Tuesday TAlks: Janine Antoni
In place of our fall 2020 exhibitions, Mazmanian Gallery presented a series of remote lectures by artists and designers speaking about their work and creative practices. Janine Antoni spoke on September 29th, 2020.
Janine Antoni is a visual artist who who is known for her unusual processes. Her body is both her tool for making and the source from which her meaning arises. Antoni’s early work transformed materials like chocolate and soap and used everyday activities like bathing, eating, and sleeping as sculptural processes. She carefully articulates her relationship to the world, giving rise to emotional states that are felt in and through the senses. In each piece, no matter the medium or image, a conveyed physicality speaks directly to the viewer’s body.
Janine Antoni talking about "Loving Care" Pictured: Performance documentation of "Loving Care," 1993, Performance with Loving Care hair dye, Natural Black
Janine Antoni talking about "Lick and Lather" Pictured: "Lick and Lather," 1993, Seven licked chocolate self-portrait busts and seven washed soap self-portrait busts on fourteen pedestals
Janine Antoni talking about "Gnaw" Pictured: Detail of "Gnaw," 1992, 600 lb chocolate cube and 600 lb lard cube gnawed by the artist, 27 heart-shaped packages of chocolate made from chewed chocolate removed from chocolate cube and 130 lipsticks made with pigment, beeswax, and chewed lard removed from lard cube
Janine Antoni talking about "Gnaw" Pictured: Detail of "Gnaw," 1992, 600 lb chocolate cube and 600 lb lard cube gnawed by the artist, 27 heart-shaped packages of chocolate made from chewed chocolate removed from chocolate cube and 130 lipsticks made with pigment, beeswax, and chewed lard removed from lard cube
Janine Antoni talking about "If I Die Before I Wake" Pictured: "If I Die Before I Wake" (mother's hand meets daughter's hand in prayer), 2004, Porcelain nightlight with electrical fixture
Janine Antoni talking about "Conduit" Pictured: Detail of "Conduit," 2009, Copper sculpture with urine verdigris patina, framed digital C-print
For more information about the artist visit Janine Antoni’s website.