Harlan Emil Gruber (b. Jan. 14, 1959, NY) has combined his interest in science and art to shape a respected design career. A student of Physics at Emory University and of Electrical Engineering at University of Miami and Georgia Tech, Harlan Emil subsequently received a degree in the field of Environmental Design from Parson School of Design, New York (1985). Immediately following the completion of his studies, Mr. Gruber joined the design firm SITE Projects of New York before launching his independent career in 1987. He has become highly regarded for his sculpture, furniture design, interior retail design, and for his continuing study of designs for future habitats.
Harlan Emil’s work has been published internationally, including Interni of Italy, Pronto of Japan, The Face of U.K., and Progressive Architecture in the United States, and is featured in the book New York: Nomadic Design.
His work has been exhibited at New York’s prestigious gallery Art et Industrie, Knoll Furniture Showroom, The Clodagh Center for American Design, Hokin-Kaufman Gallery of Chicago, Hampton Square Gallery of Westhampton Beach, NY, All Points, Shipley and Fenix galleries in Taos, New Mexico and the Donkey Gallery in Albuquerque, NM.
Harlan Emil was the founder of Pluto Dog, Inc. (1988-1993), which produced his designs including the Saturn Table Series, the Levity Series, and the Cyberunit. He designed the first three retail stores for the clothing company 555 Soul (1991-1996) and the bar Openair (2001), both in New York. His artistic endeavors include the ongoing series of sculpture installations titled Bundles, a sound sculpture project titled Quasar Wave Transducer, a series of kinetic sculpture works titled A/FX Spirals, and a multimedia installation inspired by his personal interests in drag racing and spiritual teachings called The Circle of Burning Fuel.
In 1996 Harlan Emil moved to Taos, New Mexico, while still returning part time to his home in New York. He has been attending the Burning Man festival in Nevada since 1999 and has created a series of bicycles for it called Playacycles. He has also created large scale sculptures for it: the Mutant Vehicle Labyrinth in 2003, the 11:11 Diamond Portal in 2004-5, the 12:12 Emerald Portal in 2006 and the 1:11 Sapphire Portal in 2007. He has become deeply committed to the vision of Burning Man, as it combines his interests in science, art and future habitation. |
| EXHIBITIONS
2008
Dreamtime Festival-Paonia, Colo.- Sapphire Portal Center, Quasar Wave Transducer (July 17-20)
Burning Man-Nevada- 1:11 Sapphire Portal, Quasar Wave Transducer, 12:12 Emerald Portal & Emerald Portal Outline (Aug.27-Sept. 3)
Earthdance- Laytonvile, Ca.-Sapphire Portal Center, Quasar Wave Transducer, Emerald Portal, Emerald Portal Outline, Diamond Portal Oultine (Sept.12-14)
2007
GO! Festival-Albuquerque, NM -Diamond Portal Outline (Sept. 28-30)
Time-Taos, NM-NM Arts: Art in Public Places grant recipient-
Sapphire Portal Center (Aug. 31- Oct. 26)
Burning Man-Nevada- 1:11 Sapphire Portal, Quasar Wave Transducer (Aug.27-Sept. 3)
Dreamtime Festival-Paonia, Colo.- Emerald Portal Outline (July 19-22)
Mayday Party, Union Square- NYC, NY, Emerald Portal Outline (April 29)
2006
Habitats-Lyceum, Brooklyn, NY- Abridged Merkaba (Nov.9-12)
Burning Man Decompression-Taos, NM- Emerald Portal, Emerald Portal Outline, Diamond Portal Outline, Quasar Wave Transducer (Sept. 30-Oct1)
Burning Man-Nevada- 12:12 Emerald Portal, Emerald Portal Outline, Diamond Portal Outline, Quasar Wave Transducer (Aug.28-Sept.4)
Dreamtime Festival-Paonia, Colo.- Diamond Portal Outline (July 3-16)
Emerald Portal Fundraiser-IPR, Brooklyn, NY- Emerald Portal Outline (May 20)
Donkey Gallery- Albuquerque, NM- Chopper Bicycle, Circle of Burning Fuel (Jan.)
2005
Burning Man-Nevada- 11:11 Diamond Portal, Diamond Portal Outline,
Quasar Wave Transducer (Aug.29-Sept.5)
BlocBusta! -Taos, NM- Diamond Portal Outline, Quasar Wave Transducer (July 17)
BlocBusta!-Santa Fe, NM- Diamond Portal Outline, Quasar Wave Transducer (July 23)
2004
Bareiss Gallery-Taos, NM- 11:11 Diamond Portal, Quasar Wave Transducer (Oct.2, Nov.11)
Burning Man-Nevada- 11:11 Diamond Portal, Quasar Wave Transducer (Aug.30-Sept.6)
Fenix Gallery-Taos, NM- Bundles (Jan.- Feb.)
2003
Burning Man-Nevada- Mutant Vehicle Labyrinth, Labyrinthmobile (Aug. 25-Sept.1)
2001
Rec Room-Shack Obscura, Santa Fe, NM- A/FX Spiral, Circle of Burning Fuel (Oct.)
All Points Gallery-Taos, NM- Circle of Burning Fuel Installation & Soundtrack (June-Sept.)
2000
Jaquelyn Lloyd Gallery-Taos Inn Show, Taos, NM- Circle of Burning Fuel (Oct.)
1997
Substation-NYC, NY-Quasar Wave Transducer (Jan.)
1995
Either/Or-Curated by Kenny Schachter, Flamingo East, NYC, NY
Pseudo Show- Curated by Kenny Schachter, NYC, NY
1993
Group Show-Hampton Square Gallery- West Hampton, NY
1991-1992
Liquid Sky-NYC, NY
1990
Group Show-Hokin Kaufman Gallery, Chicago, Il
1988-1989
Group Shows-Art et Industrie, NYC, NY
PUBLICATIONS
2004
Tempo-Taos News Nov. 11, 2004
2003
Weekly Alibi July 24, 2003
1993
Deusch Vogue March-Vol. 1.9 No. 14
Nomadic Design Rizzoli International Publications
1992
SITES Architecture No. 24 Lumen Books
1990
The Face December-Vol. 2 No. 21
1989
FP/ International Design Network Magazine No. 22
1988
Progressive Architecture November
EDUCATION
1985 BFA-Parsons School of Design-NYC, NY |
