The Archival Impulse
Chicago
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Peek into my working process at The Archival Impulse at Gallery 400, on view Friday, November 4th through December 17th. Curated by Lorelei Stewart, "The Archival Impulse" gathers together works that draw from historical archives, construct new archives in varied collection formats, mine the archives of art history, and generally question the ways in which cultural memory is established, featuring work by artists including Jenny Perlin, Jason Salavon, Conrad Bakker, and many others. I'll be showing a large-scale collage table constructed from never-before exhibited materials used to develop recent work, including hand-held drawings, found materials, interview excerpts and pages torn from fashion magazines and old biology books.
CartoonInk!
Chicago
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Come check out "CartoonInk! Emerging Comics in Context," an exhibition I just co-curated with fellow artists and comics faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Jeremy Tinder and Surabhi Ghosh for the beautiful Sullivan Galleries in downtown Chicago.The show brings together boldly idiosyncratic works showcasing the rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary comics. "CartoonInk!" features an international roster of breakout comics artists, among them highly regarded artists with ties to SAIC, including Lilli Carré, Jeffrey Brown, Anders Nilsen, and Chris Ware, as well as current SAIC students setting the scene for what is to come. The exhibition celebrates comics as a unique and vibrant art form, featuring original works on paper, printed and exchangeable multiples, and tactile installations.
The Makings of Mutualism
Troy, NY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Christa Donner: The Makings of Mutualism" explores two invented cultures living symbiotically with(in) one another as a means to understand the role of biological processes in shaping cultural forms and interpersonal relationships. This solo show includes a series of brand new works on paper, an elaborate diagrammatic wall installation, process sketches, and photo-video documentation from a participatory project initiated on-site with students, involving hand-drawn paper masks and a lot of snow.
I’ll be giving a public lecture at 3pm in the BTC Auditorium followed by an opening reception from 4-6pm. For those of you in Brooklyn or NYC, Troy is about a 3 hour drive (or a 5 hour train excursion) from the city. The show will be on view in the gorgeous two-story galleries of HVCC through March 19th, 2011.
Nurses!
Chicago
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This weekend I'll debut a new site-specific wall collage as part of the exhibition NURSES at Ben Russell. Overtaking the main wall of the space, Nurse/Gnaw is a wrestling-match of self-comforting and -cannibalism. Fourteen variations on the same protagonist take turns nurturing and gnawing on one other in a larger-than-life knot of paper limbs and teeth. NURSES also includes fantastic work by Jacob Ciocci (PaperRad), Ben Fain, Peter Hoffman, and live performance by Andy Positive And His Dissonant Riders.
Ben Russell is located at 1716 S. Morgan in Chicago, IL. Join us for the opening reception this Saturday, November 6th, from 6-9pm. After that, viewings are available by private appointment through December 11th.
Lecture and Open Studios
Yokohama
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'll give an artist talk on my current projects at BankART 1929 NYK along with fellow artists Park Chan Kook (S. Korea) and Andrew Yang (Chicago, IL) in Yokohama if you happen to be in the greater Tokyo or Yokohama area. The event will be held in BankART's lovely, laid-back bookstore/cafe/event space overlooking the water. This free event starts at 7pm on Friday, July 9th.
You can see the work itself as part of the BankART Summer Open, showcasing the work of nearly 45 artists who have been doing residencies in the space this season. The event kicks off with a big party + performances on July 30th and runs through August 5th.
Those of you who are far from Japan but curious to see what I'm up to can follow along on Ihoojin No Me Kara, a blog documenting my process of seeing and making things here.
BankART Residency
Yokohama
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am undertaking a two-month project in Japan this summer through a residency at the contemporary arts center BankART NYK, thanks to support from the Asian Cultural Council. Look for new drawings and collaborations with local residents to initiate a series of visual remixes and re-interpretations of cultural forms specific to the city of Yokohama, which was the first site in Japan to open its ports to foreign ships 150 years ago. Exhibition information coming soon.
+ Medicine Cabinet
Chicago
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------new site-specific work will be on view in a very different sort of venue this month: I'm constructing an intricate and intimately-scaled paper installation for +medicine cabinet, one of Chicago's smallest and best experimental art venues, located in the bathroom of 3216 S. Morgan Street alongside its sister gallery, the Second Bedroom Project Space, which features Jim Zimpel's new body of work based on the tools and constructions of his grandfather.
Gallery hours are irregular and by appointment only, so come to the opening reception on Friday, February 12th from 7pm - 11pm to see the work live and in person!
Scherenchnitte - Kontur Pur
Zurich
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------My newest paper installation is now on view at the Museum Bellerive in Zurich, Switzerland as part of the exhibition Scherenschnitte-Kontur pur (Silhouette - Pure contour). The show explores cut paper as an expansion of drawing in international contemporary art, and features incredible work by Swoon, Diana Cooper, Ana Stricka, Hina Aoyama, and many more. Scherenschnitte opens with a reception on November 26th and runs through April 4, 2010.
Papercraft
Gestalten, Berlin
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm pleased to be included in this new book of paper awesomeness. Papercraft, published by Die Gestalten Verlag, is a survey of contemporary art and design made with the flexible, ephemeral stuff, exploring everything from small objects to large-scale installations and urban interventions. Can't wait to get my hands on a copy: the hardcover edition includes a DVD of stop-motion animation and printable/foldable multiples.
EveryBody!
I-Space, Chicago
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I've been invited to create a new wall drawing for this show exploring visual resistance in women's health movements. The exhibition features drawing, video, performance and publications by amazing artists like Faith Wilding, the Pink Bloque, Terri Kapsalis, the Chicago Women’s Graphics Collective, and many more.
EveryBody! opens with a crazy-wild subRosa performance on Friday, September 11 and runs until October 10, 2009 at I space in Chicago. There’ll be a companion exhibit at the Women's Resource Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana, IL of posters, performance, workshops, and video screenings. And... if you happen to be near Champaign-Urbana, I'll be giving a public lecture there on October 5th. For more info, see HERE.
Caladium Etchings!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Just finished a series of multi-plate intaglio etchings with Caladium Editions, thanks to master printer Molly Briggs. You can see detail images and order your print now through Caladium's site HERE.
MCA Works in Progress
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Want to do a studio visit with me? On Tuesday, March 3, stop by Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art during my eight-hour mini-residency in the Museum's lower entryway. I'll be drawing up a storm, interviewing visitors for an upcoming zine project, screening my recent animation collaboration, and it'd be great to see you there. The event is FREE and I'll be there from 11am - 7pm, so come say hello! For those of you who can't make it out that day, you can get a peek into the studio through the MCA Works in Progress Blog. The Museum is located at 220 E. Chicago Avenue, just a few blocks from the Chicago red line stop and steps from shopping overload on the Magnificent Mile, in case you're looking to make a day of it.
Biological Agents: Artistic Engagements in Our Growing Bio-Culture
Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------With the support of UIC's BioCultures and Gallery 400, the brilliant Andrew Yang and I put our heads together and curated this exhibition exploring the work of three contemporary artists - Brandon Ballengee, Caitlin Berrigan, and Natalie Jeremijenko - who engage with humans and other organisms to address issues of agency and access within the realm of bio-art. The exhibition also features the Knowledge Virus Research Station, featuring zines, comics, kits, view-master reels, and web projects that disseminate information on biological topics from a variety of creative perspectives. More info and images on the exhibition can be found RIGHT HERE.
ANTI Festival of Contemporary Art
Kuopio, Finland
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I just got back from a trip Finland, where I interviewed local teens for a new project exploring young people's perspectives on illness, injury, and body image in a country where health care is guaranteed. The work was part of this year's ANTI Festival and resulted in a new series of brochures, which were distributed by hand to the people of Kuopio. I've posted images, info and PDFs of the brochures HERE.
Christa Donner - Re:Production
ThreeWalls, Chicago, IL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This winter I'll debut my newest body of work in Chicago, with this major solo exhibition at ThreeWalls, one of the city's most excellent nonprofit spaces. The exhibition explores issues of fertility, biology and identity through works on paper, large scale wall drawing, animated video, and interview-based zines. Hope to see you there! Want to know more about the work? I'll present an artist talk on the work on Thursday, January 29th.
