Barbara Rosenthal

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Barbara Rosenthal
Birth name	Barbara Ann Rosenthal
Born	1948 New York
Nationality	American
Field	avant-garde art, writing

Barbara Rosenthal (b. 1948, The Bronx, New York) is an American avant-garde artist and writer. Her existential themes have contributed to contemporary art and art philosophy.^[1], Her pseudonyms include "Homo Futurus," taken from the title of one of her books^[2], and "Cassandra-on-the-Hudson"^[3], which alludes to her studio and residence on the Hudson River in Greenwich Village, NYC.

As an artist, she works across the media of photography, video, performance, projection, installation, interactive and digital media, text, collage, prints, artists' books and objects. Almost all are produced in multiples or editions, and most combine camera, text and performative aspects. Elements from her "Surreal Photography"^[4] are also often present. She often revisits past works, recombining old elements with new. She often appears in the work in some way, including x-rays, brain scans and clothing, as do physical or textual elements from her Journals. She is known for having brought content, via the subconscious, to Conceptual Art^[5], and her stature is said to derive from her intense introspection.^[6]

As a writer, she produces aphorisms, slogans, quips, poetry, stories, novels, artist's books, pamphlets, art criticism, reviews and essays. She has kept lifelong Journals since age eleven. She is a regular contributor to NYArts Magazine. She is known for her principled stand against art as advocacy, which she labels “retro-garde”^[7], and which sets her in opposition to the prevailing political, cultural and feminist trends in contemporary art.^[7]

Contents 1 Art philosophy 2 Recent solo exhibitions 3 Major collections 4 Teaching positions and other employment 5 Education 6 Grants, honors, awards 7 Bibliography 7.1 Publications about Barbara Rosenthal 7.2 Publications by Barbara Rosenthal 7.2.1 Books 7.2.2 Pamphlets 7.2.3 Articles and reviews 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Art philosophy

In a videotaped 1992 panel discussion with critic Ellen Handy about art-making at The Gallery Of Contemporary Art in Fairfield, Connecticut, she enumerated many "dictums that guide [her] production: that pattern serve as color; that as few materials are used as possible; that as little space is used as possible; that there be no embellishment or superfluous element of design; that a work be visible and present new elements at every distance; that it engage a viewer differently from separate vantages; that it reach several centers of the psyche simultaneously; that a viewer be left room to freely associate; that mystery always be present; that it does not advocate; that it does not mimic past successes; that it can maintain its veracity in an imaginary room of great works; that it be available to everyone and be both produced and priced at lowest possible cost."^[5]

[edit] Recent solo exhibitions

• "Existential Interact", a series of street performances in front of KW Kunstwerk during the Wooloo Berlin New Life Festival in Berlin, Germany, June, 2008
• "Existential Cartoons", an exhibition of digital prints, DVD projections and animated cartoons at the L-Gallery of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia, June, 2007
• “Barbara Rosenthal Contemplates Suicide,” a Bathroom Installation of printed and sewn objects, button pins, and video at the Pool Art Fair, Chelsea Hotel, NYC, Oct., 2006,
• "Devolution of Self", an exhibition of digital prints on mylar, roped to ceiling, floor and each other, at the Pickled Art Centre, Beijing, China, June, 2006.
• National and international group shows at museums such as The Jewish Museum in NYC, and the Stenersenmuseet Museum, Oslo, Norway.

[edit] Major collections

The largest holdings in Europe are at Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest, Hungary. The largest American holdings are in The Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art, both in New York City. Her archives, including over one hundred volumes of workbooks and Journals, and fifty drafts of her unpublished novel, Wish For Amnesia, are currently housed at eMediaLoft.org, NYC, and bequeathed to the Special Collections of Hunt Library, Carnegie-Mellon University, upon her death.^[8]

[edit] Teaching positions and other employment

Since 1990 Barbara Rosenthal has been teaching writing as an adjunct lecturer at the College of Staten Island of The City University of New York (CUNY/CSI). She has also taught photography, video, multi-media, painting, drawing, design, crafts and art history at other colleges, including, among those in New York, The School of Visual Arts (SVA) and Parsons School of Design, where she was editor and producer of The College Council Faculty Affairs Newsletter. She also taught as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Photography at SUNY/Nassau in 1994. Her first college teaching position was as a sabbatical replacement instructor of painting at Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, in 1976-77. Prior to that, at the Lakeside School, a private high school in Seattle, she taught printmaking and was director, scene designer and lighting technician for several performances during 1972-4, years Bill Gates was a student there.

During her years as an art student and teacher, she supplemented her earnings as an assembly-line-painting artist; as a photojournalist stringer for The Village Voice, The East Village Eye, and The New York Post; and as a go-go dancer.^[9] At age eleven, she was a weekly columnist for her town newspaper, The Franklin Square Bulletin. In 1982, with video pioneer Bill Creston, she founded eMediaLoft.org and .com. Founded the Outrageous Consortium with filmmaker Margot Niederland in 2005. Founded The Museum of Modern Media in NYC, 2006.

[edit] Education

Barbara Rosenthal received her MFA in Painting at The City University of New York/Queens College in 1975, and her BFA in Painting at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970. While at Carnegie-Mellon, she was editor of the literary-art magazine, Patterns, as a Sophomore and again as a Senior. She spent her Junior year at Temple University/Tyler School of Art in Rome, Italy, studying Art and Art History, in 1968-69.

Other institutions she attended include Seattle Pacific College, Seattle, Washington, for Media and Education of the Gifted in 1972-73; CUNY/City College, for Education and Psychology in 1970-71; New York University, for Art History, NYC, in 1966; The Art Students’ League, for figure drawing and painting, NYC, in 1964-66; and the Brooklyn Museum Art School, studying figure drawing and painting taught by Isaac Soyer, in 1962-64.

[edit] Grants, honors, awards

• 2005: Artist's Residency, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing
• 2000: Media Presentation Grant, Experimental TV Center, Owego, NY
• 1996: Residency Grant, Visual Studies Workshop Press, Rochester, NY; Amiga Computer Video Imaging Residency Grant
• 1989, 90 and 91: Electronic Arts Grant Video Residency, Experimental TV Center, Owego, NY
• 1991: Finishing Funds, Film Bureau, NYC
• 1990: NYSCA Video Facility Subsidy Grant at Margolis/Brown Adaptors, Bklyn, NY; Medal of Honor, Brussels Ministry of Culture, Brussels, Belgium*1986, 89 and 90: Artists Space/Artists Grant, NYC
• 1988: Harvestworks Audio-Video Residency, NYC; Media Bureau/The Kitchen, NYC, Finishing Funds Grant; Video Arts Residency, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT; Founding member (Associate), Women’s Institute For Freedom Of The Press
• 1986-present: Poets & Writers/Listed: Poet, Fiction Writer, and Performance Poet, NYC
• 1984: Creative Arts in Public Service C.A.P.S. Grant in Video, New York State; Tucson Women’s Video Festival Award, AZ;
• 1982: Global Village Documentary Festival Award, NYC
• 1982: Founding Associate Member: Women's Institute For Freedom of the Press, Washington, DC.
• 1970: Member: Pi Delta Epsilon National Publications Honor Society, USA.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Publications about Barbara Rosenthal

• Boyle, Deirdre, "Video Playback: Less is More, and Other Video Verities" "Sightlines", Summer 1982
• Carswell, Clare, "New Life Berlin Festival : Barbara Rosenthal : 'I Think You Think. What Do You Think ?'", Interface, Newcastle, UK, June 2008
• Carswell, Clare, "Existential Interaction" NYArts, New York, NY, Nov-Dec 2008
• Coleman, A.D.,"Revising Revisionism: Footnotes to the Current Fantasy", Center Quarterly, Woodstock, NY, Winter 1985-86
• Dargis, Manohla, "Countercurrents: Change of Direction", Village Voice, New York, NY, August 16, 1988
• Fletcher, Milton, "Taboo of Not Taboo: Barbara Rosenthal During Performa05", Art Fairs International, New York, NY, March-April 2006
• Handy, Ellen, "Messages: Carlo LaMagna Gallery", Arts, New York, NY, Feb 1988
• Handy, Ellen, "First Impressions, Last Resorts: Printmaking at the End of the Century," Center Quarterly, Woodstock, NY, Sept 1999
• Handy, Ellen, "Time and Memory: The Limits of Photography", Center Photography Quarterly, Woodstock, NY, 1994
• Handy, Ellen, "Time and Memory, Video Art and Identity", Catalogue, The Jewish Museum, New York, NY, 1988
• Hoffberg, Judith A., "Three From Barbara Rosenthal", Umbrella, Santa Monica, CA, 2000
• Hoffberg, Judith A., "Reviews: One 4-Word Book/Four 1-Word Books", Umbrella, Santa Monica, CA, 1995
• Kostelanetz, Richard, editor, "Barbara Rosenthal", Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes , Schirmer Books, NYC, Paper: 2002, hardcover: 2001
• Lieberman, Laura C. , "Once Is Not Enough", Afterimage, Rochester, NY, Fall, 1990
• Morgan, Robert C., "Art: Structure, Repetition and 'The Body", Cover, New York, NY, April 1994
• Myers, George, Jr., "Cretan Bull Dancers: Carolee Schneemann, Terry Kennedy, Irene Siegel, Linda Montano & Barbara Rosenthal," Introduction to Modern Times, Lunchroom Press, East Lansing, MI, 1982
• Parker, Ara Rose, "Clues to Myself by Barbara Rosenthal", Photo-Communique, Toronto, Canada, Winter 1982
• Russell, John, "Views of Jewishness In Museum Video Show", New York Times, July 29, 1988
• Spector, Buzz, "Artists' Writings," Art Journal, New York, NY, Fall, 1990
• Yerkov, Sergei, "Existential Cartoons: Barbara Rosenthal in Moscow" NYArts, New York, NY, Nov-Dec 2007

[edit] Publications by Barbara Rosenthal

[edit] Books

• Clues to Myself, Visual Studies Workshop Press, Rochester, NY, 1981 ISBN 0-89822-015-7
• Homo Futurus, Visual Studies Workshop Press, Rochester, NY, 1986 ISBN 0-89822-046-7
• Sensations, Visual Studies Workshop Press, Rochester, NY, 1984 ISBN 0-89822-022-x
• Soul & Psyche, Visual Studies Workshop Press, Rochester, NY, 1998 ISBN 0-89822-121-8
• Weeks, (collaboration with poet Hannah Weiner), Xexoxial Endarchy Endarchy, Madison, WI, 1990

[edit] Pamphlets

• Catalogue Raisonné, The Museum of Modern Media, NYC, 2007
• Children's Shoes, eMediaLoft.org, NYC, 1992
• Introduction to the Trilogy, eMediaLoft.org, NYC, 1985
• Names/Lives, eMediaLoft.org, NYC, 2001
• Old Address Book, eMediaLoft.org, N.Y.C., 1984
• Structure And Meaning, eMediaLoft.org, NYC, 1981

[edit] Articles and reviews

• A Crack In The Sidewalk, Weekly Columns, The Franklin Square Bulletin, 1963-65
• "Allan McCollum is Not Locked In", NYArts Magazine, November/December 2004
• "All Great Art is Myth: John Baldessari at Marian Goodman", NYArts Magazine, May-June 2007)
• "Co-Conspirators: Artist and Collector: Chelsea Museum, NY", NYArts Magazine, November/December 2005
• “Dana Schutz, Amy Sillman, Kara Walker", "Todd Hido, 'Roaming'”, "Street Art", "Patterson Beckwith, 'Home'”, "Liz-n-Val, 'After Art'”, "EIDIA, 'We Apologize Book Launch'”, "Theresa Hackett, 'More Ground to Cover'”, "Jeanne Susplugas, 'Ordinary Landscapes'”, "Richard Deacon, Sculpture at Marian Goodman", AC (ArtCircles), NYC, Fall-Winter 2004
• "Lester Rapaport, Works on Canvas and Paper," "Focal Point Series presents Christian Marclay", "Yoko Ono, “Editions, Ephemera and Printed Works", "“Reflecting the Mirror,” curated by Karina Daskalov, Marian Goodman Gallery," AC (ArtCircles), NYC, Summer-Fall 2004
• "Martha Rosler Library Vis-a-Vis The Danish Cartoons", NYArts Magazine, Feb. 2006
• "Self-Devolution in Beijing", NYArts Magazine, Sept-October, 2005
• “Their Lives in Art: Robert Henry and Selina Trieff”, “65th Anniversary Exhibition, Part I: Galerie St. Etienne", "Sarah Moon: Circus” “From Fontana to Zauli”, "Romare Bearden at Bill Hodges Gallery", "'John Biggers 'My America'” “The French Connection at Mary Ryan Gallery", "Gustavo Lopez Armentia Retrospective", AC (ArtCircles), NYC, December-January 2004-2005.
• "The Way In and The Way Out: At the Nomadic Museum", NYArts Magazine, July/August 2005/July/August 2005)
• "Tim Hawkinson: Artist as the Center of the Universe", NYArts Magazine, May/June 2005
• "Well Dog My Katz!", NYArts Magazine, January/February 2005

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Artist's homepage