Carissa Rodriguez Work | Artist Statement & CV | Return to Artist List
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Artist Statement
Part of me feels like a non-artist trespassing in this very field of art, dealing with the problem of belonging – or not; while part of me still believes that art is that which resists… So for me there’s always this restlessness, like that of a migrant, trafficking desires in some shadow economy, being outside the language and forging a life that isn’t meant to be lived. Merging industrial fabrication and image reproduction with personal history, the recent works presented here engage surface-level expressions of the designed world, testing to what extent surfaces perform as currency, or how they can effectively become subjective, narrative spaces. Textiles and their image have historically been the battleground for struggles of all types, from socioeconomic to aesthetic. Can the glint reflected in the commodity be captured to transform the historical processes that prescribe the social judgement of taste? What are the hopes for an emergent minor language, and a personal-political one, in these mass articulations?
Part of me feels like a non-artist trespassing in this very field of art, dealing with the problem of belonging – or not; while part of me still believes that art is that which resists… So for me there’s always this restlessness, like that of a migrant, trafficking desires in some shadow economy, being outside the language and forging a life that isn’t meant to be lived. Merging industrial fabrication and image reproduction with personal history, the recent works presented here engage surface-level expressions of the designed world, testing to what extent surfaces perform as currency, or how they can effectively become subjective, narrative spaces. Textiles and their image have historically been the battleground for struggles of all types, from socioeconomic to aesthetic. Can the glint reflected in the commodity be captured to transform the historical processes that prescribe the social judgement of taste? What are the hopes for an emergent minor language, and a personal-political one, in these mass articulations?
CV
Carissa Rodriguez
Born 1970, New York City
Lives and works in New York City
Education
1994
Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Eugene Lang College, New School for Social Research, New York
2002
Studio Program, Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program, New York
Solo Exhibitions
2010
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City
2009
Cherchez La Ghost, New Jerseyy, Basel
2000
Somebody in New York Loves Me, Forde Espace D’art Contemporain, Geneva
Selected Group Exhibitions
2010
Almeria, Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris
Secrétaire, Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Don Juan in the Village, Lars Bohman Gallery, Stockholm
The nice thing about Castillo/Corrales, Castillo/Corrales, Paris
Design Within Riche, Burning Bridges, New York
Lobby: Carissa Rodriguez, The Swiss Institute, New York
Is a rusted petticoat enough to bring it down to earth?, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York
2009
Non-Solo Show, Non-Group Show, Kunsthalle Zürich
Leave No Trace: Ridges, Troughs and Phantom Limbs, ISCP, New York
The Living and the Dead, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York
Today and Everyday, X Initiative, New York
LACE Benefit Auction, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles
2008
Black Noise: Tribute to Steven Parrino, CNEAI centre national de l’édition et de l’art imprimé, Chatou, France
Art Swapmeet, High Desert Test Sites, Joshua Tree, CA
2007
Black Noise: Tribute to Steven Parrino, Mamco Musée D´art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva
2006
Bring the War Home, Elizabeth Dee, New York
2005
Lesser New York, Fia Backstrom Productions, New York
2004
American Idyll, Greene Naftali, New York
Now and Ten Years Ago, Kunst-Werke, Berlin
Publish and be Damned, Cubitt, London
2003
Money Changes Everything, Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, New York
Night Effects, Carlos Depot, Berlin
2002
Six Feet Under, White Box, New York
Open Studios, Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, New York
2001
What’s Wrong?, Trade Apartment, London
Spread, Bukovski’s Auction House, Stockholm
2000
Democracy!, Royal College of Art, London
The Stand – Situationist International – Michèle Bernstein – London Psychogeographical Association, Gastatelier Fleetinsel, Hamburg
Hey, International Style Competition, TENT Centrum Beeldende Kunst, Rotterdam
1999
Dr. Krenslove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mu$eum, American Fine Arts, New York
Too Wide Enough, The Swiss Institute, New York
Criss Cross: Some Young New Yorkers III, P.S.1, New York
Paradise 8, Exit Art, New York
Parking, Highbridge Park, New York
Streetwise, Lawing Gallery, Houston
1998-1999
The Stand, Dragon Gate Market, New York
1996
100 Photographs, American Fine Arts, New York
Selected Bibliography
Lewis, David, review of Non-Solo Show, Non-Group Show at Kunsthalle Zürich, Artforum, April 2010
Baier, Simon, review of Non-Solo Show, Non-Group Show at Kunsthalle Zürich, Texte zur Kunst, March 2010
Zucker, Seth, “Reena Spaulings”, Self Service, Spring 2007. Interview with Carissa Rodriguez, John Kelsey and Emily Sundblad.
Wolfs, Rein “Near Reality”, Material, Migros Museum Magazine, Zurich, Summer 2000
Grandjean, Emmanuel “Sous un ciel d’été”, Le Nouveau Quotidien, Geneva, June 2000
Staple, Polly “Is Politics the New Black?”, Make Magazine, London, March–May 2000
Kelsey, John “The Stand: An Urban Event”, Made In USA #1, New York, 1999
Koether, Jutta “Wich Vorhange fur harte Locher in der Wand”, Spex, September, 1999
Bovier, Lionel & Perret, Mai-thu “Custom Clothing”, Geneva, 1999
Awards and Grants
2009
Art and Research 09, Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
2001
Van Lier Fellowship, Van Lier Foundation, New York
Professional Projects
2004-Present: Director at Reena Spaulings Fine Art, New York. In partnership with John Kelsey and Emily Sundblad
Carissa Rodriguez
Born 1970, New York City
Lives and works in New York City
Education
1994
Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Eugene Lang College, New School for Social Research, New York
2002
Studio Program, Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program, New York
Solo Exhibitions
2010
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City
2009
Cherchez La Ghost, New Jerseyy, Basel
2000
Somebody in New York Loves Me, Forde Espace D’art Contemporain, Geneva
Selected Group Exhibitions
2010
Almeria, Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris
Secrétaire, Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Don Juan in the Village, Lars Bohman Gallery, Stockholm
The nice thing about Castillo/Corrales, Castillo/Corrales, Paris
Design Within Riche, Burning Bridges, New York
Lobby: Carissa Rodriguez, The Swiss Institute, New York
Is a rusted petticoat enough to bring it down to earth?, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York
2009
Non-Solo Show, Non-Group Show, Kunsthalle Zürich
Leave No Trace: Ridges, Troughs and Phantom Limbs, ISCP, New York
The Living and the Dead, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York
Today and Everyday, X Initiative, New York
LACE Benefit Auction, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles
2008
Black Noise: Tribute to Steven Parrino, CNEAI centre national de l’édition et de l’art imprimé, Chatou, France
Art Swapmeet, High Desert Test Sites, Joshua Tree, CA
2007
Black Noise: Tribute to Steven Parrino, Mamco Musée D´art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva
2006
Bring the War Home, Elizabeth Dee, New York
2005
Lesser New York, Fia Backstrom Productions, New York
2004
American Idyll, Greene Naftali, New York
Now and Ten Years Ago, Kunst-Werke, Berlin
Publish and be Damned, Cubitt, London
2003
Money Changes Everything, Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, New York
Night Effects, Carlos Depot, Berlin
2002
Six Feet Under, White Box, New York
Open Studios, Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, New York
2001
What’s Wrong?, Trade Apartment, London
Spread, Bukovski’s Auction House, Stockholm
2000
Democracy!, Royal College of Art, London
The Stand – Situationist International – Michèle Bernstein – London Psychogeographical Association, Gastatelier Fleetinsel, Hamburg
Hey, International Style Competition, TENT Centrum Beeldende Kunst, Rotterdam
1999
Dr. Krenslove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mu$eum, American Fine Arts, New York
Too Wide Enough, The Swiss Institute, New York
Criss Cross: Some Young New Yorkers III, P.S.1, New York
Paradise 8, Exit Art, New York
Parking, Highbridge Park, New York
Streetwise, Lawing Gallery, Houston
1998-1999
The Stand, Dragon Gate Market, New York
1996
100 Photographs, American Fine Arts, New York
Selected Bibliography
Lewis, David, review of Non-Solo Show, Non-Group Show at Kunsthalle Zürich, Artforum, April 2010
Baier, Simon, review of Non-Solo Show, Non-Group Show at Kunsthalle Zürich, Texte zur Kunst, March 2010
Zucker, Seth, “Reena Spaulings”, Self Service, Spring 2007. Interview with Carissa Rodriguez, John Kelsey and Emily Sundblad.
Wolfs, Rein “Near Reality”, Material, Migros Museum Magazine, Zurich, Summer 2000
Grandjean, Emmanuel “Sous un ciel d’été”, Le Nouveau Quotidien, Geneva, June 2000
Staple, Polly “Is Politics the New Black?”, Make Magazine, London, March–May 2000
Kelsey, John “The Stand: An Urban Event”, Made In USA #1, New York, 1999
Koether, Jutta “Wich Vorhange fur harte Locher in der Wand”, Spex, September, 1999
Bovier, Lionel & Perret, Mai-thu “Custom Clothing”, Geneva, 1999
Awards and Grants
2009
Art and Research 09, Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
2001
Van Lier Fellowship, Van Lier Foundation, New York
Professional Projects
2004-Present: Director at Reena Spaulings Fine Art, New York. In partnership with John Kelsey and Emily Sundblad
Kunsthalle Zurich, 2009-2010, Installation viewThe Beatrix (01-12), 2009
12 unique textiles: Inkjet on Japanese compact polyester
100 cm x 100 cm each
Kunsthalle Zurich, 2009-2010The Beatrix (06), 2009
Unique textile: Inkjet on Japanese compact polyester
100 cm x 100 cm
Kunsthalle Zurich, 2009-2010The Beatrix (03), 2009
Unique textile: Inkjet on Japanese compact polyester
100 cm x 100 cm
Kunsthalle Zurich, 2009-2010Standing O, 2009
Acrylic on Canvas
91 cm x 134 cm
Secrétaire, Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, 2010, Installation view
Secrétaire (SK-007), 2010Inkjet print on melamine, hardwood frame
Height 122 cm x Length 113 cm x Depth 51 cm
Secrétaire (SK-004), 2010
Hardwood frame
Height 75.5 cm x Length 91.5 cm x Depth 51 cm
Secrétaire (SK-008), 2010Inkjet print on melamine, hardwood frame
Height 122 cm x Length 91.5 cm x Depth 51 cm
Secrétaire (SK-006), 2010
Inkjet print on melamine, hardwood frame
Height 122 cm x Length 115 cm x Depth 70 cm
Cherchez La Ghost, New Jerseyy, Basel, 2009, Installation view
Infinite Sign (Chartreuse), 2009, Aluminum with acrylic coating, 42 x 24 x 1.27 cmInfinite Sign (White), 2009, Aluminum with acrylic coating, 42 x 24 x 1.27 cm
Untitled (Luxury Problems #10) 2009, Inkjet on self-adhesive PVC vinyl, 90 x 90 cm
Cherchez La Ghost, New Jerseyy, Basel, 2009, Installation view
Untitled (Luxury Problems #2), 2009, Inkjet print on PVC vinyl, 90 x 90 cmInfinite Sign (Chrome), 2009, Aluminum with mirror finish, 42 x 24 x 1.27 cm
Untitled (Luxury Problems #7), 2009, Inkjet print on PVC vinyl, 90 x 90 cm
Infinite Sign (Black), 2009, Aluminum with acrylic coating, 42 x 24 x 1.27 cm
For Cherchez La Ghost, New Jerseyy, Basel, 2009Purchase and appropriation of Seiichi Furuya photograph titled
Izu, 1978, C-print, Edition 9/15, 28 x 38 cm
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City, 2010, Installation view
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City, 2010Chantilly 01, 2009
Inkjet print on PVC vinyl
80 cm x 80 cm
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City, 2010Chantilly 02, 2009
Inkjet print on PVC vinyl
80 cm x 80 cm
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City, 2010Painted Bronze (Hurt Locker), 2010
Cast bronze
31 cm x 25 cm 18 cm
Busque el Ghost, House of Gaga, Mexico City, 2010Sign (Stellet Licht), 2010
Illuminated billboard: PVC canvas, florescent tubes, aluminum frame
90 cm x 795 cm x 24 cm
For The Swiss Institute, New York, 2010Invitation (Tommy Rowles), 2010
Printed invitation card, unique silk textile, customized vitrine
18” x 12” x 2.5”
For The Swiss Institute, New York, 2010Skirt, 2010
Pleated skirt, unique textile, inkjet on 100% silk
For Burning Bridges, New York, 2010Design within Riche, 2010
Live performance with Filipina model, Prada Spring/Summer 2010 Collection and appropriation of Guyton\Walker’s “Coconut Chandelier”, 2006 (Coconuts, electrical wiring and light bulbs)
Collaboration with Avena Gallagher