ABBY BANKS
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About


Abby Banks is an expansive multimedia artist creating sculptures, photowork, films, presentations and publications. For over twenty years Abby has created photo documentaries about how Artists live and work, and alternative living including Punk House (USA, Abrams NYC) Reduce Psychic Tension (Artists across the EU &UK). She also creates sculptures inspired by personal lexicons; intuitive, personal, social, geographical, visual, and poetic utilizing materials such as ceramics, plaster, wood, original photos, risograph prints and found objects. She has made many short films, has directed many music videos, made art for over a dozen records by various musicians, traveled for a decade with bands across the US, UK & Europe. Abby also collaborates with artists to produce books, zines, and multimedia presentations, as well as print publications to support her exhibitions. She has exhibited her work in formal galleries and unconventional spaces in LA, SF,  Berlin, London, Tokyo, Yokohama, VT, MA, NY. She was co-founder of the Tinderbox art collective, and worked several years at ‘Thank You For Coming’  the conceptual artist residency restaurant in LA (RIP to both!).
 She was a B&W photo instructor at Insight photography program. Abby has led art and photo workshops including recently pinhole photography in the age of tech surveillance, and kitchen lithography. Abby has held artist-in-residencies at the Soil Factory (’25-’26), 309 punk project(’24), Stove Works (’23) and Jacob Berendes infamous CTRI INNOVATIONS.
Her work was recently in a group show at the Pensacola Museum of Modern Art (’25) and at UC Davis art museum twenty years ago. Her work has been featured in the NYT, Spin, Arthur Mag, and many more. Last year Abby’s printed matter was acquired by the library of SFMoMA, and this year the UC Berkeley library special collections.





  

​CV

Solo Exhibitions and Presentations
2025 Drifting Halftone Quiet With The Moon shrines, sculptures Hit Factory Gallery Hitgallerysf.com
2023 Reduce Psychic Tension solo photo show Heavy Manners Library, Los Angeles, CA heavymannerslibrary.com
2022  Reduce Psychic Tension solo photo show Wave Collective 440 Haight st San Francisco, CA wavecollectivespace.com
​2020 Research and Recreation Poloroid landcamera photos, paintings, research evidence & Zine launch Plant Material, Los Angeles, CA plant-material.com
2019 Current Project Survey Unearthen Studio, Los Angeles, CA unearthen.com
2018 California Water Doodle Corvus Ra Gallery, Berlin
2018 Punk House Solo Photo Show Thank You for Coming, Los Angeles, CA thankyouforcoming.square.site
2018 Punk House Solo Photo Show Trashzone, Yokohama
2018 Punk House Photo & Series of Presentations & New Publication. Cactus, Tokyo 
2018 Punk House Photos & Talk, Stoke Newington Literary Festival, London stokenewingtonliteraryfestival.com
2007 If you lived here, you'd be home now Get this Gallery, Atlanta, GA 
​2007 Punk House Six City Independent Book Store Tour & Film presentation abramsbooks.com
Group Exhibitions
current

2026 Common Thread, DEV 3370 19th st SF
2026 We're Not F*kin Leavin, May 9 - June 9 The Fold Gallery 3359 26th st SF
2026 Sanctuary, Big Door Gallery 2716 Macarthur Blvd Oakland 
2026 The TREASURE is the GROWTH, May 16, Swim Gallery, 509 Ellis st SF 
2026 Density of Us. Flower Fuel gallery, San Jose CA 2026

2026 CARNIVAL. Adobe Books, SF. 
2026 BOOTLEG. At Bass and Reiner, SF. Aphid Twin X Earth First
2026 Love Letters. At Big Door gallery, Oakland & Apé SF. Lower Case a
2026 "Bay Area, When?!" RAYKO / Pretty Gritty
2025 The Haunt. at YBCA 
2025 House Show! Pensacola Museum of Art
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2025 Photographs and Drawings, Photographs of Drawings, Drawings of Photographs. Pretty Gritty, SF
2025 another kinda landscape. Work included: Night Fishing, Nicasico. Mt. Vision, fire trail. June beetle buzz slips through the silence. Curated by Mariana Varela at RAYKO SF, CA. Featuring artists ae montanari, Mar Baeza, Mara Ramirez, Michael Diamond, Natasha Loewy, Victor Saucedo

2025 GAS 2 S.F. organized by Bill Daniel at Public Lands Store, Sacramento CA. Featuring work by Abby Banks, Mike Brodie, Mia Justice Smith, R.Virgel, Tobin Yelland, John Longyear, Karoline Collins, Brad Wescott, David Eberhardt, Xara Thustra, Monica Canilao, Sluto, Droid 907, Max Otake,  Ivy Jeanne McClellan and Anson Cyr. Plus, a 20th-century hobo journalism display by (unlicensed) media historian Dave H.

2025 Chain Mail. Mad Magazine correspondence at age 9, recreated. At RAYKO SF, CA. Featuring work by Chad Abbley, Devon Armstrong, Negash Asegde, Abby Banks, Kevin Byrd, Bill Daniel, Yubey Delgado, Marcus Dryer-Harrison, TJ Gardea, Cornelius Hart, John Held Jr, Mel Ho, Caroline Ivins, Zoe Jackson, Sickly Lads, Derek Marshall, Makeshift Mag, Rich McLsaac, Joey Meyer, Beth Nelson, Joshua Rampage, Regular Beach, ReSearch Publications, Auspicious Books, Naya Rosas, Jillian Shea, Shadow Puppet Orchestra, Eduardo Soto, Seesha Takagishi, Thruline, Jonah Valenzuela, Anna Walker. 

2025 Pretty Gritty. large print and Riso shrine sculpture, at RAYKO Organized by Bill Daniel featuring: Erik Zo, Droid 907, Cheryl Dunn, Abby Banks, Sluto, John Held Jr., Gail Butinsky, Chris McCaw, Nikki Greene, Joey Alone, Scott Williams, Alicia McCarthy, Swampy, Ivy Jean McClellan, Ray Potes, Yubey Delgado, Rankin Renwick, Rigo 23, Jai Tanju, Ollie, Tim Kerr, Alex Ramos, Fred Vorderbruegge, buZ blurr, Karoline Collins, Greg Harvester, Toby Hardman, Allan Burris, Chris Johanson/Johanna Jackson, Kal Spelletich, Matt White, Joey Provolone, Mike Brodie, Mia Justice Smith, Bill Daniel, Eric Kneeland, Eden Batki, Brendan Klein, Dave H./Bolinas Hardware, Barry McGee, Ted Barron, Shlomit Cyr, Clint Woodside, Jeanne Hansen, Jerry DeFrese, Mike Schneider, Martin Machato, Greta Snider, Joe Brook, Colossus of Roads, Scott Hurst, Beau Patrick Coulon, Peter Hurley and Hit Gallery, John Longyear, Sammy Mack
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2024 HOT MESS. How do I get out of this mess: poison diorama, hermetically sealed into an acrylic box. Curated by Ximaps Dong. with artists Alex Long, Yancy Martinez, Tana Q Arcega, Kristen Wong, Maya Djiji, Anna Firth, Olivia Reich, Nico Corona, Martin Malvar, Mansur Nurullah, Malcom Kenter, Shua Bartolome, Mark Ochinero, Leonardo Reidelbach, Selby Sohn, Joseph Blake, Travis Kerkela, Catherine Wong McMahon, Lisbeth Solis, Fear the Feast.

2024 Reach For Shine. 4 bas-relief ceramic scenes, two photo 35mm to inkjet prints. Curated by Lemia Monet Bodden with artists Halina Kliem, Kija Lucas, Amy Elkins, Magali Duzant at smallworkssf.com/

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2023 Red Dot. Photo prints from Punk House. Stove Works artist residency group show. Stove Works, Chattanooga, TN stoveworks.org

2023 Portraits of the City. I exhibited 9 Sculptures. Curated by Sylvie McClelland. With Jon Harrison, Deena Holman, Lena Seagrave, Deirdre White. Analog Gallery, 886 Capp st San Francisco CA analog-space.org

2023 Upstairs/ Downstairs, group show. ​'Sidewalk Meditations' mixed media diorama. with SF artists Alison Alstrom, Margot Sease, Marisela Villanueva Guitar, John Guida. Curated by Sylvie McClelland, hosted in Sylvie's home, San Francisco CA.

2023 Pyramid Scheme, group show. 'Floating in the chaos' mix media sculpture. Bass and Reiner, San Francisco CA. www.bassandreiner.com 

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2023 Stove Works artists in residence group show. 'it's ok not to know' mixed media collages on paper. Stove Works, Chattanooga, TN 

2021 Zoo Group B&W Photocopy Group Show 'Skate freedom 1' risograph collage. Curated by Peter Hurley, Hit Gallery, San Francisco, CA www.hitgallerysf.com

2019 Gary Panter's Evolving Joint Show and Fringe Music Emporium 10 small sculptures. Curated by Byron Coley & Gary Panter. Rozz Tox Art, Florence, MA  www.garypanter.com

2019 Subjectively Speaking, I Solo Performance in concept created by Saara Untracht-Oakner. Saara Untracht-Oakner with Alex Knost, Verge Bliss. Costa Mesa Conceptual Art Center 1930 Placentia Ave. Costa Mesa CA

2016 No New Friends ​Photos. Sunday, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Wonderers Photos from Punk House. Catalog publication from this show. Curated by Matthias Geiger. Justine Kurland, Cutter Collective,Richard Gilles, Joel Sternfeld, Kyer Wiltshire Richard L. Nelson Gallery, University of California, Davis. 
2009 Group Show, Photos curated by Helen Jones & Sarah Rice, Through the Music Gallery, Brattleboro Vermont
2008 Punk House + Trashtopia Multi-media built environment. Burlington City Arts, Burlington, VT www.burlingtoncityarts.org
2008 Tinderbox Art Show Multi-media. Curated by Jacob Berendes. Happy Birthday Mike Leslie Junk Shop, Worcester, MA
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2004 Bridgin’ the Gap Sculpture. curated by Mariko Jones, Glass House, Pomona, CA
2003 Group Exhibition Sculpture. curated by Rollo, dA Center for the Arts, Pomona CA https://www.dacenter.org 
​Collaborations
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2022 Prints Risograph prints created with Saturn Moon Milner, Minnesota St Project, San Francisco, CA. 
2021 Produced Cherry Season, multi-media presentation and print zine with photographer/filmmaker Ernesto Mendez. Folsom st theater San Francisco, CA
2020 Battleship Potemkin film strip. A painting-on-film project organized by Justin Clifford Rhody. www.nonamecinema.org
2018  GALAXIES 12x12 Music for 12 guitars, Thurston Moore. On stage assistant as conductor, production. Barbican Hall, London  Thurston Moore: GALAXIES 12x12 | Barbican
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Workshops, talks and Presentations 

2026 Aluminum Foil & Cola Lithography. 6M Gallery, 2 sessions. 1008 Mission, SF 
2025 Craft Talk presented by Arion Press. speaking about small press publishing, Abby Banks, Zach Clark, Luca Antonucci.
2025 Music Videos I made between 2012-2023, Skate Witch, The Soil Factory Ithaca NY thesoilfactory.org
2024 Speaking Presntation , SF Art Book Fair with Trinie Dalton 'From handmade to big trade: Language Barrier + Auspicious Books discuss different publishing channels and how to find them' Sfartbookfair.com/programming
2024 DIY Pinhole Camera workshop, I led a DIY pinhole workshop for the 309 punk project. Set up a chem dark room, intro and instructions. many participants! 309punkproject.org
2024 Mono-print workshop, I led a mono-print workshop for the community at the 309 punk project.
2023 Compost and Butterflies; my Community Garden. 50min Film. Presented on stage with musician Shannon Lay. Sunshine Prophecy, Oakland CA.

2023 Launched zine Shadow Shape at Printed Matter Art Book Fair, with Pine Island Press, MoMA Los Angeles www.printedmatter.org/programs/events/1564 pineislandpress.com
2023 Performance at Dry Ice Gallery, Chattanooga TN 
2022 Clay workshops at Minnesota St Project
2021 Risograph workshops at Minnesota st Project, San Francisco CA
2019 Project Survey and Proposal at Islington Mill, Salford UK
2008 - 2010 Darkroom & 35mm photo instructor. Insight photography program, Brattleboro, VT
Residencies
2026 The soil Factory Artist-in-residence, special session, Ithaca NY
2025 The Soil Factory Artist-in-residence, Ithaca NY
2024 309 Punk Project Artist-in-residence, Pensacola FL
2023 Stove Works Artist-in-residence, Chattanooga, TN
2018 CTRI Residency Conversation, Providence, RI
​2018 Pine Island Press Artist-in-residence, Portland, OR
Auspisious Books Publications
2026 Mt.Baldy/Joat, photo zine, printed on Riso. By Abby Banks 
2026 Where the Wash Dies, photo zine on Japanese paper, Riso printed. by Max Otake 
2026 The Splendid, double photo zine printed on Riso. by Abby Banks
2026 SUPER NATURAL TRAGEDY, comic book, riso printed. By Floyd T
2025 EZ LiFE by Yusuke Okada, comics, Risograph & laser print. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
​2025 Tell It Like Its Is by Abby Banks, Risograph.Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
2025 Ducko Comics #2 by Keenan Argo, Risograph. Published by Auspicious Books
​2025 Mt.Vision by Foot & Photo b&w photos darkroom developed Risograph printed
2025 Drifting Halftone Quiet With The Moon catalog of shrines and poems. Risograph 
2024 SUDOR STATION, black and white hand processed photos over 10 years in and about Mexico City, By Ernesto Mendez. Risograph interior and letter press cover. edition of 65. co-editor Peter sloan. Covers made with Sy Auerbach. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
2024 EROTIC MERCHANDISING, BY Chad Porter. 11 ink on paper drawings Risograph. edition of 65. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
2024 THE INFINITE CALENDAR, by Abby Banks. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
2024 MY 90's zine of photos of friends and lovers taken in 35mm from a small town near Toyko, mid-1990's. Naoko Tani. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
2024 HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD, A manual vol.1 by Anonymous. Typewriter & Risograph. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books.
2024 FLASE SPRING, 3 multi-color Risograph prints by Kristen Wong. 17 sets. Produced & Published by Auspicious Books.
​2024 SICK EARTH CATALOG, broadsheet, one page, two color Risograph by Will Bruno. 40 copies Produced & Published by Auspicious Books
2023 Shadow Shape, Collages based on original photos and from 90's Thrasher Mags, Poems, paintings. self printed 3 color Risograph zine.
2021 Cherry Season, photos of two season in the Dalles by Ernesto Mendez. Published by Abby Banks
2020 Skate Snake, photos in volume 1. Published by Tiago Babtista, Lisboa Portugal.
2020 Mt Baldy Artistic Research and Recreation non-scientific explorations of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California ​self published 
2018 California Water Doodle hand processed 120mm color film & hand-painted, experiments in printing, CA landscapes.
Published by Pine Island Press

2018 HANDZINE, hand painted-photos in Bandelier National Park NM. published by Pine Island Press
2016 I Want You Around photos of  5 years on the road. Self Published
2010 Wonderers printed catalog. Created by Matthias Geiger. Abby Banks, Justine Kurland, Cutter Collective, Richard Gilles, Joel Sternfeld, Kyer Wiltshire. Printed for the show at Richard L. Nelson Gallery, University of California, Davis. 
​2007 - 2017 Photos published in multiple major magazines, websites, newspapers, albums (LP's) and advertising materials featuring my photography for bands, musicians, visual artists and comedians: press photos, and album art.
2007 PUNK HOUSE photodocumentary of punk houses’ across America. published by Abrams NYC.
1994 - 1997 DORK WORLD ​creator and editor. published by me on Xerox machines
Press
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2007 NY Times “Anarchy Rules: The Dishes Stay Dirty” by Penelope Green 
​www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/garden/03punk.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_house

Education
Goddard College, earned a BA in Fine Arts, sculpture
Claremont High School awarded the graduating Class Artist
Mt. San Antonio community college, Museum studies
Studied 3 years of clay sculpture with Betty Davenport Ford
Workshop intensive with ceramic artist Paul Soldner 
Completed Neon workshop sign design & build with Lili Lakich
Completed Book Binding course at SF Center for the book
Intaglio Print making, Pasadena college
Ceramics; Wheel throwing. Barnsdale Art Park, Los Angeles CA
Ceramic Tile Workshop: Slab Building & Design, Kala Sculpture Lab

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