KABINETT 2025

JAMES SIENA

BOOTH #B6 5 - 7 DECEMBER 2025

MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

JAMES SIENA

Before the “dot com” boom of the mid-90s made code a cultural cornerstone, Siena was already exploring the aesthetics of computational logic. His stylization of artificial intelligence and data transmission marked him as a prescient voice in the nascent dialogue between art and code. He developed a distinctive approach, which employed self-imposed rulesets to govern his mark making, and contributed to his emergence as a seminal figure within contemporary American art.

These systems, o!en referred to as “visual algorithms,” function as constraints, guiding his hand through intricate, labyrinthine pa ern-making. Yet, Siena’s technique avoids any sense of mechanistic rigidity, and instead embraces the inevitability of human deviation; each disruption in his handdrawn code becomes generative, with small mutations cascading across the surface in a feedback loop of visual logic.

His early works utilized enamel paint on an aluminum ground, the la er of which was o!en salvaged from local junkyard scrap. His choice of material underscored the relationship between human and technological systems: the industrial ground and high-gloss finish of commercial enamel are continuously challenged by Siena’s sinewy, hand-drawn forms, like silicon synapses achieving neural plasticity.

While the artist revisits enamel-on-aluminum occasionally, his recent focus has shi!ed toward works on canvas and printmaking, rendering these early paintings increasingly rare in both production and exhibition. Meltdown (1991) is one of the earliest aluminum paintings by Siena and is on loan from the artist’s personal collection. The work has not been on public view in over 30 years.

Though firmly situated within contemporary abstraction, these works now carry the gravitas of historical touchstones, which are formally rigorous and conceptually ahead of their time. Comparable pieces have been acquired by major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. As such, we are delighted to propose a focused booth for Art Basel Miami Beach’s Kabine sector, in celebration of Siena’s artistic legacy through his enamel-on-aluminum paintings.

19 1/4 x 15 1/8 inches

48.9 x 38.4 cm

19 1/4 x 15 1/8 inches

48.9 x 38.4 cm

30 1/4 x 39 3/4 inches

76.8 x 101 cm

JAMES SIENA

Born in 1957 in Oceanside, CA

Lives and works in New York, NY and Otis, MA

EDUCATION

1979

BFA, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025

Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

2023

Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

“Work on Paper, 1999 - 2022,” Bookstein Projects, New York, NY

2022

Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

2021

“Vergence,” Baronian, Brussels, Belgium

2020

“Phased Resonators & Reciprocating Transitions: Paintings and Watercolors,” Ratio 3, San Francisco, CA

2019

“Cascade E#ect,” Galerie Xippas, Paris, France

“Resonance Under Pressure,” The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA

“Project Room: James Siena,” Pace Prints, New York, NY

Pace Gallery, New York, NY

2017

Pace Gallery, New York, NY

2016

“Pockets of Wheat,” The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

2015

Xippas Art Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland

“New Sculpture,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Typewriter Drawings,” Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston, TX

“Labyrinthian Structures,” Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2014

“Sequence, Direction, Package, Connection,” Dieu Donné, New York, NY

Galerie Xippas, Paris, France

2011 Pace Gallery, New York, NY

2010

Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Pace Prints, New York, NY

“From the Studio,” Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2009

“Works by Master Artist James Siena,” Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL

2008 Pace Wildenstein, New York, NY

2007

“BIG FAST INK: Drawings, 1996-2007” (curated by Geo#rey Young), University Art Museum, University of Albany, Albany, NY

“Prints and States,” Pace Prints, New York, NY

“As Heads is Tails,” Mario Diacono Gallery, Boston, MA

“Recent Editions,” Greg Kucera Gallery, Sea le, WA

2005

“New Paintings and Gouaches,” Pace Wildenstein, New York, NY

“Ten Years of Printmaking,” William Shearburn Gallery, St. Louis, MO

2004

“Selected Paintings and Drawings 1990-2004,” Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2003

Gorney Bravin + Lee, New York, NY

“James Siena: Drawing and Painting,” Walter & McBean Galleries, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA; traveled to the University of Akron, Akron, OH

2002

“Recent Paintings,” Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2001

“James Siena: 1991-2001,” Gorney Bravin + Lee, New York, NY

2000

“Project Room,” Gorney Bravin + Lee, New York, NY

Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1998

Daniel Weinberg Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1997

Cristinerose Gallery, New York, NY

1996

Pierogi 2000, Brooklyn, NY

1986

J. Noble Gallery, Sonoma, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025

“Works on Paper,” Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson, NY

“A Delicate Balance,” Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York, NY

“Dynamic Duos: The Art of Working in Pairs” (curated by Madeleine Viljoen), New York Public Library, New York, NY

2024

“All Bangers, All The Time: 25th Anniversary Exhibition,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

“Menagerie” (curated by Alix Bailey), The Painting Center, New York, NY

“Desire Lines,” Bra leboro Museum & Art Center, Bra leboro, VT

“Mercury Rising,” Bookstein Projects, New York, NY

“Printer’s Picks: A Look at Priorities and Processes” (curated by Phil Sanders), David Krut Projects, New York, NY

2023

“Naturaleza Abstracta,” Xippas Punta del Este, Punta del Este, Uruguay

“I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,” Fleiss-Vallois, Hotel Chelsea, New York, NY

“Retinal Hysteria” (curated by Robert Storr), Venus Over Manha an, New York, NY

“Raha Raissnia & James Siena,” Galerie Xippas, Paris, France

“James Siena & Katia Santibañez: Two Plus Two Equals Three,” Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson, NY

“Mosaics” (curated by Deborah Goodman Davis), James Barron Art, Kent, CT

“The Searchers,” The Philadelphia Art Alliance at University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

“Come A Li le Closer,” DC Moore Gallery, New York, NY

2022

“Why I Make Art” (curated by Brian Alfred), Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

“SAME SHEETS, SAME BED: James Siena & Katia Santibañez,” Cheymore Gallery, Tuxedo Park, NY

“Among Friends: Three Views of a Collection,” The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY

“Two to Tango,” Bernay Fine Art, Great Barrington, MA

2019

“Daedalus’ Choice,” Galerie Xippas, Paris, France

“New Typographies: Typewriter Art as Print,” The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA

2018

“The Annual Professional Painters’ Exhibition,” Century Association, New York, NY

“The Heckscher Collects: Recent Acquisitions,” The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY

“The New Members Exhibition,” Century Association, New York, NY

“Out of Control,” Venus Over Manha an, New York, NY

“Principia Mathematica,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“The Projective Drawing,” Austrian Cultural Forum, New York, NY

“Island Press: Recent Prints,” Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

2017

“Dialéctica,” Galerie Xippas, Paris, France

“The State of New York Painting: Works of Intimate Scale by Colorists,” Kingsborough Art Museum, Brooklyn, NY

“In the Absence of Color: Artists Working in Black and White,” Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York, NY

“Why Draw? 500 Years of Drawings and Watercolors,” Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME

“Almost Nothing,” James Barron Art, Kent, CT

2016

“Random X,” Galerie Xippas, Punta del Este, Uruguay

“Abstracción,” Galerie Xippas, Montevideo, Uruguay

“Going Home,” Bortolami Gallery, New York, NY

“Big Art / Small Scale,” Philip Slein Gallery, St. Louis, MO

“Talking on Paper,” Pace Gallery, Beijing, China

2015

“Systems and Corruptions,” National Exemplar Gallery, New York, NY

“Intimacy and Discourse: Reasonable-Sized Paintings, Part I,” Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ

“Linear Elements: Alain Kirili and James Siena,” OMI

International Arts Center, Ghent, NY

“On the Square Part II,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Drawings and Prints: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

“SKIN (Part 1),” National Exemplar Gallery, New York, NY

“Summer Group Show,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Black / White” (curated by Brian Alfred), Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY

“Eureka,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts,” American Academy of Arts and Le ers, New York, NY

“Back to the Future Part II,” Life on Mars Gallery, New York, NY

2014

“Line: Making the Mark,” Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX

“Space Out: Migration to the Interior,” Red Bull Studios, New York, NY

“Orly Genger and James Siena: Works on Paper,”

Sargent’s Daughters, New York, NY

“Pierogi xx: Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition,” Pierogi, New York, NY

“In the Round,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Oblique Strategies: Track 2,” Peter Fingesten Gallery, Pace University, New York, NY

“The Age of Small Things,” Dodge Gallery, New York, NY

2013

“Heat Chaos Resistance: It’s Time to Live in the Sca ered Sun,” Radiator Gallery, New York, NY

“Come Together: Surviving Sandy Year 1,” Industry City, Brooklyn, NY

“System/Repetition,” Russell Bowman Art Advisory, Chicago, IL

“Image and Abstraction,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Abstract Generation: Now in Print,” The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

“The Annual: 2013,” National Academy of Art, New York, NY

“Geometric Abstraction,” Pace Prints, New York, NY

2012

“Diamond Leaves: 86 Brilliant Artist Books from Around the World,” Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum, Beijing, China

“Summer Group Show,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Print/Out: 20 Years in Print,” The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

“Paper A-Z,” Sue Sco Gallery, New York, NY

“Recent Editions,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“6 Abstract Painters,” DC Moore Gallery, New York, NY

“50 Years at Pace,” Pace Gallery, New York, NY

“Couples,” Ferrin Gallery, Pi sford, MA

“NeoIntegrity: Comics Edition,” Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art, New York, NY

“The Visible Vagina,” David Nolan Gallery, New York, NY

“On the Square,” Pace Wildenstein, New York, NY

2009

“A Walk on the Beach,” Pace Wildenstein, New York, NY

“Pa erns Connect: Tribal Art and Works by James Siena,” Pace Primitive, New York, NY

“Morphological Mutiny,” Galerie Nolan Judin, Berlin,

Germany; traveled to David Nolan Gallery, New York, NY

“New at the Morgan: Acquisitions Since 2004,” The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY

“Talk Dirty to Me,” Larissa Goldston Gallery, New York, NY

2008

“Chroma,” Ruth S. Harley Center Gallery, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY

“Revision, Reiteration, Recombination: Process and the Contemporary Print,” College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, MN

“Sensory Overload: Light, Motion, and the Optical in Art since 1945,” Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

“A ention to Details,” The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY

2007

“All for Art! Great Private Collections Among Us,” Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, Montréal, Canada

“Neointegrity,” Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NY

“Judith Linhares / James Siena,” University Art Museum, University of Albany, Albany, NY

“Works on Paper,” Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA

“Tara Donovan, Sol Lewi , Robert Mangold, James Siena: Minimalist Prints,” Augen Gallery, Portland, OR

“Not For Sales,” P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY

“Lateral A itudes,” Raritan Valley Community College Art Gallery, Somerville, NJ

2006

“Drawing Through It: Works on Paper from the 1970s to Now,” David Nolan Gallery, New York, NY

“Dieu Donné Papermill: The First 30 Years,” C.G. Boerner, New York, NY

“Contemporary Masterworks: Saint Louis Collects,” Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

“The Compulsive Line: Etching 1900 to Now,” The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

2005

“James Siena by Chuck Close and James Siena Prints,” Pace Prints, New York, NY

“Group Exhibition,” PaceWildenstein, New York, NY

“237th Royal Academy of Art from Madeline & Les Stern,” Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

“New Acquisition Installation,” Johnson Gallery for Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

“Drawings from the 1960s to the Present,” Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

“Logical Conclusions: 40 Years of Rule-Based Art,” Pace Wildenstein, New York, NY

“two d,” Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland

“Super Cool,” Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, New York, NY

“Sets, Series, and Suites: Contemporary Prints,” Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA

2004

“Drawing a Pulse,” Slusser Gallery, School of Art and Design, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

“Summer 2004,” Pace Wildenstein, New York, NY

“The 2004 Biennial,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY

“Endless Love,” DC Moore Gallery, New York, NY

2003

“Black White,” Danese, New York, NY

2002

“The Fall Line,” OSP Gallery, Boston, MA

“New Editions and Monoprints,” Pace Prints, New York, NY

“The 177th Annual: An Invitational Exhibition,” National Academy of Design Museum, New York, NY

“New Editions,” Senior & Shopmaker Gallery, New York, NY

“On Paper,” Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

“The Tipping Point,” Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2001

“Repetition in Discourse,” The Painting Center, New York, NY

“Accumulations,” School of Art Gallery, Kent State University, OH

“BOXY,” Dee/Glasoe Gallery, New York, NY

“By Hand: Pa ern, Precision, and Repetition in Contemporary Drawing,” California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA

2000

“Art on Paper,” Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC

“Mapping, Territory, Connexions,” Galerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris, France

“Fluid Flow,” James Graham and Sons, New York, NY

“Invitational Exhibition,” American Academy of Arts and Le ers, New York, NY

“Greater New York,” P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY

1999

“Cyber Cypher Either End,” Mario Diacono Gallery, Boston, MA

“Invitational Exhibition,” American Academy of Arts and Le ers, New York, NY

“Pa ern,” Graham Gallery, New York, NY

“Trippy World,” Baron/Boisante Editions, New York, NY

“New Work: Painting Today, Recent Acquisitions,” San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA

“One by Four,” Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

“Ultra Buzz,” Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS

“Rage for Art (Pierogi Reborn),” Pierogi 2000, Brooklyn, NY

“Free Coke,” Greene Na!ali Gallery, New York, NY

“post-hypnotic,” Illinois State University, Normal, IL; traveled to McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, TX; Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH;

Atlanta College of Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL; and the Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN

1998

“The Risk of Existence,” Phyllis Kind Gallery, New York, NY

“Wallpaper,” Nicholas Davies Gallery, New York, NY

“Exploring Interior Landscape: Art from the Collection of Cli#ord Diver,” Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE

1997

“All the Things You Are,” Geo#rey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA

“Tracery,” Betsy Senior Gallery, New York, NY

“Current Undercurrent,” Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, NY

1996

“96 Works on Paper,” Geo#rey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA

1995

“Group Exhibition,” S. Cono Pizzeria, Brooklyn, NY

“Obsession,” Chassie Post Gallery, New York, NY

“Selections,” Adam Baumgold Gallery, New York, NY

“Wheel of Fortune,” Lombard-Freid Fine Arts, New York, NY

“Other Rooms,” Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York, NY

1994

“The Beauty Show,” Four Walls, Brooklyn, NY

“Group Exhibition,” Lipton Owens Company, New York, NY

“Jobs Overseas,” Kunstverein München, Munich, Germany

“Sworn Statements,” Geo#rey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA

1993

“Group Grope,” Geo#rey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA

“The Return of the Cadavre Exquis,” The Drawing Center, New York, NY; traveled to Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA; Forum for Contemporary Art, St. Louis, MO; and The American Center, Paris, France

1992

“Vibology,” White Columns, New York, NY

1991

“The Painting Project,” Four Walls, Brooklyn, NY

1990

“A Question of Paint,” Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Bu#alo, NY

1989

“The Art of the Computer and Xerox Machine,” Minor Injury Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

“Drawings,” Wol# Gallery, New York, NY

1988

“Almost White,” Gabrielle Bryers Gallery, New York, NY

“James Siena / Cary Smith,” Wol# Gallery, New York, NY

1987

“Atelier Conversations,” John Good Gallery, New York, NY

“Dan Schmidt / James Siena,” J. Noble Gallery, Sonoma, CA

“George Korsmit / Willy Heeks / James Siena,” Je#rey Neale Gallery, New York, NY

“Group Exhibition,” Wol# Gallery, New York, NY

1986

“By Other Means,” Just Above Midtown/Downtown, New York, NY

2021

Guggenheim Fellowship in the Fine Arts, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York, NY

2018 – 2022

Co-Chair, Membership and Nominations Commi ee, Corporation of Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY

2018

Chair, Abbey Mural Prize Commi ee, National Academy of Design, New York, NY

Chair, Affiliated Rome Fellowship Commi ee, National Academy of Design, New York, NY

2015 – 2017

Executive Commi ee, Corporation of Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY

2015

Residency, Fundación Casa Wabi, Oaxaca, Mexico

2013

Resident Fellow, American Academy in Rome, Rome, Italy

Elected to the Board of Governors, National Academy of Design, New York, NY

2012 – 2014

Chair of Admissions, Corporation of Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY

2011

Elected to the National Academy of Design, New York, NY

2008 – 2011

Elected to Membership, Corporation of Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY

Residency, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY 2000

Louis Comfort Ti#any Award, New York, NY

Arts and Le ers Award in Painting, American Academy of Arts and Le ers, New York, NY

1998

Purchase Award, American Academy of Arts and Le ers, New York, NY

1995

Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY

1979

Charles Goodwin Sands Medal, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

1977

Director and Chair of the Visual Arts Selection Commi ee, Corporation of Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY 2004

Edward Durell Stone Award, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

SELECT COLLECTIONS

Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME

British Museum, London, United Kingdom

Centre Pompidou, Paris, France

Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME

Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, State Fair Community College, Sedalia, MO

Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA

Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI

Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA

Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA

The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN

Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA

Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA

Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT

Published on the occasion of the exhibition

Booth #B6

5 - 7 December 2025

Miami Beach Convention Center Miami, FL

Miles McEnery Gallery

511 West 22nd Street New York, NY 10011

515 West 22nd Street New York, NY 10011

525 West 22nd Street New York, NY 10011

520 West 21st Street New York, NY 10011

tel +1 212 445 0051 www.milesmcenery.com

Publication © 2025 Miles McEnery Gallery All rights reserved

Catalogue layout by Minu Chng, New York, NY

Photography by Dan Bradica, New York, NY

Christopher Burke Studio, New York, NY

Cover: Two Scrambled Combs (detail), 2008