, Oakland, CA

2019   Future Collapse, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2019   New Monuments, Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, NY

2017   Life in the Shadows, Edward Cella Gallery, Culver City, CA

2017   Improvised Gardens, Rena Bransten Projects, San Francisco, CA

2016   Speed x Distance x Time, Sandpoint Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

2015   Invisible Reflections, Rena Bransten Projects, San Francisco, CA

2013   Until Tomorrow Comes, Marine Contemporary, Venice, CA

2013   After Glow: As the Wick Burns, Electric Works, San Francisco, CA

2012   On the Nature of Things, Marine Contemporary, Venice, CA

2009   A Means to an End, Eleanor Harwood Gallery, San Francisco, CA

TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2016   California Utopias: Shifting Perspectives at the Edge of the West, City College of San Francisco, SF, CA

2014   Terminal Sunset, Littman Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR

2012   Hymns to the Moon, Johansson Projects, Oakland, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023    No Dead Artists, Ferrara Showman Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2023    Lush, Hashimoto Contemporary, New York, NY

2023    Room with a View, Hashimoto Contemporary, New York, NY

2022    Angels in the Architecture, Talon Gallery, Portland, OR

2020    South East North West: New Works from the Collection, San Jose Museum of Art

2019    Reinventing the Real, Hirschl and Adler Modern, New York, NY

2018    San Diego: The Architecture of Four Ecologies, The La Jolla Historical Society, La Jolla, CA

2018    A Sentimental Mood, First Amendment Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2018    15-year Anniversary Exhibition, Root Division, San Francisco, CA

2017    California Connections: Selections from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, CA

2017    Group Hang, Facebook Residency 5 year Anniversary Exhibition, The Lab, San Francisco, CA

2016    Local II, Mirus Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2016    Rena Bransten Gallery, Pulse Art Fair, Miami, FL

2015    Bird in Hand, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA

2015    Radical Landscapes, di Rosa, Napa, CA

2015    Forgetting the Future: Entropy in the Reflective Age, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA

2015   Transactions, Spring/Break Art Show, NYC, NY

2014    Space//Squared, White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2014    Local, Mirus Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2014    Home: Shelter and Habitat in Contemporary Art, Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR & Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA

2013    New Acquisitions, Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA

2011    Bay Area Now 6, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

2011    ROY G BIV, Waterhouse and Dodd, New York, NY

2011    Call & Response, Root Division, San Francisco, CA (Curated and Participated)

2010    Hi-Tide, Aqua Art Fair, Art Slant Booth, Miami Beach, FL

2010    Salon No.5, Marine Contemporary Art Salon, Santa Monica, CA

2010    Magic Window, Verge Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2009    Brooklyn Utopias, Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn, NY

2009    Introductions, Root Division, San Francisco, CA

2009    Master Pieces, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

2008    The Immediate Future, The San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA

AWARDS, COMMISSIONS & RESIDENCIES

2023    Thomas Wood Invitational Artist In Residence, Il Bisonte Foundation For Art&Printmaking, Florence, Italy

2023    Public Art Commission, Walnut Creek Bart Station, Bart Art Program

2019    Public Art Commission, Sfo Airport Terminal 1, San Francisco Arts Commission, SF, CA

2019    Public Art Commission, Mural Painting Castro Valley, CA, Alameda County Art Commission, Oakland, CA

2017    Kala Fellowship Award, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA

2015    Public Art Commission, Art On Market Street, The San Francisco Arts Commission, SF, CA

2014    Artist In Residence/Commission, Facebook Analog Research Lab, Facebook Headquarters, Menlo Park, CA

2013    Artist In Residence, Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE

2010    Artist In Residence, Root Division, San Francisco, CA, 2009-2010

2009    Artist In Residence, The Project Space, The Headlands Center For The Arts, Sausalito, CA

2008    Murphy & Cadogan Fellowship, The San Francisco Foundation, San Francisco, CA

2007    Artist In Residence, The Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2019    Print & Online Feature, Whiting, Sam, "San Francisco Skyline Stars In Mosaic At Newly Opened SFO Terminal" San Francisco Chronicle, Datebook Section, 7.25.19

2019    Online Feature, Duran, Doug, "Large-Scale Mural On Castro Valley Underpass" Mercury News, 7.19.19

2019    Print Feature, American Art Collector Magazine, March 2019

2018    Review, Daichendt, James, "2018 Shows Us What San Diego's Art Scene Aspires To Be" San Diego Union Tribune, Critic's Pick. December 23, 2018

2017    Print Feature, Art Maze Magazine, Issue #3, London, England

2015    Print Feature, Centerfold Feature, Could:Painting What's Possible, The Atlantic Magazine, October Issue

2015    Review, Morris, Barbara, Robert Minervini: "Invisible Reflections" Rena Bransten Projects" Art Ltd Magazine, September Issue

2015    Print Feature, Curiel, Jonathan, "Hurray For William Mckinley," Sf Weekly, Wednesday, 5.6.15

2015    Print Feature, Whiting, Sam, "Painter Tells Stories Behind Golden Gate Park Statues," San Francisco Chronicle, Front Page Datebook Section, 4.9.15

2015    Online Feature, Whiting, Sam, "Park Meets Market Street In Poster Series," Sfgate.Org, 3.26.15

2015    Artist Feature, Worth Magazine, San Francisco Edition, April

2014    Review, Abrahams, Megan, Robert Minervini: Until Tomorrow Comes, Art Pulse Magazine, No.18, Vol. 5

2013    Review, Leah Ollman, "Utopia And Dystopia Vie In Robert Minervini Landscapes," La Times, 12.24.13

2013    Art Feature, Bush, Bill, "A Room With Nine Views," Www.Huffingtonpost.Com /Artweek, 12.16.13

2013    Review, Cheng, Dewitt, Art Ltd Magazine, Critic's Pick. May Issue

2013    Review, Bigman, Alex, Four New Art Shows Explore Civilization And Decay, 7x7 Magazine, 5.8.13

2013    Review, Wright Hession, Stephanie, "Robert Minervini Art At Electric Works," S.F.Chronicle, 5.16.13

2012    Art Feature, Feinstein, Lea, Focus: Oakland, Art Ltd Magazine, Pg. 28-29, May/June Issue

2012    Art Feature, Bigman, Alex, Four April Art Shows To Keep You Busy, 7x7 Magazine, 4.3.12

2012    Review, Nataraj, Nirmala, Hymns To The Moon: Celebrating Phases On Earth," Sf Chronicle, Pg. G-7, 5.22.12

2012    Review, Meyers, Holly, Modern Painters, April Issue, Page. 86

CATALOGUES & PUBLICATIONS

2023    Print Feature, Friends Of The Artist (Volume 17)

2022    Print Feature, The Florentine Magazine, May Issue

2018    Print Feature, American Art Collector Magazine, March Issue

2015    Print Feature, Paint Pulse Magazine, Issue #1, Boston, Ma

2015    Print Feature, Lumina Journal, Vol. Xiv, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, Ny

2013    Print Feature, New American Paintings, 109, Pacific Coast Edition, Open Studios Press, Boston, Ma

2012    Print Feature, Cover Image, Studio Visit Magazine, Vol.16, The Open Studios Press, Boston, Ma

2011    Print Feature Book 6: Future Perfect, Beautiful Decay Magazine

2011    Print Feature, The Panhandler Magazine, Issue #5, University Of West Florida, Pensacola, Fl

2010    Print Feature, New American Paintings, #91, Pacific Coast Ed., The Open Studios Press, Boston, Ma

2009    Exhibition Catalogue, Master Pieces, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Oh

2008    Print Feature, Mural Art: Large Scale Art From Walls Around The World, Kiriakos Iosifidis, Adbusters

COLLECTIONS

City & County Of San Francisco Public Art Collection, San Francisco Arts Commission San Francisco, Ca

City & County Of San Francisco Art Collection, San Francisco, California

San José Museum Of Art, San José, California

Alameda County Public Art Collection, Alameda County Arts Commission, California

Museum Of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, California

Fidelity Investments, Corporate Art Collection, Boston, Massachusetts

Royal Caribbean, Corporate Art Collection

Cal Poly, Special Collections And Archives, San Luis Obispo, California

Ellie Mae, Pleasanton, California

Facebook, Menlo Park, California

General Hospital, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco, California

Qualcomm, Corporate Art Collection, San Diego, California

Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn, New York

GALLERY REPRESENTATION

Hirschl And Adler Modern, New York, NY

Rena Bransten Projects, San Francisco, CA

J.Willott Gallery, Palm Desert, CA