kim litch : bio : statements : cv
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bio :
Kim Litch’s artwork has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, including the Museum of Fine art in Tallahassee, Florida; the Viridian Gallery in Chelsea, New York; The Atlanta Artists Center in Atlanta, Georgia; and the 1212 Gallery in Richmond, Virginia.
Ms. Litch has won numerous awards and honors. She received a fellowships from Florida State University and is published in Florida’s Best Artists and Artisans of 2005. Additionally, She has been part of several mold-making and Iron Pour demonstrations and workshops, including ones held at Inferno Bronze Foundry in Atlanta, Georgia and Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in Alabama.
Kim Litch was born in New Jersey, in 1975. She received a BFA in Photography and Sculpture from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey and an MFA in installation and sculpture from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
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statements :
kim litch : jack me in, on, off
In the past I have explored what I call the "know-nothing attitude" in America (see statement for "i know nothing"). Jack me in, Jack me on, Jack me off marks a slight shift in my of body work. While still focusing on misinformation, I have begun to think specifically about isolation and dissolution in the digital world.
As with my other bodies of work, there are many layers of symbolic language embedded throughout the Jack Me...
series. Symbolic language is achieved through materials,
colors and anthropomorphic abstractions. The
water bottles are a perfect symbol of this new digital age; they are
plastic and empty, and in this series, held together by threads. The stain is just that; the use of transparent or
semi-transparent materials works, for me, as a veil: covering the
truth, while at the same time, allowing one to see through the veil to
get to the truth. Electric chords become umbilical chords; lifelines of a sort. Cut short and never really connected to anything.
kim litch : i know nothing
i know nothing is a body of work that is rooted historically by the American Know-Nothing Party and revolves around the thematic issue of this exaggerated patriotic and “know-nothing” attitude* that has become endemic in America.
Within the i know nothing series, I am simultaneously exploring past art movements through contemporary issues (both in subject matter and within the art itself) while trying to move beyond them, picking and choosing what parts of this fit in best with my ideas and aesthetics: viewer participation, the use of audio or other senses, the use of non-traditional mediums in conjunction with traditional mediums, a mix of ready-mades, Conceptual language, Surrealist symbolism and even Post-Minimal strategies of hanging, dispersing, and so on. My Installations are heavily rooted in Surrealism and I refer to them as “Surreal Environments” because when I work to create an Installation, I work to create an environment. I want people to walk into a space, and feel as if they are in a dream, or another world.
There are also many layers of language embedded throughout the i know nothing series that reinforce its dream-like qualities. Written language is evident through the titles and is sometimes incorporated into the finished pieces. Symbolic language is achieved through materials, colors and anthropomorphic abstractions. The use of transparent or semi-transparent materials works, for me, as a veil: covering the truth, while at the same time, allowing one to see through the veil to get to the truth. I often use latex that is embedded with the colors red white and/or blue, which I think of as a skin and as a flag simultaneously, as if the flag is imprinted on us, in our skin. The forms themselves become the visual language that incorporates the written and the symbolic languages and transforms them into these "Surreal Environments" or mixed media objects.
*The American Know-Nothing Party was a secret American organization in the mid 1800's that was fearful of foreign and subversive influence. When asked about their secret political party, members replied, "I know nothing". While the know-nothings of the 1800’s eventually dispersed, this attitude was later adopted in the 1950's and was characterized by anti-intellectualism, exaggerated patriotism and fear of subversive influence.
kim litch : music that moves me
I have been making these types of drawings for years. Listening to music and drawing what I hear. I only recently made the connection that a lot of the music I listen to relates to many of the issues I am dealing with in my “i know nothing” series. Music, particularly any sort of “underground” movement, reflects society in it’s most rawest form; spitting lyrics into the faces of people across the globe and swaying us in a way that nothing else can. I hope to translate some of this into these drawings that I make as I listen to the music that makes me. This installation consists of 9 CD players that plays the one song that corresponds to the drawing that was made while listening to that song.
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cv :
kim litch : selected exhibitions (* solo shows)
• Crease. The Joint Collective, Sarasota, FL. 2009
• *Kim Litch: I know nothing. Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL. March/April 2008
• A PRIORI/PRIMA: Annual Ringling College Faculty Exhibitions. Selby Gallery, Sarasota, FL 2007, 2008, 2009
• A National View at Grandview. Atlanta Artist Center, Atlanta, Georgia, 2006
• Pfac Biennial 2006. Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA, 2006
• M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition. Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL, 2006
• *i know nothing. Solo Exhibition. Oglesby Gallery, Tallahassee, FL. 2006
• Exhibition for the Arts. 1212 Gallery, Richmond, VA. 2006
• Transitions. 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL. 2006
• Fluxuations. Ars Magna Gallery, Tallahassee, FL. 2006
• Viridian Artists XVI Annual Juried Exhibition. Viridian Gallery, Chelsea, New York, 2005, Juried by Robert Rosemblum: Curator:
Guggenheim
• A National View at Grandview. Atlanta Artist Center, Atlanta, GA, 2005, Juried by J. Bruce Bobick
• Conquered Mind, Awakened Spirit. Caladian Gallery, www.caladiangallery.com, 2005
• M.F.A. New Works. Red Door Gallery, Tallahassee, FL, 2005
• M.F.A Group Show. Progressive Center, Tallahassee, FL, 2005
• M.F.A 6 X 6 Auction. FSU Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL, 2004
• Members Only; ASL Group Show. 623 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL, 2004
• Armageddon. 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL, 2004
• 1st Annual FSU Sculpture Show. MFA Studio Exhibition Space, Tallahassee, FL, 2004
• Fresh Paint : New M.F.A. Works. MFA Studio Exhibition Space, Tallahassee, FL, 2004
• Big Art Show. Bellmar Art, Bellmar, NJ, 2001
• Local Artist Exhibition. Art Space, Milford, NJ, 1999
kim litch : awards / grants / publications
• Bradenton Herald Tribune, “Inspired expression”, by Su Byron, Style Section, April 8, 2008
• Arts & Culture Magazine, Sarasota Edition, Mar/Apr 2008. p. 22
• Best of Florida Artists and Artisans 2005, Rene Kennedy, Kennedy Promotions, 2005
• 2006 Sculpture Faculty Award
• Florida State University Technical Fellowship (tuition waiver for 2004/2005)
• Florida State University Teaching Fellowship (tuition waiver for 2005/2006 and teach 2 classes)
• Summa Cum Laude, Florida State University, 2006
• Cum Laude, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 1997
• Mason Gross Faculty Award, for outstanding academic and artistic achievement in photography, 1997
kim litch : artist workshops/lectures
• Iron Pour Demonstration, 2009. Master Craftsman, Tallahassee, FL
• Artist Talk Series, 2009. Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL
• Scratch Block and Iron Pour Demonstration, 2007. Performance Iron Guild, Sanford, FL
• Iron Pour Demonstration, 2007. Master Craftsman, Tallahassee, FL
• Mold Making and Iron Pour Demonstration, 2005. Inferno Bronze Foundry. Atlanta, GA
• Mold Making and Iron Pour Demonstration, 2005. Bellmont Art Center. Pensacola, FL
• Mold Making and Iron Pour Demonstration, 2005. Tannehill Ironworks State Park, McCalla, AL, 2005
• Scratch Block and Iron Pour Demonstration, 2005. Rail Road Square, Tallahassee, FL
kim litch : academic experience
• Full Time Visiting Faculty/Adjunct Faculty, 2007-present:
Bronze Sculpture, Ceramic Sculpture, Advanced Sculpture, 3D Design
2009 Summer Teen Studio, Sculpture
Ringling School of Art and Design. Sarasota, FL
• Adjunct Instructor, Graphic Design 1, 2007 (2 classes)
St. Petersburg College. Clearwater, FL
• Adjunct Instructor, Figure Drawing, 2007
Art Institute of Tampa. Tampa, FL
• Instructor of Record, 3D Design 2005, 2006
Florida State University. Tallahassee Florida, FL
• Sculpture Lab Technician, 2004, 2005
Florida State University. Tallahassee Florida, FL
kim litch : professional organizations
• eMerge, Sarasota, FL2009
• Bradentucky Bombers Roller Derby League, Board of Directors & Bout Coordinator, 2007-present
• International Sculpture Center, 2006-present
• The Contemporary, Atlanta, GA, 2005-2006
• League of Graduate Students, Florida State University, 2005, 2006
• Tallahassee Sculpture Club, Florida State University, 2006 (founding member)
• Graduate Artist Guild, Florida State University, 2004-2005, Vice President 2005
• Art Student’s League, Florida State University, 2004-2006
kim litch : related experience
• Independent Study with the Master Craftsman Program; Florida State University, 2005, 2006, Worked with Alternative Materials
including Latex, Rubber and Non-Toxic Plastics
• Art Director; NGC/CGC. (7/98-5/00 & 9/01-8/04) Sarasota, FL
• Graphic Designer; Vision Graphics. (5/00-9/01)
• Production; Showcase Publications. (9/97-7/98)
kim litch : education
• M.F.A. Studio Art. Sculpture, Installation, Mixed Media. Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL. Projected Graduation: June, 2006
• B.F.A. Studio Art. Photography & Sculpture. Mason Gross School of the Arts; Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ. May, 1997
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for more info email kim@kimlitchart.com
