The Man I Think I Was: A Curation Project

The Man I Think I Was

A CURATION PROJECT


a-tmiwiw-001

Curator: Kharis Kennedy
Jurors: Kat Griefen, Kharis Kennedy, Lauren Ross
January 6 – January 31, 2010
Opening Reception: Thurs., Jan. 7th from 6pm to 8pm

BROOKLYN, NY, December 2009 – A.I.R. Gallery is pleased to announce The Man I Wish I Was, a partially invitational, partially juried group exhibition featuring work by 18 artists. The exhibition will be on view in Gallery II from January 6 – January 31, 2010. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, January 7 from 6pm to 8pm and is open to the public.

Exhibiting artists: Renee Cox, Enid Crow, Kerry Downey, Kelly Flynn, Coco Fusco, Francie Bishop Good, Catherine Kunkemueller, Liz Lessner, Sarah Maple, Sands Murray-Wassink, Dominique Paul, Phranc, Shannon Plumb, Julia Kim Smith, Annie Sprinkle, Diane Torr, Linn Underhill and Martha Wilson.

In keeping with the feminist tradition of irreverent internal-critique and self-vigilance the intent of The Man I Wish I Was is to question how gender perception relates to personal identity. The exhibition seeks to reevaluate the traditional feminist strategy of defining identity as something encountered in the first person and to question the roles that an individual might embody beyond those prescribed by social and genetic dictates. The exhibition asks the question: Have we happily reached a post-gender moment, a moment where gender is no longer a relevant signifier and we can comfortably slip into daddy’s shoes?

Read the Full Press Release »

An Interview With Kharis Kennedy


a-tmiwiw-002

Enid Crow, Self-Portrait from the Faggot Series

By Scalywag – January 12th 2010

Invited to come along last Thursday to Kharis Kennedy’s curated show – ‘The man I wish I was,’ at the A.I.R gallery in Brooklyn I went curious as to what the evening would possibly hold. All I knew was that the exhibit would be concentrating on feministic themes and the interpretation of gender in a society capitulated with myopic gender intonations.

What followed was one of the more lively and provocative exhibits we here at Scallywag and Vagabond have attended in a while. Having said that I returned home and set out to deliberate on some intelligent questions that hopefully would honor the clever and at times very humorous exhibit at hand.

Read the Full Interview »

The Talkies Edition


a-tmiwiw-003

Film Screening + Discussion with artists
Thomas Allen Harris, Sarah Maple, and Linda Montano

On Wednesday, January 27th at 6pm ARTBOOK in conjunction with A.I.R. Gallery will hold a special film screening at X-initiative. The event is open to the public and will include a roundtable discussion with the artists following the screening. The films to be screened augment the selections that comprise The Man I Wish I Was, a month-long exhibit currently on display at A.I.R. Gallery through January 31st.

Read the Full Press Release »

a-tmiwiw-004

a-tmiwiw-005

a-tmiwiw-006

a-tmiwiw-007

Paintings Inspired by the Real Housewives and ‘Comfort Creatures’ Coming to Greenpoint

Next week Kharis Kennedy will unveil a series of new paintings as part of her solo exhibition, Comfort Animals, at The Greenpoint Gallery. Though Kennedy has been living in St. Croix for the last five years, her work is still imbued with trappings of high-society life and obsessive consumerism she picked up on while living in New York City. But a midnight-hued vision of her new home in the tropics is slowly beginning to take over.

“I left because I felt like I needed some emotional space to create,” Kharis explained. “I hadn’t realized that this kind of dark spiritual thing that’s so prevalent here would affect my painting. I wonder if I’m going to be one of these strange people who come here and live on the island forever.” The result of her relatively new setting and increased focus are paintings that depict a haunting cacophony of context and misperception. There’s an almost disturbing tension at the center of the work, something Kharis acknowledges.

 

Read more…

Source: Paintings Inspired by the Real Housewives and ‘Comfort Creatures’ Coming to Greenpoint