Barbara Bloom (artist)

Last updated
Barbara Bloom
Born1951 (age 7172)
Los Angeles, California, US
Education Bennington College (BFA)
California Institute of the Arts 1972

Barbara Bloom (born 1951) lives and works in New York City. [1] She is a conceptual artist best known for her multi-media installation works. Bloom is loosely affiliated with a group of artists referred to as The Pictures Generation. [2] For nearly twenty years she lived in Europe, first in Amsterdam then Berlin. [3] Since 1992, she has lived in New York City with her husband, the writer-composer Chris Mann, and their daughter.

Contents

Education

Bloom attended Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont, from 1968 to 1969, [4] and in 1972 [5] received her BFA from the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California where her mentor was John Baldessari. [6]

Work

Bloom is a visual artist whose conceptual practice relies mainly on photography and installation. Beginning in the 1970s, Bloom has created work in a variety of different mediums including photography, installation, film, and books. [7]

In conversation with Susan Tallman, Barbara Bloom has referred to herself as a “novelist who somehow ended up in a ‘visual artist’ queue”. [8] Bloom has often compared herself, and the viewer of her work, to a 'detective' [9] who is confronted with disparate clues and is asked to form some kind of visual narrative. Her work is often about the nature of looking. She engages her viewer, seducing him/her into a beautifully constructed visual world, one that is underlaid by subversive wrenches thrown in.

Bloom has an ongoing interest in the value and meaning we collectively and individually bestow upon objects and images. She has not been concerned with showing single objects or images, rather with highlighting the relationships between them, and the meanings implicit in their placement and combination. The objects are placeholders for thoughts, and when they are situated in proximity to one another, meanings can reverberate and ricochet off of each other. [10] Additionally, Bloom states in an artist's statement that her

"fascination is with the relationships between objects or images—and the meanings implicit in their placement and combination." [10]

Bloom's use of shadows, traces, Braille, broken objects, partially-obstructed images, [11] watermarks, and micro-images all demonstrate an ongoing interest in visualizing the fragile workings of memory, the invisible, the ephemeral, and the absent. [12] These “aesthetic underdogs, sheltered under Bloom’s wing [...] provide yet another lens for looking at how we seek value in objects and why.” [13]

During the last year, I produced and exhibited a work titled The Weather... In this work, hovering in varying heights above the floor are carpets, each a subtle shade of gray-green-blue. The carpets have raised-dot patterns forming texts in Braille... The production of the carpets was a complex one, and it was not easy to find a manufacturer able to accurately produce the intricate patterns of raised dots. Working with Classic Rug Collections in New York, a factory in Thailand was found that could produce the work perfectly. [14] (Bloom on her artistic process of creating The Weather)

Recognition

Exhibitions

Bloom's work has been shown widely including exhibitions at: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; [26] The Museum of Modern Art, New York; [27] Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; [28] the Venice Biennale; Kunstverein München, Munich; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; The Serpentine Gallery, London; [29] Kunsthalle Zürich; Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Leo Castelli Gallery, New York; [30] SITE Santa Fe; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; La Bienale de Venezuela, Caracas; Museum Friedricianum, Kassel; Parrish Art Museum, Southampton; [31] Wexner Center for the Arts; [32] Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum; International Center of Photography, New York; [33] Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin; [34] The Jewish Museum, [35] New York; [36] The Front Triennial, The Allen Memorial Art Museum, Ohio. [37]

She is represented by David Lewis Gallery, New York; [38] Capitain Petzel, Berlin; [39] Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Milano; [40] and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne. [41]

Collections

Barbara Bloom's works are featured in a variety of public collections including: Museum of Modern Art, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Pérez Art Museum Miami, Florida; [42] The Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; MAK Museum of Applied Art, Vienna; International Center of Photography, New York; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Australian National Gallery, Canberra; Groninger Museum, The Netherlands; Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland; Yokohama Museum of Art, Yokohama, Japan, the CU Art Museum at the University of Colorado Boulder, [43] among others. [44]

Publications

Teaching

Bloom has held teaching positions at: Cooper Union School of Art, New York; ICP-Bard Program in Advanced Photographic Studies; Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University; Columbia University-School of the Arts; Yale University- Graduate Department of Sculpture; School of Visual Arts, New York, Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam. [75]

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References

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  46. Bloom, Barbara; Bos, Saskia; Gemeentemuseum Arnhem (1987). Lost and found (in Dutch). Arnhem: Gemeentemuseum Arnhem. OCLC   80149387.
  47. Marta, Karen; Castets, Simon; Swiss Institute (New York, N.Y.) (2015). The St. Petersburg Paradox. ISBN   9781942607151. OCLC   936626657.
  48. Bloom, Barbara; Jewish Museum. (2015). As it were ... so to speak: a museum collection in dialogue with Barbara Bloom; [... Jewish Museum, New York, March 5 - August 4, 2013. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN   9780300215731. OCLC   936799230.
  49. [WorldCat.org]. OCLC   914636193.
  50. Bloom, Barbara; Hickey, Dave; Tallman, Susan; International center of photography (N.Y.) (2007). The collections of Barbara Bloom [exposition, New York, International Center of Photography, january 18-may 4, 2008. Göttingen; New York: Steidl ; International Center of Photography. ISBN   9783865216212. OCLC   494927206.
  51. Bloom, Barbara (2003). Flash cards. Chicago: The Renaissance Society. OCLC   837081704.
  52. Bloom, Barbara; Gorney Bravin & Lee Gallery (2001). Broken. New York: Gorney Bravin & Lee Gallery. OCLC   85024609.
  53. Rosenthal, Stephanie (2000). Dinge in der Kunst des XX. Jahrhunderts: [Haus der Kunst München, 2. 9. - 19. 11. 2000 (in German). OCLC   635329562.
  54. Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich; Bloom, Barbara; Glenn Horowitz Bookseller (Firm) (1999). Revised evidence: Vladimir Nabokov's collection of inscriptions, annotations, corrections, and butterfly descriptions ; a collection of commemorative stamps printed on the occasion of an exhibition of Vladimir Nabokov's library. New York: Glenn Horowitz Bookseller. OCLC   41988222.
  55. McShine, Kynaston; Museum of Modern Art (N.Y.) (1999). The museum as muse: artists reflect : [exhibition, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, March 14-June 1, 1999. New York: Museum of Modern Art : Abrams. ISBN   978-0870700910. OCLC   924814770.
  56. Tallman, Susan; Villa, Miren; Diago, Larraitz; Bloom, Barbara; Sala Rekalde (1998). BARBARA Bloom: Pictures from the floating world : [catálago de la exposición celebrada en la Sala de Exposiciones] Rekalde : 1998ko urtarrilaren 27-martxoaren 1 = 27 de enero-1 de marzo de 1998 (in Spanish). Bilbao: Sala de Exposiciones Rekalde. ISBN   978-8488559210. OCLC   919752912.
  57. Bloom, Barbara; Hamilton, Ann; Paik, Nam June; Ryman, Robert; Turrell, James; Des Moines Art Center (1996). Contemplation: five installations : Barbara Bloom, Ann Hamilton with Kathryn Clark, Nam June Paik, Robert Ryman, James Turrell. Des Moines, Iowa: Des Moines Art Center. ISBN   978-1879003163. OCLC   37135803.
  58. Ehmke, Ronald; Licata, Elizabeth (1996). Consider the alternatives: 20 years of contemporary art at Hallwalls. Buffalo [NY: Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. ISBN   978-0936739205. OCLC   921058708.
  59. Ferguson, Bruce W; Site Santa Fe (Gallery); Museum of Fine Arts (Museum of New Mexico) (1996). Longing and belonging: from the faraway nearby : SITE Santa Fe, July 14 to October 8, 1995, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe; New York, N.Y.: SITE Santa Fe ; Available through Distributed Art Publishers. ISBN   978-0965058315. OCLC   187451822.
  60. Bloom, Barbara; Hirsch, Shelley; Schweeger, Elisabeth (1993). The passions of Natasha, Nokiko, Nicola, Nanette and Norma (in German). Stuttgart: Cantz. ISBN   978-3893225880. OCLC   886401848.
  61. Bloom, Barbara (1991). Never Odd Or Even. Verlag Silke Schreiber. ISBN   9783889600257.
  62. Brand, Jan; Gast, Nicolette; Muller, Robert-Jan (1991). De woorden en de beelden: tekst en beeld in de kunst van de twintigste eeuw (in Dutch). Utrecht: Centraal Museum. ISBN   978-9073285132. OCLC   901662053.
  63. Salvaje, El Jardin (1991). El Jardin Salvaje: exposicion, 22 de enero-10 de marzo de 1991 (in Spanish). Madrid: La Fundacion. ISBN   978-8476643013. OCLC   282884823.
  64. Landau, Suzanne; Zur, Nirit; Israel Museum (Jerusalém) (1990). Life size: a sense of the real in recent art. Jerusalem: The Israel Museum. ISBN   978-9652781055. OCLC   959119163.
  65. Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS (Organization) (1990). The Indomitable spirit: photographers and artists respond to the time of AIDS . ISBN   978-0810924550. OCLC   21584762.
  66. Bloom, Barbara; Württembergischer Kunstverein (Stuttgart); Kunsthalle Zürich (1990). The reign of narcissism: guide book = Führer. Stuttgart; Zürich: Württembergischer Kunstverein : Kunsthalle. OCLC   881694047.
  67. Biennale of Sydney; Art Gallery of New South Wales; Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney, N.S.W.), eds. (1990). The Readymade boomerang: certain relations in 20th century art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 11 April-3 June 1990, the eighth Biennale of Sydney. Sydney: The Biennale of Sydney : Museum of Contemporary Art. ISBN   978-0959661965. OCLC   502451072.
  68. Horn, Rebecca; Kounellis, Jannis; Müller, Heiner; Glasmeier, Michael (1990). Die Endlichkeit der Freiheit: Berlin 1990 : ein Ausstellungsprojekt in Ost und West : Giovanni Anselmo ... [et al. Berlin: Hentrich. ISBN   978-3926175861. OCLC   123312765.
  69. Bloom, Barbara; Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst; Berliner Künstlerprogramm (1994). Ghost writer. Wien: Passagen Verlag. ISBN   978-3851650938. OCLC   222088394.
  70. Gallagher, Steve (1987). Picture this: films chosen by artists. Buffalo: Hallwalls : Contemporary Arts Center. ISBN   978-0936739052. OCLC   17109367.
  71. Bloom, Barbara; Bos, Saskia; Gemeentemuseum Arnhem (1987). Lost and found (in Dutch). Arnhem: Gemeentemuseum Arnhem. OCLC   80149387.
  72. Bloom, Barbara; Hallwalls (Art gallery) (1988). Esprit de l'escalier. Buffalo, N.Y.: Hallwalls. ISBN   978-0936739144. OCLC   21095252.
  73. Bloom, Barbara; Hawley, Martha (1986). A calendar on travel and tourism, 1986 [calendar. S.I.: Bloom & Hawley. OCLC   222245827.
  74. The French diplomat's office: soundtrack, Blumarts, 1999, OCLC   43791960
  75. "Barbara Bloom" Archived May 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine , Galleria Raffaella Cortese, 2013