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Artist Statement
I make photographs and sculptures. Using the conventions of the two genres interchangeably, I impose photography’s flattening, framing and posing constraints on my sculptures, and I make photographs that behave like or take the place of objects. The materials assimilate, transform and disappear, paralleling the content that drives my work. Situated in dialogue with Bruce Nauman, Roni Horn, Adrian Piper, and poet Anne Carson, my work investigates the omitted, the invisible, the absent, and the forgotten. Pressing questions for me are: How can I manifest the experience of forgetting? And how can I provoke the act of remembering?
MY RELATIONSHIP TO MATERIALS:
Trained as a potter first, a conceptual artist second, my relationship to materials is unusual. I use specific materials for their conceptual content, but I also fall in love with materials and get entrenched in my material process. For example when I realized that, conceptually, "Stone Smile" needed to be hand carved and hand polished in stone to contrast the speed of our rigid photographic grins, I decided to a learn how to carve stone. The year long learning process has led to several other carvings, as well as to what I anticipate will be an ongoing relationship to the stone carving. Tied to a dialogue with both the long history of hand made objects, and the more recent history of conceptual art, I play the hand made off the photograph to strike a balance between the cool of conceptualism and the warmth of touch.
THE MAIN THEMES AND STRATEGIES I WORK WITH INCLUDE:
Absence or negation of the physical body – In my work I often push figuration towards abstraction, but never completely into that realm. I stay within figuration because I am fascinated by the way obstructed figuration propels the mind to investigate.
Posing and presentation conventions – How we pose for the camera (with our hardened smile and best angle), and how we pose our sculptures (presented on the requisite pedestal with the appropriately painted mount) are major interests of mine. I am particularly interested in the fact that we prop up disembodied and dislocated fragments and stage them as sacred and belonging in the museum; Likewise, with pictures of ourselves and our loved ones at home. I am moved by and wary of the ways we treasure and fetishize these relics.
The backside / the back stage – In my work I often make the backside the star of the work, or I create an ambiguous relationship between the front and the back. I turn objects and apparatuses that are commonly overlooked or actively ignored into the focal point of my projects to highlight this active ignorance.
Fragmented information and narratives – I work in parts that seem as if they might add up to a whole, but don’t quite. Instead the parts create undefined narratives and systems, which open the space of imagination.
I make photographs and sculptures. Using the conventions of the two genres interchangeably, I impose photography’s flattening, framing and posing constraints on my sculptures, and I make photographs that behave like or take the place of objects. The materials assimilate, transform and disappear, paralleling the content that drives my work. Situated in dialogue with Bruce Nauman, Roni Horn, Adrian Piper, and poet Anne Carson, my work investigates the omitted, the invisible, the absent, and the forgotten. Pressing questions for me are: How can I manifest the experience of forgetting? And how can I provoke the act of remembering?
MY RELATIONSHIP TO MATERIALS:
Trained as a potter first, a conceptual artist second, my relationship to materials is unusual. I use specific materials for their conceptual content, but I also fall in love with materials and get entrenched in my material process. For example when I realized that, conceptually, "Stone Smile" needed to be hand carved and hand polished in stone to contrast the speed of our rigid photographic grins, I decided to a learn how to carve stone. The year long learning process has led to several other carvings, as well as to what I anticipate will be an ongoing relationship to the stone carving. Tied to a dialogue with both the long history of hand made objects, and the more recent history of conceptual art, I play the hand made off the photograph to strike a balance between the cool of conceptualism and the warmth of touch.
THE MAIN THEMES AND STRATEGIES I WORK WITH INCLUDE:
Absence or negation of the physical body – In my work I often push figuration towards abstraction, but never completely into that realm. I stay within figuration because I am fascinated by the way obstructed figuration propels the mind to investigate.
Posing and presentation conventions – How we pose for the camera (with our hardened smile and best angle), and how we pose our sculptures (presented on the requisite pedestal with the appropriately painted mount) are major interests of mine. I am particularly interested in the fact that we prop up disembodied and dislocated fragments and stage them as sacred and belonging in the museum; Likewise, with pictures of ourselves and our loved ones at home. I am moved by and wary of the ways we treasure and fetishize these relics.
The backside / the back stage – In my work I often make the backside the star of the work, or I create an ambiguous relationship between the front and the back. I turn objects and apparatuses that are commonly overlooked or actively ignored into the focal point of my projects to highlight this active ignorance.
Fragmented information and narratives – I work in parts that seem as if they might add up to a whole, but don’t quite. Instead the parts create undefined narratives and systems, which open the space of imagination.
CV
EDUCATION
MFA, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2010
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME, 2008
BA, Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, 2005-2006
The Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, 2002-2003
Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1997-1998
EXHIBITIONS
Bring the Lights Into the Shot, Chuchifritos Gallery, New York, NY, 2013 (solo show)
AIRspace Residency Exhibition, Abrons Arts Center, New York, NY, 2012
Rema Hort Mann Benefit, The Hole, New York, NY, 2012
Tailgates and Substitutes, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY, 2011-12
(un)COMFORT(able) ZONE, Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, NY, 2011-12
Greener on the Other Side, Organhaus Art Space, Chongqing, China, 2011
Rema Hort Mann Benefit, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY, 2011
Slummer Nights, Canada Gallery, New York, NY, 2010
There Has Been No Future, There Will Be No Past, ISCP, Brooklyn, NY, 2010
Place + Time, Bullet Space, New York, NY, 2010
Half a Self, a Cave-Dweller, St. Cecelia’s Convent, Brooklyn, NY, curated by David Everitt Howe, 2010
All Insignificant Things Must Disappear, Trinity Museum, New York, NY, 2010
Narrative Arc, University of North Texas, Square Gallery, Denton, TX, 2010
Hunter MFA Thesis Show, Hunter College/Times Square Gallery, New York, NY, 2010
Screening Program, MMX Open Art Venue, Berlin, Germany, 2010
Transportable Mind, AREA Lugar de Proyectos, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2010
Site Unseen, The Project Space, Royal College of Art, London, England, 2010
Projections, curated by Cleopatra’s, shown at ICI Benefit, New York, NY; NADA Art Fair,
Miami, FL; Autocenter, Berlin, Germany; Glasslands Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, 2009
A Very Loud Silence, Le Flash, Atlanta, GA, 2009
Time-Based, Softbox, Queens, NY, 2009
Layout, Gallery West, Suffolk Community College, Long Island, NY, 2009
MAs Select MFAs, Times Square Gallery, New York, NY, 2009
From Africa to America: Visual Reflections, Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, 2009
North American Graduate Art Survey, Nash Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, 2009
It’s Not Easy, Exit Art, New York, NY, 2008
Altered States, Francis Lewis Gallery, Queens, NY, curated by Darren Jones, 2008
PostCards from the Edge, Visual AIDS Benefit, Sikkema Jenkins, NY, 2006
RealLaugh/FakeLaugh, The 18th Street Art Center, Santa Monica, CA, 2005
Open Show, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA, juried by James Elaine, 2004
Faculty and Staff Show, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI, 2003
RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
AIR Space Residency, Abrons Arts Center, Henry Street Settlement, New York, NY, 2011-12
Performer, Mirror Piece I (reconfigured) by Joan Jonas, Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, 2010
Yaddo Fellowship, Saratoga Springs, NY, 2009
Paul Pfeiffer Zabar Residency, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2009
Shirin Neshat Master Class, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2009
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME, 2008
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, 2001
Bill T. Jones Dance Workshop, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, 1999
GRANTS
Boomerang Fund For Artists Grant, 2012
140 Foundation Grant (Nominee), New York, NY, 2011
Rema Hort Mann Foundation Grant (Nominee), New York, NY, 2011 and 2010
Graf Travel Grant, Hunter College, New York, NY, for research trip to Egypt, 2008
Award for Distinction, Gallery 825 Open Show 2005, Los Angeles, CA, 2004
Sudler Fund Grant, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1998
PUBLICATIONS
Dossier Journal, Tailgates and Substitutes, by Amada Valdez, January 10, 2012
One Year Project, MMX Open Art Venue, Berlin, 2011
ArtForum, Adiran Piper’s Rationality and the Structure of the Self, by Joachim Pissarro, p.82, December 2009
Drain Journal of Contemporary Art and Culture, Father/Fodder, Cold Issue, 2009
The Brooklyn Rail, Untitled Photograph, p. 8, March 2009
TEACHING
Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, 2012-13
Visiting Artist, Hunter College MFA, New York, NY, 2012
Visiting Artist, College of New Rochelle, New York, 2012
Panelist, Contemporary Artists’ Discussion, African Burial Ground, New York, NY, 2009
Featured Artist, A Kantian Critique of Modernism, by Joachim Pissarro & David Carrier, NY Studio School, NY, 2009
EDUCATION
MFA, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2010
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME, 2008
BA, Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, 2005-2006
The Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, 2002-2003
Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1997-1998
EXHIBITIONS
Bring the Lights Into the Shot, Chuchifritos Gallery, New York, NY, 2013 (solo show)
AIRspace Residency Exhibition, Abrons Arts Center, New York, NY, 2012
Rema Hort Mann Benefit, The Hole, New York, NY, 2012
Tailgates and Substitutes, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY, 2011-12
(un)COMFORT(able) ZONE, Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, NY, 2011-12
Greener on the Other Side, Organhaus Art Space, Chongqing, China, 2011
Rema Hort Mann Benefit, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY, 2011
Slummer Nights, Canada Gallery, New York, NY, 2010
There Has Been No Future, There Will Be No Past, ISCP, Brooklyn, NY, 2010
Place + Time, Bullet Space, New York, NY, 2010
Half a Self, a Cave-Dweller, St. Cecelia’s Convent, Brooklyn, NY, curated by David Everitt Howe, 2010
All Insignificant Things Must Disappear, Trinity Museum, New York, NY, 2010
Narrative Arc, University of North Texas, Square Gallery, Denton, TX, 2010
Hunter MFA Thesis Show, Hunter College/Times Square Gallery, New York, NY, 2010
Screening Program, MMX Open Art Venue, Berlin, Germany, 2010
Transportable Mind, AREA Lugar de Proyectos, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2010
Site Unseen, The Project Space, Royal College of Art, London, England, 2010
Projections, curated by Cleopatra’s, shown at ICI Benefit, New York, NY; NADA Art Fair,
Miami, FL; Autocenter, Berlin, Germany; Glasslands Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, 2009
A Very Loud Silence, Le Flash, Atlanta, GA, 2009
Time-Based, Softbox, Queens, NY, 2009
Layout, Gallery West, Suffolk Community College, Long Island, NY, 2009
MAs Select MFAs, Times Square Gallery, New York, NY, 2009
From Africa to America: Visual Reflections, Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, 2009
North American Graduate Art Survey, Nash Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, 2009
It’s Not Easy, Exit Art, New York, NY, 2008
Altered States, Francis Lewis Gallery, Queens, NY, curated by Darren Jones, 2008
PostCards from the Edge, Visual AIDS Benefit, Sikkema Jenkins, NY, 2006
RealLaugh/FakeLaugh, The 18th Street Art Center, Santa Monica, CA, 2005
Open Show, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA, juried by James Elaine, 2004
Faculty and Staff Show, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI, 2003
RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
AIR Space Residency, Abrons Arts Center, Henry Street Settlement, New York, NY, 2011-12
Performer, Mirror Piece I (reconfigured) by Joan Jonas, Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, 2010
Yaddo Fellowship, Saratoga Springs, NY, 2009
Paul Pfeiffer Zabar Residency, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2009
Shirin Neshat Master Class, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2009
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME, 2008
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, 2001
Bill T. Jones Dance Workshop, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, 1999
GRANTS
Boomerang Fund For Artists Grant, 2012
140 Foundation Grant (Nominee), New York, NY, 2011
Rema Hort Mann Foundation Grant (Nominee), New York, NY, 2011 and 2010
Graf Travel Grant, Hunter College, New York, NY, for research trip to Egypt, 2008
Award for Distinction, Gallery 825 Open Show 2005, Los Angeles, CA, 2004
Sudler Fund Grant, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1998
PUBLICATIONS
Dossier Journal, Tailgates and Substitutes, by Amada Valdez, January 10, 2012
One Year Project, MMX Open Art Venue, Berlin, 2011
ArtForum, Adiran Piper’s Rationality and the Structure of the Self, by Joachim Pissarro, p.82, December 2009
Drain Journal of Contemporary Art and Culture, Father/Fodder, Cold Issue, 2009
The Brooklyn Rail, Untitled Photograph, p. 8, March 2009
TEACHING
Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, 2012-13
Visiting Artist, Hunter College MFA, New York, NY, 2012
Visiting Artist, College of New Rochelle, New York, 2012
Panelist, Contemporary Artists’ Discussion, African Burial Ground, New York, NY, 2009
Featured Artist, A Kantian Critique of Modernism, by Joachim Pissarro & David Carrier, NY Studio School, NY, 2009
Stone Support, 2012two views of the piece
9 x 9 x 12 inches
carved alabaster
Stone Smile, 20119 x 5 x 5 inches
carved alabaster
Stone Snapshot #2 (Two cousins)2012
two views of the piece
carved marble
10 x 18 x 8 inches
Stone Snapshot #1 (Two sisters)2011
two views of the piece
9 x 9.5 x 7 inches
carved marble
Arrangement2011
sculpure: 9 x 18 inches, print: 13 x 20 inches
graphite on aquaresin, inkjet print, pedestal
Figures Such As This2010
16 x 24 inches
c-print
Blanks and Bodies (Form #1) 2010-11
16 x 22 inches
c-print
Blanks and Bodies (Form #3)2010-11
16 x 22 inches
c-print
Blanks and Bodies (Form #5)2010-11
16 x 22 inches
c-print
Nude with Hair from Behind 2010
90 x 62 x 32 inches
aqua resin, wood, sandbags
Installation View 2010
Includes Nude with Hair from Behind, and Untitled (Grey and Green Reclining)
Nude with Hair from Behind (detail front and back views)2010
90 x 62 x 32 inches
aqua resin, wood, sandbags
Untitled (Grey)2010
16 x 23 inches
c-print
Untitled (Green Reclining)2010
80 x 63 inches
c-print
Bring the Lights Into the Shot 2012
20 x 20 inches
c-print
Image Object Relation2010
each pedestal: 12 x 12 x 48 inches
each photo: 12 x 12 inches
pedestals, one with a photograph on it, one with unprocessed photo paper on it, clamp light with bulb
Not Still #12012
20 x 30 inches
c-print
Not Still #32012
20 x 30 inches
c-print
Not Still #52012
20 x 30 inches
c-print
Not Still #92012
20 x 30 inches
c-print