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Jan 12, 04:12 pm

Personalities: Fantasy and Identity in Photography and New Media at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert, opening January 17th

Personalities: Fantasy and Identity in Photography and New Media

January 17 – May 3, 2015

Palm Springs Art Museum
101 Museum Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262

Using the diverse aesthetic traditions of portraiture as points of departure, this exhibition explores the representational power of photography from its origins in the nineteenth century to its digital forms in the present. Drawing from the museum’s permanent collection as well as on loan from artists and Private Collectors, Personalities emphasizes the unique characteristics of the photographic image to shape both the identity of a photographed sitter and a viewer’s sense of a subject’s persona. This exhibition examines how the careful art of the portrait can dive deeply into an individual’s soul, but can also be manipulated to create personalities that exist beyond the realms of the real.

From the moment it was invented, photography has been a source of popular fascination because of its ability to offer extraordinary representational accuracy. Yet photographers and sitters alike knew modifications could be made. Even in its earliest examples, photography was a potent tool that could alter the identity of a sitter, giving the subject status, beauty, fame, or the appearance of power… By the end of the century, conceptual photographic approaches showcased the medium’s ability to make fictions look like truth. Contemporary artists draw from these aesthetic histories, sometimes using digital formats. Work by Marina Abramovic, Zoe Crosher, Jen Davis, and Tomoko Sawada reveal identities to be unstable and rooted as much in history and social expectations as in personal self-imagining.

Please see more here

 
News & Events
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  2. The FLAG Art Foundation invites you to join us for the opening reception of The Swimmer, an expansive group exhibition inspired by John Cheever’s 1964 short story of the same name at The FLAG Art Foundation, on Thursday, June 6th, from 6-8pm. Posted June  5, 2024
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  6. Recent Acquisitions Zoe Crosher California Museum of Photography November 18, 2023 to March 30, 2024 Posted November 16, 2023
  7. The way Eve Babitz wrote about art in Los Angeles was art in itself, LA Times, December 21, 2021 by Christina Catherine Martinez Posted December 21, 2021
  8. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University acquires Prospecting Palm Frond Posted July  1, 2021
  9. Silver Art Projects Inaugural Evening Expo Thursday, May 6, 2021 | World Trade Center | New York City, NY Posted May  3, 2021
  10. In Auction: moCa Cleveland: Benefit Auction 2021 Posted May  3, 2021
  11. Prospecting Palm Fronds on cover of publication of To Bough and To Bend, Los Angeles, CA Posted December  9, 2020
  12. Announcing Participation in the Inaugural Silver Art 2020 Cohort, WTC / NYC Posted July 28, 2020
  13. Peralta Projects 'Motel' exhibition, discussion examines 'home' in an unprecedented era Opens on July 13, 2020 Posted July 10, 2020
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  15. Venice Family Clinic 50th Online Benefit Auction! May 3-19, 2020 on Artsy Posted May  5, 2020
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  17. To Bough and To Bend, opening today at Bridge Projects in Los Angeles from 12-7pm, through April 25, 2020 Posted March 14, 2020
  18. VIP Studio Visits at The Elizabeth Foundation of the Arts, Saturday, March 7, 2020 / 2–4 PM Posted March  6, 2020
  19. Mae Wested from the Disappearing of Michelle duBois in the Monica King Contemporary Art Grotto, New York, NY Posted February  1, 2020
  20. L.A. on Fire Catalogue available now Posted January 15, 2020
  21. Reading for Slouching Towards Los Angeles this Saturday, December 14th at Wilding Cran Gallery from 2-4pm Posted December 13, 2019
  22. Five more Out the Window (LAX) images acquired by LACMA Posted December  7, 2019
  23. Going Beyond the Photo-Archive The Significance of Fantasy and Photo-Reflexivity in Zoe Crosher’s The Michelle duBois Project, by Yonit Aronowicz Posted November 30, 2019
  24. Opening Saturday night! L.A. on Fire, curated by Michael Slenske at Wilding Cran Gallery Posted November 14, 2019
  25. Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Art Acquisitions and Gifts at Mead Art Museum, Amherst, MA, on view now through July 26, 2020 Posted October 18, 2019
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  27. On the occasion of @nyrbooks release of a new collection of essays by #EveBabitz this week... Posted October 11, 2019
  28. Zoe Crosher in The Watermill Auction, The Hamptons, July 27, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019
  29. Prospecting Palm Fronds published in new issue of Full Blede / Issue Seven: The Continuant January 2019 Posted January 18, 2019
  30. Please Support the 24th Annual Artwalk NY Coalition for the Homeless, Nov 27, 2018 Posted November 27, 2018
  31. Wildfires and Dead Palm Trees Haunt the L.A. Dream in Zoe Crosher’s New Show | Seen | New York Mag | Nov 17, 2018 Posted November 20, 2018
  32. An Artist Talk with Zoe Crosher this Saturday, November 10th at 2 p.m. at Patrick Painter, Inc. Posted November  7, 2018
  33. Zoe Crosher's "Sunlight as Spotlight" opens at Patrick Painter on October 19th Posted October 10, 2018
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  35. LA Times Review: As planes take flight at LAX, two photographers find a darker reality below in 'Grounded' at ESMoA, Aug 3, 2018 Posted August  3, 2018
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  44. Zoe Crosher to judge 2018 Golden Pear Award, designed to raise interest & awareness for independent & artisan perfumers ~ London, April 2018 Posted February  1, 2018
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  53. Zoe Crosher is Artist-in-Residence at Marble House Project in Dorset, VT Posted June 20, 2017
  54. Art Seed Artist Talk at the Marble House Project Posted June 20, 2017
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  57. Zoe Crosher in Residence for 2017 at the Wende Museum, a collections-based research and education institute that preserves Cold War artifacts and history. Posted May 11, 2017
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  62. SUPERNATURE, Organized by Zoe Crosher & Emma Gray at Five Car Garage Los Angeles, CA, January 2018 Posted February 16, 2017
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  72. Zoe Crosher "The New LA-LIKE" at Mayeur Projects, Las Vegas, New Mexico, Opening Night June 23rd Posted June  9, 2016
  73. "Madame Electrics," curated by Shana Lutker, at The Pit, Los Angeles, June 12th Posted June  5, 2016
  74. LA-LIKE: Transgressing the Pacific, by Kate Sutton for Bookforum Posted June  1, 2016
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  81. Mae Wested no. 1 to become part of Pérez Art Museum Collection, Miami, Florida Posted April 14, 2016
  82. Memory Theater, Directed by Srijon Chowdhury, Presented by Upfor, opening April 13th, Portland, Oregon Posted April 10, 2016
  83. MTV RE:DEFINE 2016, Presented by The Joule, Dallas, Texas, April 8th with the Michael Goss Foundation Posted April  4, 2016
  84. Shades of Gray by Andrew Berardini, reading at Human Resources, Los Angeles, April 1st Posted March 29, 2016
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  88. Mayeur Projects Inaugural Artist-In-Residency Zoe Crosher, Las Vegas, NM, March 17 - May 14th Posted February 16, 2016
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  90. Book Release for LA-LIKE: Transgressing The Pacific at LA Art Book Fair, MOCA Geffen Contemporary, Los Angeles, February 12th Posted February  8, 2016
  91. Artist: Zoe Crosher, by Caroline Ryder for Distinct Daily Posted February  3, 2016
  92. LA-LIKE: Transgressing The Pacific, published by Hesse Press, 2016 now available Posted February  1, 2016
  93. Art House at Soho House Hollywood, curated by Sharón Zoldan, February 1st Posted January 28, 2016
  94. photo l.a. panel discussion, January 22nd, 2016 at The REEF/LA Mart, Los Angeles Posted January 18, 2016
  95. Announcing the publication of LA-LIKE: Transgressing The Pacific, published by Hesse Press, 2016 Posted January  8, 2016
  96. Mayeur Projects Announces Inaugural Artist in Residence - Zoe Crosher, March 2016, Las Vegas, New Mexico Posted December 14, 2015
  97. The Fainting Club Holiday Party in Los Angeles, December 11th Posted December 11, 2015
  98. Los Angeles County Museum Of Art to acquire work from Out The Window (LAX) Series Posted November 29, 2015
  99. LAXART's 10th Anniversary Benefit, November 15th, Los Angeles Posted November 13, 2015
  100. The Fainting Club Dinner in Syracuse, New York, November 15th Posted November 12, 2015
Projects
  • The New LA-LIKE
    1. LA-LIKE: Sunlight As Spotlight
    2. LA-LIKE: Prospecting Palm Fronds
    3. LA-LIKE: Escaped Exotics
    4. LA-LIKE: Transgressing the Pacific
    5. LA-LIKE: LA Imaginary As Unlit Lightboxes
    6. LA-LIKE: Fools Gold Dust (Mimic) Paintings
    7. LA-LIKE: Day For Night (or Sunlight As Spotlight)
    8. The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project, in conjunction with LAND
    9. LA-LIKE: Mirage
    10. Shangri-LA'd & Expanded Shangri-LA'd
    11. LA-LIKE: Composition I-10, Desert Center
    12. The Manifest Destiny Billboard Perfume
    13. LA Disappearing Frond-Like
    14. LA-LIKE: Transgressing the Pacific, Dessert Concepts & Recipes
    15. For An Evening with Eve Babitz, at the Chateau Marmont
    16. Tear Sheet Posters
    17. LA-LIKE (LOST)
    18. LA-LIKE: LAXART Billboard
    19. The Pools I Shot
    20. LA-LIKE
  • The Michelle duBois Project
    1. The Uniqued Series
    2. The Additive Dust Series
    3. Mae Wested
    4. The Disbanding of Michelle duBois
    5. The Vanishing of Michelle duBois
    6. The Disappearing of Michelle duBois
    7. The Other Disappeared Nurse
    8. Silhouetted
    9. All Her Shadows
    10. Blackened Last Four Days & Nights in Tokyo
    11. Almost the Same
    12. The Unveiling of Michelle duBois
    13. The Unraveling of Michelle duBois
    14. Posed Postcards
    15. Polaroided
    16. The Reconsidered Archive of Michelle duBois
    17. Obfuscated
  • The Santa Cruz Kids
  • Out The Window (LAX)
  • The Fainting Club
    1. The Fainting Club (London)
    2. The Fainting Club (New York)
    3. The Fainting Club (Los Angeles)
    4. The Fainting Club (More Cities)
    5. The Fainting Club (About)
  • –
  • Publications
    1. LA-LIKE: Escaped Exotics / The Bronzed Blossoms of Madame, published by X Artists' Books
    2. The Good & The Glamorous, A Memoir of Misremembering & The Cold War
    3. LA-LIKE: Transgressing the Pacific, Published by Hesse Presse, Los Angeles, CA - Spring 2016 (Sold Out)
    4. Both Sides of Sunset: Photographing Los Angeles (May 2015) Published by Metropolis Books
    5. Forthcoming: The Re-duBois Book
    6. Returning to Berlin / Publication curated by Kim Schoen - Motto, Berlin (August 2013)
    7. Why Art Photography? by Lucy Soutter (2013) Published by Routelage
    8. Volume 4: The Disappearance of Michelle duBois, aka *Mitchi* (Fall 2012) Published by Aperture Ideas
    9. Volume 3: The Unveiling of Michelle duBois, aka *Cricket* (Spring 2012) Published by Aperture Ideas
    10. Volume 2: The Unraveling of Michelle duBois, aka *Alice Johnson* (Fall 2011) Published by Aperture Ideas
    11. Volume 1: The Reconsidered Archive of Michelle duBois, aka *Kathy* (Spring 2011) Published by Aperture Ideas
    12. Out the Window (LAX) with essays by Norman Klein, Pico Iyer, & Julian Meyers (2007)
    13. NTNTNT (2004)
    14. L.A. Now: Volume One, Published by Art Center College of Design, August 2002