VALS Fall 2012Pratt Institute Department of Fine Arts recently announced lectures by five renowned artists as part of the fall 2012 Visiting Artist Lecture Series, from 12:45 to 1:45 PM, Tuesdays, in the Engineering Building, Room 307, on Pratt's Brooklyn campus. Bryan Zanisnik, Phoebe Washburn, Zoe Strauss, Rashaad Newsome, and Dora and Maja will speak to the Pratt community about their influences, artwork, and careers. The lectures are free and open to the public.
 
The fall 2012 Pratt Visiting Artist Lecture Series is organized by the Department of Fine Arts in the School of Art and Design at Pratt Institute to welcome nationally and internationally recognized fine artists to share their experiences with the Pratt community. Please see below for this semester's line-up, followed by more information on each of these acclaimed artists:
 
September 25, 2012 — Bryan Zanisnik
October 30, 2012 — Phoebe Washburn
November 20, 2012 — Zoe Strauss
November 27, 2012 — Rashaad Newsome
December 4, 2012 — Dora and Maja

 
Bryan Zanisnik on September 25, 2012
Brooklyn-based artist Bryan Zanisnik's installation and performance art focus on family, memory, and masculinity. Currently, Zanisnik is exhibiting in a solo show, titled “The Ineluctable Modality,” at Aspect Ratio in Chicago. Additional recent solo shows of his include “Every Inch a Man” at Abrons Art Center in New York, and “Weekend Warrior” at Futura Centre for Contemporary Art in the Czech Republic. Zanisnik has exhibited works in many international venues, notably, the Guangdong Times Museum in Guangzhou, China; Kunsthalle Exnergasse in Vienna, Austria; the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, Poland; and in an upcoming show at Ten Haaf Projects in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His installation and performative work has been featured in The New York Times, Art in America, Artforum, ARTnews, Artnet Magazine, Time Out New York, and New York magazine, among others. Zanisnik received a bachelor of arts degree from Drew University, New Jersey, and a master of fine arts degree from Hunter College, New York.
 
Phoebe Washburn on October 30, 2012
New York-based artist Phoebe Washburn creates large-scale architectural installations by amassing together cardboard, wood planks, and other varied building materials. Currently, Washburn is exhibiting in a solo show, titled “Phoebe Washburn: Nudes, Housed Within Their Own Clothes and Aware of Their Individual Thirst, Descending a Staircase” at the National Academy Museum, New York. Additional recent solo shows of hers include “Nunderwater Nort Lab” at Zach Feuer Gallery and “Temperatures in a Lab of Superior Specialness” at Mary Boone Gallery, both in New York. Washburn has exhibited works in many international venues, notably, the Kestnergesellschaft in Hannover, Germany; Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, Germany; Lerimonti Gallery in Milan, Italy; and in an upcoming show at Kunsthallen Brandts in Odense, Denmark. Her installation work has been featured in Art in America, The New York Times, Artforum, ARTnews, L Magazine, and New York magazine, among others. Washburn received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Newcomb College, New Orleans, and a master of fine arts degree from the School of Visual Arts, New York.
 
Zoe Strauss on November 20, 2012
Philadelphia-based artist Zoe Strauss puts together citywide photographic installations of portraits that cross class lines and depict highly emotional human content. Recent solo exhibitions of hers include a mid-career retrospective, titled “Zoe Strauss: Ten Years,” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, and “I-95: A Slideshow” at Bruce Silverstein Gallery in New York. Strauss was included in the 2006 Whitney Biennial, the only artist representing Philadelphia. Her installation work has been featured in Art in America, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Strauss is a self-taught artist who was the first in her family to graduate from high school.
 
Rashaad Newsome on November 27, 2012
The art practice of New York-based Rashaad Newsome merges together video, performance, collage, and sculpture, all the while working with ideas of pageantry and dance tradition in hip-hop culture. Newsome's recent solo shows include “Converge” at the McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte, North Carolina; “Rashaad Newsome: Herald” at Marlborough Chelsea in New York; and an upcoming show, titled “Rashaad Newsome: King of Arms,” at the New Orleans Museum of Art in New Orleans. Newsome has exhibited works in many international venues, notably, Galerie Stadtpark in Krems, Austria; ar/ge Kunst Galerie Museum in Bolzano, Italy; and the Centre national d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou in Paris, France. His multimedia work has been featured in Art in America, The New Yorker, Artforum, Art Daily, Artinfo, and Artnet, among others. Newsome received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Tulane University, New Orleans, and studied at Film/Video Arts Inc., New York.

Dora and Maja on December 4, 2012
Croatian-born artist duo Dora and Maja merge together digital media, sculptural installation, and performance to explore a psychological dependence on commercial and digital culture. Currently, Dora Budor and Maja Cule work in New York. Dora and Maja's recent solo shows include “MemoryFoam”at Spring Break Art Show in New York, and “Universal Appeal”at CEO Gallery in Sweden. Dora and Maja have exhibited works in many international venues, notably, Performing New Europe in Salzburg, Austria; Elaine in Basel, Switzerland; and upcoming shows at Tanzfabrik in Berlin, Germany, and BIT Teatergarasjen in Bergen, Norway. Their work has been featured in Modern Painters, Wallpaper*, Print, and Artinfo, among others. Dora and Maja received a master of arts in design degree from the University of Zagreb, Croatia, and a master of fine arts degree from the School of Visual Arts, New York, respectively.
 
From left to right: Rashaad Newsome, Blazon, 2011, collage in customized antique frame, 90″ x 49″ x 11 1/2″; Dora and Maja, Untitled With Juicy, 2011, c-print 60″ x 30″; Phoebe Washburn, Nunderwater Nort Lab, 2011, installation view, Zach Feuer Gallery, mixed media, overall dimensions variable. Photo credits from left to right: Courtesy of the artist; courtesy of the artist; courtesy of Zach Feuer Gallery.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Unver at 718-230-6847 or kunver@pratt.edu