| EJ Hill | |
|---|---|
 EJ Hill at the Studio Museum Harlem in 2016 | |
| Born | 1985 (age 38–39) Los Angeles California |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Columbia College Chicago, UCLA |
| Known for | Performance art, painting, sculpture, installation art |
| Notable work | A Monumental Offering of Potential Energy |
EJ Hill (born Ernest Joseph Hill; in 1985) is a contemporary American artist from Los Angeles who works in durational performance, installation, painting, and collage.
Early life and education
EJ Hill was born in Los Angeles, California in 1985. As a child, Hill lived in South Central until he was eight years old. He then moved to Carson, and to Torrance at 15 years old. At the age of 22, Hill started attending Columbia College Chicago, where he would be greatly influenced by the work of Chris Burden and Industry of the Ordinary. After graduating, Hill returned to Los Angeles and studied at UCLA with Andrea Fraser and Jennifer Bolande.
Work
EJ Hill is known for his durational performances in which he performs a simple gesture for prolonged periods, often to the point of physical exhaustion. In 2016 the artist created "A Monumental Offer of Potential Energy" at the Studio Museum in Harlem. The work included a large wooden model roller coaster that Hill lay on at all times the museum was open during the three-month exhibition. In 2017 Hill was included in the Underground Museum's exhibition "Artists of Color".
In October 2022, Hill's exhibit "Brake Run Helix" at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art opened, including a functional, human-carrying roller coaster created specifically for the museum. The roller coaster was fabricated by Skyline Attractions and is on show for two years alongside amusement park photography.
EJ Hill also works in collage, painting, writing and sculpture.
Awards
In 2014 Hill received a Fellowship for Visual Artists, from the California Community Foundation in Los Angeles and the Teaching Artist Fellowship at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. In 2015 Hill was an Artist-in-Residence at The Studio Museum in Harlem in New York, was awarded the Fellowship for Visual Artists from the California Community Foundation in Los Angeles, and was nominated for the Rema Hort Mann Foundation Emerging Artist grant in Los Angeles. In 2016, Hill received the William H. Johnson Prize from the William H. Johnson Foundation for the Arts in Los Angeles. In 2017 Hill became the Artist-in-Residence at Praxis Studio at California State University in Dominguez Hills and has been shortlisted for the 2017 Future Generation Art Prize from the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv. Hill received a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award (2018).
References
- "E.J. Hill and the Art of Endurance". November 12, 2014.
- "EJ Hill: In Conversation with Nicole Kaack". November 28, 2016.
- The New York Times (September 15, 2016). "What to See in New York Galleries This Week". The New York Times.
- "A show toying with unexpected ideas of color rises at the Underground Museum". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- "Alive Someplace Better: EJ Hill's Horizontal Poetics by Amber Officer- Narvasa". Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
- "Meet Harlem's Newest Artists-in-Residence - Creators". August 6, 2016.
- "Painting, Performing, and Deconstructing the Body". October 20, 2016.
- Mitter, Siddhartha (October 21, 2022). "EJ Hill Wants to Take You on a Ride". The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- "EJ Hill - Brake Run Helix". Mass MoCA. September 8, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- "The Window and the Breaking of the Window". The New Yorker.
- Thackara, Tess (April 12, 2016). "Up and Coming: EJ Hill Channels the Emotional Power of Endurance Art".
- "Gallery | Rema Hort Mann Foundation". www.remahortmannfoundation.org. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- "Studio Museum in Harlem Announces Artists in Residence for 2015-16". Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
- "Short List for $100,000 Future Generation Art Prize Announced".