Geoffrey Stein is a former lawyer, who has been painting full-time since 2000. He received a Certificate in Painting from the New York Studio School in 2004 and an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London in 2007. Stein has exhibited his artwork in museums and galleries throughout the United States and in London, Dublin, Paris, and Reykjavik. He was the Artist-in-Residence at the Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, NY from 2022-23. Stein lives and paints in New York City and Westport, CT.
In my studio practice I utilize collage as a formal element. It provides a way of putting down tone or erasing previous marks. There is a randomness in collage; the secondary meaning in the text or image becomes an important part of the finished work. Collage allows me to layer multiple images over the scaffolding of a drawing. I use materials from the subject’s world to create their likeness. This is a modern take on the renaissance trope of putting objects into a portrait to illustrate the attributes of the subject, for example books to show the subject was educated. Instead of illustrating the attributes of the subject with a symbol, as a Renaissance era painter would, I collage the portraits with materials and text from the subject’s world.
2007
The Slade School of Fine Art, MFA in Painting
2005
Teaching Assistant to Carol Brown Goldberg
2004 - 2005
Studied in the American University, Painting MFA
2004
New York Studio School, Certificate in Painting
1986
Albany Law School, J.D.
1984-86
Albany Law Review
1982
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, B.A.
2014
The Kolaj Magazine National Collage Society Award, 33rd Annual Juried Exhibition by NCS, at Union Gallery, Chicago, IL
2006
Short list, Celeste Art Prize, London
2004
Dean’s Prize, New York Studio School, NY
2021
“Recovering Lawyer Turns to Collage” Blog post by Dan Woog, 06880 Blog, July 30, 2021
2020
“If You Want to Paint, Go Paint” Attorney at Law Magazine, February 19, 2020
2019
“Collage as a Formal Element” Artists on Art Magazine online, February, 2019
2018
“A Lifetime of Making Art, but New to Selling it Online” Amy Zipkin, New York Times, Feb 9, 2018
2017
“From the Law Office to Painting the Stars of Late-Night TV” Paul Grondahl, Albany Law Magazine, Summer 2017
“Geoffrey Stein: Abstraction and Realism” Metal Magazine, Spring 2017
2016
“Spotlight: Geoffrey Stein ‘82: Portrait of a Portraitist” Mikhail Horowitz, Bardian Magazine, Fall 2016
“If This Art Could Vote” Huffington Post, July 23, 2016
“Revealing the Seen and the Unseen” Elizabeth Meade Howard, Streetlight Magazine, Spring, 2016
“'Politically Incorrect’ Taps Hot Buttons” Jennifer Landes, East Hampton Star, January 28, 2016
2015
“Geoffrey Stein’s Portraits Are Made Using Collage And Paint” Mutant Space, August 17, 2015
2014
“Geoffrey Stein, Portraits of Painting” The Art Blog, April 3, 2014
2013
Landau, Lauren, Art Beat with Lauren Landau, WAMU, August 19, 2013, online
2012
Vartanian, Hrag, Talk Back Tuesday, Hyperallergic Labs, December 5, 2012, online
Hartigan, Philip A., A View From the Easel, Pt. 26, Hyperallergic.com, September 26, 2012, online
Chayka, Kyle, Summer Fridays for Art in conjunction with Tumblr Storyboard and Artinfo, Artist feature & interview, August 24, 2012, online
2007
“The Water Cooler” Times of London, July 23, 2007, online
“Working Process: Drawings & Collages by Geoffrey Stein” Goodenough Gallery, essay by Adelina Vlas
2023
"Perspectives in Art and Law," A Conversation with Dean Horace Anderson, Haub School of Law at Pace University, White Plains, NY, March 27, 2023.
2020
“Geoffrey Stein: Former Lawyer Turned Portrait Painter,” interviewed on the Former Lawyer Podcast, October 26, 2020
“What’s the Story with Kim Berns,” Rye TV, July 6, 2020
2019
Interview on “What the Story with Kim Berns,” The Rye Record, July 15, 2019
2018
Kim Berns and Meredith Bach, “Anything Goes with Kim Berns,” Selling Art Online, Interview, 1490 WGCH, Greenwich, CT, May 3, 2018
SIM Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland, Artist Talk, January 16, 2018
2017
“Power to... The Art of Protest,” Flag Art Foundation, UCL Alumni Panel Discussion, June 15, 2017
2016
Joe Donahue “Roundtable,” Interview, WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, Albany, New York, December 12, 2016
2014
Kim Berns and Bonnie Levison, “ Anything Goes with Kim Berns,” Second Acts, Interview, 1490 WGCH, Greenwich, CT, March 5, 2014
2012
New York Studio School Alumni Exhibition Panel Discussion, New York Studio School, NY, NY
2010
“Don’t go in there:” Painting in the Slade Life Room 2003-07, talk for conference on art education, University College London, London
2022
Political Portraits, with essay “The Body Politic” by Jason Voegele
2017
New York Studio School Interviews, held in the collection of the New York Studio School Library, NY, NY
Here’s Johnny! A portrait of Johnny Carson, held in the collection of the New York Studio School Library, NY, NY
Kings & Queens of Late Night, held in the collection of the New York Studio School Library, NY, NY
2014
Geoffrey Stein: A Decade of Portraits, held in the collection of the New York Studio School Library, NYC, and UConn/Stamford Art Gallery, Stamford, CT
2009
Slade Portraits: MFA Painting 2005-07, held in the collection of the Slade School of Fine Art Archive; University College London Library, London; and the New York Studio School Library, NY, NY
2022 - 2023
Artist in Residence, Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, White Plains, NY
2018
SÍM Residency, Reykjavík, Iceland
2015
The London Summer Intensive, Slade School of Fine Art
2005
Artist in Residence, Governor’s Island, NY
National Park Service Program
2004
Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, White Plains, NY
New York Historical Society, NY, NY
New York Studio School Library, NY, NY
Slade School of Fine Art Archive, London
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
University College London Library, London
Goodenough College, London
2022
Collage portraits by Geoffrey Stein, Artist in Residence at Pace Law School, Pace Law Library, Gerber Glass Building, White Plains, NY
2016
Kings and Queens of Late Night, The Lionheart Gallery, Pound Ridge, NY (Catalogue)
Seen & Unseen, Garment District Space for Public Art, NY, NY
2013
Geoffrey Stein: A Decade of Portraits, UConn, Stamford Art Gallery, Stamford, CT (Catalogue)
Irrational Exuberance, Lionheart Gallery, Pound Ridge, NY
2007
Working Process: Drawings & Collages by Geoffrey Stein, Goodenough Gallery, Mecklenburgh Square, London
2025
Postcards from the Edge, Visual AIDS, NY, NY
2024
Voice of the People, InLiquid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Art Lives Here: Collecting, Westbeth Gallery, NY, NY
Curated by Connie Lee, Karen Fitzgerald, Alison Cuomo, and Jim Richards
Harmony, Windham Fine Arts, Windham, NY, NY
2023
New Now VI, InLiquid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
The Art of Protest, Stola Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
2022
The Queen, Biafarin, Online exhibition
New York Studio School Alumni Show, online exhibition
Tell Me More About Yourself, Gallery Aferro Newark, NJ
Lost and Found, Carter Burden Gallery, NY, NY
2021
New York Studio School Alumni Show, online exhibition
Our DNA, Annual Juried Exhibit, Kehler Liddell Gallery, New Haven, CT
Bowery Gallery Juried Exhibit 2021, The Bowery Gallery online exhibition
Clintel Steed, Juror
Lost & Found: A Personal Vision, New York Artists Circle, online exhibition
Colour/Collage/Poetry, curated by Jo Volley, for Colour & Poetry: A Symposium, online exhibition, Slade School of Fine Art, London
Neutral Nation, Artfront Galleries, online exhibition
2020
Art Miami @ Artsy, Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Art4Equality, Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness, The Untitled Space, NY, NY
I Am ..., Self Portrait Show, Kehler Liddell Gallery, New Haven, CT
8 x 8, FLATFILE Gallery, online exhibition
Bowery Gallery International Competition, The Bowery Gallery, online exhibition
Janice Nowinski, Juror
Carry On Creativity, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, online exhibition
2019
Group Exhibition, Sloane Club, London, Curated by Ines Graham, Minster Gallery
Art Show/Open House, Curated by Cabell Molina, Wilton, CT
#CollageNow, Denise Bibro Fine Art, NY, NY
2018
Documented Humans, Washington, DC
Jenny Wu and Michael Holt, Curators
Hide & Seek, Vivid Space SD, San Diego, CA
Rachel Rickert, Juror
Nevertheless She Persisted, Love Art Gallery & Studio, South Norwalk, CT
Works On/Of Paper, Brick Red Gallery, New Orleans, LA
HREIÐUR, SIM Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland
2017
Single Fare 4, High Line Stages, NY, NY
Alternative Facts, The Road Gallery online exhibition
Neil Jacobs, Curator
Sight Unseen, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Alia El-Bermani, Curator
2016
The Portrait Show, Jo Hay Open Studio, Provincetown, MA
2015
The London Summer Intensive Exhibition, Camden Arts Centre, London
Human Rights Art Exhibition, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
National Juried Exhibit, First Street Gallery, NY, NY
Steven Harvey, Juror
Drawn, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2014
Shooting Star CHASE (Children’s Hospice Assoc.), Art Exhibition, Royal College of Art, London
23rd Annual Juried Show, Bowery Gallery, NY, NY
David Cohen, Juror
Who We Aren’t, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL
The Face of Portraiture, Saatchi Online, online exhibition
Rebecca Wilson, Curator
2013
Surpassing Edges, SPACEEWOMb Gallery, NY, NY
Drawing Perspectives, Marlboro Gallery at Prince George’s Community College, Largo, MD
John Anderson, Curator
8th International Drawing Annual, Published by Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
Face to Face: New Portraits, Saatchi Online, online exhibition
Rebecca Wilson, Curator
8th Annual Human Rights Exhibit, The Cooper Center for Communication Arts, South Texas College, McAllen, TX
Nude Attitude, Peoria Art Guild, Peoria, IL
2012
America: Now and Here, Buchanan Center for the Arts, Monmouth, IL
Eric Fischl, Juror
Saatchi Online Collage Showdown: Top 10, Saatchi Online, online exhibition
Wangechi Mutu, Juror
2011
New York Studio School Alumni Show, New York Studio School, NY, NY
John Newman, Juror
Juxtaposed, Six Summit Gallery, Ivoryton, CT
Alyssa Monks, Juror
British Forces Foundation Benefit, Dorchester Hotel, London
2009
Art at the Top, Empire State Building, NY, NY
corbettPROJECTS, Curator
Open City, New York Studio School, NY, NY
Sean Scully, Juror
2008
Slick Dessin, Paris, exhibiting with corbettPROJECTS
2007
Scratch, The Docklands, Dublin
SaLon Summer 2007 Show: Works by London’s Top 25 Graduates, SaLon Gallery, London
Slade MA/MFA Degree Show, The Slade School of Fine Art, London
2006
An Exhibition of Slade School Artists Past and Present, Michael Simkins LLP, London
2005
Bowery Gallery Juried Show, Bowery Gallery, NY, NY
Bill Jensen, Juror
2004
Drawing Conclusions, Maryland Federation of Art, Baltimore, MD
Jay Fisher, Juror
2003
Portraiture Salon Style, Diamantina Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Xico Greenwald, Curator
