Kim Connerton

Research Project: Knowing the Self through the ‘other’

My research explores how knowledge can be obtained through relationships with the ‘other’.


“A free being alone is responsible, that is, already not free. A being capable of beginning in the present is alone encumbered with itself.” Emmanuel Levinas, Existence and Existents, 1948

“If I were really everything there would be nothing beside me; the world would be empty. There would be nothing to possess, and I myself would be nothing.” Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, 1948


My research explores how knowledge can be obtained through relationships with the other. Some of the questions my research asks are: “Can the knowledge base a person gained through relationships with the other be intimate as well as socially and culturally relevant?” and “How does art in the 20th and 21st century recapitulate intimate exchanges and mirror audiences’ connections with the other?” In particular, I will examine my attraction to and identification with, American artists who emerged in the 1960s, Andy Warhol and Yoko Ono and other celebrated artists who, through their art and celebrity status, advanced society and culture.

The US was at war with itself in the 1960s and one outcome of this social disease was that many people choose to examine their conscience. This conscious journey began with the individual who glimpsed – looked inside him/herself and soul searched, secondly, the self-examined individual was now free to reconnect with society, armed with self-knowledge, the desire, and insight to, ultimately, and quite possibly make a contribution to society. American and world culture benefited from activists who questioned and deconstructed institutions in the 1960s. This knowledge base, described above, is the exchange art can reflect for audiences’ and is the connection with the ‘other’ that my research speaks to.

Additionally, I will explore 20th and 21st century artists such as, Japanese artist, Yasumasa Morimura and, Israeli born New York based artist, Tami Ben-Tor who both perform, dress-up, and impersonate art historical and historical figures, and celebrities in their videos, photographs, paintings, and performance based art. The fact that Yasumasa Morimura and Tami Ben-Tor ‘star’ in their own art work both reconsiders the concept of ‘celebrity’ while mirroring the audience’s exchanges with celebrated figures. I will also examine mid-20th century philosophers who worked in France and explored concepts of the self and the ‘other’, Simone de Beauvoir, Emmanuel Levinas, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Jean Laplanche. Lastly, I will examine the philosphy of, 21st century Australian philospoher, Roslyn Diprose, to provide a contemporary notion of the self and the 'other'.

Description of Artwork

Warhol Re-incarnated & Yoko Peace are both digital video and photographic installations. In both installations I perform and dress up as either Andy Warhol or Yoko Ono and appear in the videos and photos. In Warhol Re-incarnated I brought Andy Warhol back to life to see what he would say now. In YokoPeace I perform as Yoko Ono in larger than life photos with empty spaces inside each photo for the viewer to inhabit.

Education

1993
The Cooper Union, Performance Art & Writing, NY, NY

1992
BFA in Painting, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

1991
AICAD NY Studio Program, Competition by Invitation Only, NY, NY

Key Publications

2006
'IPSO Video', Scafold, SCA, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, August issue

2005
'Exploring Iconography in Contemporary Art', L.P.Streitfeld, The Stamford Advocate & Greenwich Times, Greenwich, CT, July 24, 2005
“Two New Exhibits…”, Margaret Roleke, The Pilot, Redding, CT, July 7, 2005

2004
'The Star Gallery', Rory Glaeseman, The Star, Westchester, NY, September 18, 2004

2002
'Tackling Replacement', Alison Levy, Nimham Times, Brewster, NY, Summer 2002
'Arts Festival Transforms Brewster', Imogene Drummond, Nimham Times, Brewster, NY, Summer 2002

1999
'Shelter', Toni Schlesinger, The Village Voice, March 17-23,1999
'From New York', Shin Bijutsu Shinbun, Japan, 6-1-99

Exhibitions


SOLO Exhibitions

2004
“Nico, Funny Valentine”, Video Installation, Realform Arts, Brooklyn, NY

2000
New Paintings, Rome Arts, Brooklyn, NY

1997
“MEDIaTATIONS”, Video Installation with Eiko Sakai/Architect, 57 Hope, Brooklyn, NY

1996
“scenarios/life”, Sculpture Installation, Soho 20 Gallery, NY, NY

1991
BFA Thesis Exhibition, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA


GROUP Exhibitions

2006
Private Viewing, Leroy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, NY, NY, September
Shoot, Curated by Jessica Lauretti, Artevientiuno Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Ipso Video, Curated by Ryszard Dabek, Loose Projects, Sydney, Australia

2005
Shoot, Curated by Jessica Lauretti, Dam Stuhltrager Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
Video Showcase, Curated by Kimsu Theiler, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, New Jersey
Melbourne vs. New York, Curated by Olivia Dowling & Bryan Zanisnik,
The Woman Who Loved Men, video, Royal Melbourne Institute, Melbourne, Australia
Unnatural, Mary, Video, Branchville Gallery, Branchville, CT, 2005
NurtureArt Benefit, Curated by Alison Levy, Spike Gallery, Chelsea, NY, New York

2004
Intimacy, Brooklyn Fireproof, Curated by David Gibson, Brooklyn, NY
Perfect Mao/Perfect Day, Sculpture Installation, Peekskill Project, HVCCA, Peekskill, NY
Groundswell Benefit, White Columns, NY, NY
Sideshow's Benefit for Women’s Cancers, Brooklyn, NY
Store A-front, The Lab, Roger Smith Hotel, NY, NY
Grapefruit: Yoko Ono in 1964, video project with Praxis, ISE Cultural Foundation, NY, NY
Mouth Breathers, NurtureArt, Brooklyn, NY

2003
Snoop-Snoop Fate(Duchamp), video project with Praxis LMCC/Woolworth Building, NY, NY
Parts of a Whole, 210 Varet, Brooklyn, NY, 2003

2002
Made-Up, Aquatic Creations, Brooklyn, NY
The Brewster Project, Curated by Alison Levy, Brewster, NY
See Through, Satellite Project Space, Queens, NY

1999
Mediatations, Video, Artists Space, NY, NY, 1999
Reading Affair, Kosai Hori, “Global Conceptualism”, Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY, 1999

1997
New York Drawers, Pierogi Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Travels To–Gasworks Gallery, London & Cornerhouse Gallery, Manchester, England
Home/Scene, Kunsthalle Hamburg, traveled thru Germany
Gramercy Art Fair, Pierogi Gallery, Gramercy Hotel, NY, NY
The Chamber Pot Show, Lower East Side Museum, NY, NY
Lotus Ring, Empire State Park, Brooklyn, NY

1995
Time Capsule, Paula Cooper Gallery, NY, NY

1994
“8”, BWAC, Brooklyn, NY
Studio 107, Brooklyn, NY

1992
“air bell”, Empire State Park, Brooklyn, NY

1991
AICAD Open House, NY, NY

Teaching

2007
Foundation Concepts, Sydney College of the Arts, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007

2005
Visiting Artist, Parsons School of Art & Design, NY, NY, 2005

1993
Visiting Artist, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, 1993

Shows Curated

2004
“White Columns”, Mark Power, paintings, sculpture, and photos, The Globe Gallery, NY, NY

“Struggle in Paradise”, Flavia Souza, photos, Realform Arts, Brooklyn, NY

Awards

2006
EIPRS/IPA, DEST & University of Sydney Scholarship, Sydney, NSW, 2006-2009

2004
Change, Inc., 2004

1990
Michael Leone Senior Prize, The University of the Arts, Phila., PA, 1990

1989
Larry Day Award, The University of the of Arts, Phila., PA, 1989





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