Statement

I look for processes that result in something I haven’t seen before. I strive to create objects in which a material acts like something other than itself, causing it to simultaneously be convincingly itself and convincingly something else. A combination of my reflections on my experiences and hangups regarding perception, the reading of many books of neuroscience, science fiction, and classic literature and experimentations with materials guides my practice.

In my current work I am developing my relationship with my primary medium, plaster. I am making poured plaster pieces that mimic aspects of painting and photography through gestures in a space of forced flatness. I negotiation with flat space through minimal actions and the addition of pigments.

These works address the larger questions of my practices regarding spatial and material reality, and value systems. They are my attempt at manifesting spaces-in-between; a space between two things that is so tiny and subtle that it is often overlooked entirely; the space in between liquid and solid, between two moments, between action and reaction, between perception and truth. The works create solid, tangible objects that flesh out words like interstices and verisimilitude where only intangible space was before.

About

Tania Houtzager lives and works in the San Francisco, Bay Area. She is currently an MFA candidate at the California College of the Arts. She has a BA from Hampshire College where she double majored in Studio Art and Art Education and she has a Masters in Design from the Auckland University of Technology where she researched art museum experiences. In addition to her art practice, Tania is the founder of an online art history project called Sartle.com and of the nonprofit art organization Embark Gallery where she is the Executive Director. 

Tania grew up moving primarily between Chicago and San Francisco before leaving for Amherst, MA and then Auckland, New Zealand to pursue higher education. Below is a detailed biography of Tania's life noting moves, milestones and general points of interest. 

OR

Tania Houtzager is a San Francisco, Bay Area artist whose work investigates the physical and psychological structures of her environment. Through material investigation and process based practices she explores notions of space, memory and perception.

Houtzager received her MFA from California College of the Arts in 2017 and has exhibited her work in San Francisco, Oakland, New York, Los Angeles, Amherst, Point Reyes, and Venice, Italy. She has a BA from Hampshire College where she double majored in Studio Art and Art Education and she has a Masters in Design from the Auckland University of Technology where she researched art museum experiences. In addition to her art practice, Tania is the founder of an online art history project called Sartle.com and of the nonprofit art organization Embark Arts Inc.

TIMELINE

1988 Born in Marin, California

1990 Move to San Francisco

1992 Move to Chicago, Illinois

1996 Move to London, England

1997 Move to Chicago suburbs, Illinois

2000 Move to Marin, California

2007 Move for Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts

2008 Spring Semester abroad at University of Auckland, New Zealand

2008 Summer study with HISA in Paros, Greece

2008 Summer camp teacher in Marin and art history classes at Cal

2009 Summer study in the Benelux with UC Berkeley

2009 Took Structural Drawing at Amherst College with _____

2010 Summer in Berkeley, worked at the Exploratorium, had a studio at Active Space and took art history classes at Cal

2010 Senior Thesis Show

2011 Teach and assistant teach 1st-6th grade visual art at Wildwood Elementary School

2011 Graduate with double major in Studio Art and Art Education and a Teaching Licensure for k-8 Visual Arts 

2011 Birthright trip in Israel

2012 Move to Auckland, New Zealand for Masters in Design program art Auckland University of Technology 

2012 Graduate from AUT

2012 Design Consulting for online museum project in Auckland

2012 Climbed Mt Kilimanjaro

2013 Moved to San Francisco

2013 Start Sartle LLC and move into office space at Fort Mason Center

2013 Start Post-Bac program at SFAI

2014 Complete Post-Bac 

2014 Start Master in Fine Arts Program at California College of the Arts

2015 Start Embark Arts Inc and open Embark Gallery

2015 Change to part-time student at CCA

2015 Travel to Peru, hike and visit Machu Picchu

2016 Move in with boyfriend

2016 Hire Chris and Nicole to assist with Embark Arts

2017 Graduate from CCA

2017 Begin new education program and recent grad program at Embark

2017 Welcome dog into family