Born in Philadelphia, Spencer Sweeney lives and works in New York. A multi-media artist, DJ, and club owner, Sweeney emerged on the New York art scene in the late 1990s.

Widely known for his associations with the inner circle of the American Fine Arts gallery in SoHo, he is also noted for his role as a musician: he was the drummer for the influential art-rock band Actress, alongside Lizzi Bougatsos of Gang Gang Dance. Sweeney’s multifaceted persona is reflected in his art, with a boundless disregard for consistency.

His practice exists in constant motion, reinforcing contradiction, and in opposition to traditional norms defined by the museum or gallery space. Whether creating all-encompassing installations, colorful collages, cartoonish drawings, or charismatic self-portraits, Sweeney eschews a single, identifiable style in lieu of work that reflects the multiplicity of his influences and the shifting nature of his practice. He has had numerous gallery exhibitions and his work in in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, among others.