 Liz Linder: Feeling Like Yourself Again, 2002 ink on rag paper, 11 x 14 inches Joan and Liz Linder Self Help Samson Projects is pleased to present the work of two sisters, Joan and Liz Linder, in their first-ever dual exhibit, "Self Help". Created independently of one another, "Self Help" is an exhibit of two series: the "Boyfriend Project", a series of photographs by Boston photographer, Liz Linder and "4th Floor East", a series of large-scale pen-and-ink drawings of female nudes by Joan Linder who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. These provocative and striking works explore close relationships, gender and power dynamics and the concept of self-help. Photographer Liz Linder, faced with a challenging relationship and a multitude of self-help resources that were emphatically unhelpful decided on a drastic measure: she shot her boyfriend. The result is "Boyfriend Project", a series of photographs exploring how people mirror each other in close relationships, how boundaries blur and how projection becomes a way of life. The boyfriend remains anonymous as his face is obscured by the activity in these photographs. The artist states: "... exploring this subject through the visual artifacts that I produced had a more visceral impact on how I dealt with the relationship than the shelves of self-help books, an array of classes, lectures... etc.".  Joan Linder: 4th Floor East (tied up fuchsia rope), 2004 ink on paper, 55.25 x 51.5 inches Joan Linder's "4th Floor East" are life-size female figures bound into awkward and challenging positions. The works explore a range of subjects and meanings, from aggressive passivity, to power, politics and conflict, oppression, rebellion and liberation. Like her sister's photographs of the boyfriend, Joan's intricate drawings also act as a catharsis for the artist as well as the viewer. One cannot help but question how we relate to ourselves and one another in intimate relationships. Joan is known for using representational imagery to give voice to her point of view of the world. Her work explores gender issues, systems of power, personal emotions and memory, architecture, and landscape. Her pen-and-ink drawings are often created on-site, and use perception as the basis for interpretation. Joan Linder earned her MFA from Columbia University and her BFA from Tufts University in affiliation with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, including Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, the Pollack-Krasner Foundation and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S., at places such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut and a number of galleries and museums in NYC, including White Columns, Exit Art, Art in General, the Queens Museum of Art, and Mixed Greens Gallery. Liz Linder's fine arts photography work is exhibited and collected throughout the U.S. and Europe. She is recognized for her exceptional ability to capture subjects in unique and essential ways - offering a fresh, creative way to see the obvious. Liz is an accomplished and versatile photographer with the conceptual sensibilities of a creative director. In her 20 years of experience taking pictures, Linder has worked with a wide variety of subjects, although she is perhaps best known as Boston's premier music and dance photographer. Her work has appeared in dozens of leading publications, including "Rolling Stone", "The New York Times", "People Magazine" and "Boston Magazine". Liz received her BA from Haverford College, and has studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the International Center of Photography in New York, and the Bezalel Academy of Art in Israel. Exhibition: May 5 - 29, 2005 Gallery hours: Tues-Sun 12 - 6 pm and by appointment Samson Projects 450 Harrison Avenue Storefront 63 USA-Boston, MA 02118 Telephone +1 617 357 7177 Fax +1 617 357 5559 Email samson@samsonprojects.com www.samsonprojects.com |
 |