Kim Stringfellow (born 1963) is an American artist, educator, and photographer based out of
Joshua Tree
''Yucca brevifolia'' is a plant species belonging to the genus ''Yucca''. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca.
This monocotyledonous tree is native to the ar ...
, California. She is an
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
at the
San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
School of Art, Design, and Art History. Stringfellow has made transmedia documentaries of landscape and the economic effects of environmental issues on humans and habitat. Stringfellow's photographic and multimedia projects engage human/landscape interactions and explore the interrelation of the global and the local.
Biography
Stringfellow received her
Bachelor of Fine Arts
A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases.
Background
The Bachelor ...
from the
Academy of Art College
The Academy of Art University (AAU or ART U), formerly Academy of Art College and Richard Stephens Academy of Art, is a private for-profit art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded as the Academy of Advertising Art by Richard S. ...
in San Francisco in 1988. In the year 2000, Stringfellow received her MFA from the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the museum and ...
. She became an
assistant professor
Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada.
Overview
This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and general ...
at San Diego State's School of Art, Design, and Art History in 2001 where she was promoted in 2018 to
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
with tenure at
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
.
A collection of her photographs entitled ''Photographic Constructions'', were exhibited at the Morphos Gallery in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in 1994. The collection explored personal narratives and addressed
spirituality
The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...
and feminist issues through
art history
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
. Among her earliest environmentally-based endeavors include Stringfellow's taking part in ''Salmoncity.net'', a web-based piece of art commissioned by the Seattle Arts Commission in response to the
ESA
, owners =
, headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France
, coordinates =
, spaceport = Guiana Space Centre
, seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png
, seal_size = 130px
, image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...
listing of the Puget Sound Chinook salmon as regionally threatened.
Works
The Charmed Horizon
"The Charmed Horizon" was inspired by excerpts from the 19th century French writer, Lautreamont's ''
Les Chants de Maldoror
''Les Chants de Maldoror'' (''The Songs of Maldoror'') is a French poetic novel, or a long prose poem. It was written and published between 1868 and 1869 by the Comte de Lautréamont, the ''nom de plume'' of the Uruguayan-born French writer Isid ...
.'' The project's purpose was to examine human
desire
Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", "wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of aff ...
and other emotive issues. Its website was selected as Best Art-Related Site at the 2nd Annual
South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
Interactive Web Competitiond in 2019 and was included in the Seventh New York Digital Salon at the
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
.
''The Mojave Project''
''The Mojave Project'' is a
transmedia
Transmedia storytelling (also known as transmedia narrative or multiplatform storytelling) is the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies.
From a producti ...
piece that explores the physical and cultural landscape of the
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...
. This piece began in 2013 and exhibited in Fall of 2018. This project features themes such as Desert as Wasteland,
Geological Time
The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relating strata to time) and geochronol ...
vs. Human Time, Sacrifice and Exploitation, Danger and Consequence, Space and Perception, Mobility and Movement, Desert as Staging ground and Transportation and Reinvention.''The Mojave Project'' was awarded a Curatorial Projects Fellowship from The
Andy Warhol Foundation
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
for the Visual Arts in 2017.
''Invisible 5''
''Invisible-5'' is a project created by Stringfellow,
Amy Balkin
Amy Balkin is an American artist who studied at Stanford University and is now located in San Francisco. Her work "combines cross-disciplinary research and social critique to generate ambitious, bold, and innovative ways of conceiving the public ...
, and Tim Halbur which uses the methods of a self-guided art gallery tour to provide a self-guided tour of the portion of
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
between
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
./sup> Balkin and Stringfellow launched it in 2006./sup> Its goal is make people who "create a romantic
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
" by "mentally blotting out" the parts which don't conform to that ideal take the time to see the places they usually ignore./sup>
''Jackrabbit Homestead''
A book, downloadable
audio tour
An audio tour or audio guide provides a recorded spoken commentary, normally through a handheld device, to a visitor attraction such as a museum. They are also available for self-guided tours of outdoor locations, or as a part of an organised to ...
and website comprise Stringfellow's multimedia project ''Jackrabbit Homestead''.0/sup> The project examines the legacy of the Small Tract Act of 1938 in the
Morongo Basin
The Morongo Basin is an endorheic basin and valley region located in eastern San Bernardino County, in Southern California.
The Morongo basin is part of the Inland Empire region, and is considered to be the easternmost portion of the Greater Lo ...
. It was made possible by a
grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
*Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
*Grant, Inyo County, C ...
from the California Council for the Humanities. The book, ''Jackrabbit Homestead: Tracing the Small Tract Act in the Southern California Landscape, 1938–2008'', was published in December 2009 by the Center for American Places. It includes photography and writing by Stringfellow as well as historical illustration.
''Greetings from the Salton Sea''
''Greetings from the Salton Sea'' is a project created by Stringfellow, including photography by her and documenting the history of the
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline body of water in Riverside and Imperial counties at the southern end of the U.S. state of California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the Salton Trough that stretches to the Gulf o ...
, California's largest inland body of water./sup> It consists of a book, exhibition, and website./sup> It calls attention to the issue of whether or not it is artificial and suggests possible solutions to the
ecological
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
and
socioeconomic
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local ...
issues surrounding Salton Sea. The book, ''Greetings from the Salton Sea: Folly and Intervention in the Southern California Landscape, 1905–2005'', was first published in 2005 by the Center for American Places. The book's publication was in part funded by a loan from the
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts
The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit that “fosters the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. The Graham realize ...
.
''Safe as Mothers Milk''
''Safe as Mother's Milk'' is a multimedia project that examines the history of the
Hanford Nuclear Reservation
The Hanford Site is a decommissioned nuclear production complex operated by the United States federal government on the Columbia River in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The site h ...
. It was commissioned by Adrian Van Egmond for the
Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914.
History
Cornish College of the Arts was founded in 1914 as the Cornish School of Music, by Nellie Cornish (1876–1956), a teacher of pi ...
Art + Activism Visiting Artist series in 2002. /sup> Stringfellow explores the Hanford and its history, calling attention to events of unplanned and planned releases of
radioactive material
A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transfer ...
in the atmosphere while producing
plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...
for the U.S. nuclear arsenal. This project serves as an exploration of the area in hopes to educate Hanford's uninformed public on the releasing of radioactive materials during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
era.
''There It Is – Take It!''
''There It Is – Take It!'' is a self-guided audio tour that takes the listener through Owens Valley California, which launched in October 2012. This project explores political social and environmental contexts of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system and relates to its history, present and future. This piece features a combination of audio, interviews and music that take the listener through a guided tour along the landscape and builds a relationship between
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and the Owens Valley.
Publications
*''Greetings from the Salton Sea: Folly and Intervention in the Southern California Landscape, 1905–2005.'' Santa Fe, NM: Center for American Places, 2005. .
**Second edition. Chicago: The Center for American Places at Columbia College Chicago, 2011. .
*''Jackrabbit Homestead: Tracing the Small Tract Act in the Southern California Landscape, 1938–2008.'' Chicago: Center for American places at Columbia College, 2009. .
Awards
*2012: Theo Westenberger Award for Artistic Excellence, Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA
*2015:
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
from the
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been ...
*2016: Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Curatorial Fellowship
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
*''Greetings from the Salton Sea'',
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is an independent, not-for-profit contemporary art museum and performing arts complex located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States.
*''Jackrabbit Homestead'',
UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
The UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is a graduate professional school on the campus of University of California, Berkeley. It is among the top graduate journalism schools in the United States, and is designed to produce journalists wi ...
Center for Photography, 2009
*Santa Fe Art Institute 2011
*''Jackrabbit Homestead'',
Autry Museum of the American West
The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including le ...
, September 2014 – August 2015
*''Made in the Mojave'', Museum of Art and History, May 13, 2017
*''Made in the Mojave'',
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
Located in Hollywood, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) is a nonprofit exhibition space and archive of the visual arts for the city of Los Angeles, California, United States, currently under the leadership of Sarah Russin.
History
In t ...
, 2018
Exhibitions with others
*''Invisible-5'', Cubitt Gallery,
Cubitt Artists
Cubitt Artists is a British artist-run art gallery, artist studios and art educator, founded in 1991. Cubitt was first located in Goods Way in London's Kings Cross area, moved to Cubitt Street (from which it takes its current name), later to ...
, London. With
Amy Balkin
Amy Balkin is an American artist who studied at Stanford University and is now located in San Francisco. Her work "combines cross-disciplinary research and social critique to generate ambitious, bold, and innovative ways of conceiving the public ...
and Tim Halbur.
Group exhibitions
*''Ecotopia: The Second Triennial of Photography and Video'',
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography (ICP), at 79 Essex Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, consists of a museum for photography and visual culture and a school offering an array of educational courses and programming. ...
, New York, September 2006 – January 2007 included ''Greetings from the Salton Sea''
*''The Salton Sea: Lost in Paradise'', Marks Art Center, March–April 2016
*''Desert Waters'', Marks Art Center, February–April 2017
Collections
Stringfellow's work is held in the following permanent collection:
*
Nevada Museum of Art The Nevada Museum of Art, is an art museum in Reno, Nevada.
Located at 160 West Liberty Street in Reno, it is the only American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accredited art museum in the state of Nevada. The museum has chosen a thematic approach, placi ...