AYSK (Number 1)

Or "Artist You Should Know" (in case you're not hip to the lingo quite yet.) I have chosen this particular artist because she is one my absolute favorites. So much of contemporary art seems to exist only to cause a stir--to be "avant-garde." This artist, on the other hand, actually thinks about her art and her cause is to examine much more that current political, social, or personal issues. Without further ado...AYSK #1 is... (drum roll please...)

Janine Antoni

Mini-Bio: Born in the Bahamas in 1964. BA from Sarah Lawrence and MFA from RISD.
What Kind of Art?: Process art. Performance art. Body art. Sculpture. Installation.
Examples of her Work:

"Slumber"
2000

"Loving Care"
1993

"Lick and Lather," detail
1993
7 soap and 7 chocolate self-portrait busts, 24 x 16 x 13 inches each

Each of these artworks deals with the body, the process of creation, and the cyclical nature of life. It also deals with many issues relating to women and contemporary standards of beauty. Every piece that Antoni creates is unique--with intricate details and choices--yet somehow related to her greater body of work--work dedicated to examining human existence, human relationship to the outside world and vice versa.

For more on her and her work, please visit:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janine_Antoni
• http://www.luhringaugustine.com/index.php?mode=artists&object_id=64
• http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/antoni/index.html

Hope you begin to enjoy Janine Antoni's work as much as me!