Andrea Zittel
Encyclopedia
Andrea Zittel is an American practicing sculptor, installation art
ist, and Relational art
ist.
in 1965, Zittel graduated from San Pasqual High School
in 1983. Zittel received a BFA in painting and sculpture from San Diego State University
in 1988, and an MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design
in 1990.
X, Kassel (1997).
In 1999, the Public Art Fund
commissioned Zittel to create a site-specific project for New York’s Central Park
. Point of Interest, located at the southeast entrance to the park, comprised two giant, faux rocks—constructed from steel armatures covered in concrete—emerging from the ground. The installation served as a reminder that the park is a meticulously planned natural environment, while providing visitors with an alternative to the typical park bench
. That same year Zittel created A-Z Pocket Property, a 44-ton floating concrete island anchored off the coast of Denmark, which was commissioned by the Danish government. The artist lived on the “fantasy island” for one month as an experiment in escapism and isolation.
By 2000, Zittel's ongoing project had been relocated from Brooklyn NY to a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) parcel in the California desert. At “A-Z West” she continued an investigation into contemporary perceptions of freedom and personal liberation. The original pioneering spirit of the "frontier" considered autonomy and self-sufficiency as prerequisites of personal freedom. Zittel wanted to explore how perceptions of freedom have been re-adapted for contemporary living. It was her theory that personal liberation "is now achieved through individual attempts to slip between the cracks". Instead of building big ranches and permanent homesteads, today's independence seekers prefer small portable structures, which evade the regulatory control of bureaucratic restrictions such as building and safety codes. Much of her work reflects qualities that she feels create independence for the owner and user such as compactness, adaptability and transportability. Zittel found that despite moving to the desert to be alone, she ended up doing many social and public projects. At the core of the project, she found that she had always wanted to start a commune, but couldn't find others to join her til then. Zittel has been the focus of many critical studies in recent years, such as Anna Novakov
's essay on her A-Z Travel Units.
Zittel was included in 2006 and in the 2004 Whitney Biennial
.
Her work Indianapolis Island is part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
's 100 Acre Park, which opened in 2010.
, Hamburg (1999), and her solo 1991-2005 career retrospective "Andrea Zittel: Critical Space" was exhibited at the following in stitutions: Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
(2005), the New Museum of Contemporary Art
, New York (2006), The Albright-Knox Art Gallery
in Buffalo (2006), Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (2007), and the Vancouver Art Gallery
(2007).
, 29 Palms and Wonder Valley. These sites provide alternative space for experimental works by both emerging and established artists.
In 2006, she was appointed faculty at the Roski School of Fine Arts at the University of Southern California
. Since then she has continued to commute between the High Desert and Los Angeles. In 2007, her public project the "smockshop" was unveiled.
's Lucelia Artist Award.
Zittel currently lives in California
and New York
and is represented by Andrea Rosen Gallery and Sadie Coles HQ
.
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
ist, and Relational art
Relational Art
Relational art or relational aesthetics is a mode or tendency in fine art practice originally observed and highlighted by French art critic Nicolas Bourriaud...
ist.
Early Life
Born in Escondido, CaliforniaEscondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
in 1965, Zittel graduated from San Pasqual High School
San Pasqual High School
San Pasqual High School is a public high school in Escondido, California. It is named after the nearby San Pasqual Valley. It is within the Escondido Union School District.-Teams:...
in 1983. Zittel received a BFA in painting and sculpture from San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
in 1988, and an MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
in 1990.
Beginnings
In the early 1990s, Andrea Zittel began making art in response to her own surroundings and daily routines, creating functional objects that fulfilled the artist’s needs relating to shelter, food, furniture, and clothing. She produced her first “Living Unit”--an experimental structure intended to reduce everything necessary for living into a simple, compact system—as a means of facilitating basic activities within her 200 square feet (18.6 m²) Brooklyn storefront apartment. In order to make customized “Living Units” and other usable artworks available to contemporary consumers, Zittel launched the one-woman corporation, A-Z Administrative Services. While some of her modernist-inspired products were designed with the intention of making daily routines easy and efficient, others, such as the pod-like “Escape Vehicles,” appealed to fantasies of isolating oneself from the outside world.Work
Her work was included in Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art at the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, and she was featured on documentaDocumenta
documenta is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. It was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau which took place in Kassel at that time...
X, Kassel (1997).
In 1999, the Public Art Fund
Public Art Fund
The Public Art Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 by Doris Freedman , a Director of New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs, and the President of the Municipal Art Society. They have organized highly visible artists' projects, new commissions, installations and exhibitions in...
commissioned Zittel to create a site-specific project for New York’s Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. Point of Interest, located at the southeast entrance to the park, comprised two giant, faux rocks—constructed from steel armatures covered in concrete—emerging from the ground. The installation served as a reminder that the park is a meticulously planned natural environment, while providing visitors with an alternative to the typical park bench
Bench (furniture)
A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
. That same year Zittel created A-Z Pocket Property, a 44-ton floating concrete island anchored off the coast of Denmark, which was commissioned by the Danish government. The artist lived on the “fantasy island” for one month as an experiment in escapism and isolation.
By 2000, Zittel's ongoing project had been relocated from Brooklyn NY to a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) parcel in the California desert. At “A-Z West” she continued an investigation into contemporary perceptions of freedom and personal liberation. The original pioneering spirit of the "frontier" considered autonomy and self-sufficiency as prerequisites of personal freedom. Zittel wanted to explore how perceptions of freedom have been re-adapted for contemporary living. It was her theory that personal liberation "is now achieved through individual attempts to slip between the cracks". Instead of building big ranches and permanent homesteads, today's independence seekers prefer small portable structures, which evade the regulatory control of bureaucratic restrictions such as building and safety codes. Much of her work reflects qualities that she feels create independence for the owner and user such as compactness, adaptability and transportability. Zittel found that despite moving to the desert to be alone, she ended up doing many social and public projects. At the core of the project, she found that she had always wanted to start a commune, but couldn't find others to join her til then. Zittel has been the focus of many critical studies in recent years, such as Anna Novakov
Anna Novakov
Anna Novakov is a Serbian-American art historian, critic, educator and curator based at Saint Mary's College of California. A prolific writer, Novakov has received numerous awards and grants for her research and art criticism...
's essay on her A-Z Travel Units.
Zittel was included in 2006 and in the 2004 Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
.
Her work Indianapolis Island is part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum, which underwent a $74 million expansion in 2005, is located on a campus on the near northwest area outside downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery.The...
's 100 Acre Park, which opened in 2010.
Solo Exhibitions
Zittel had solo exhibitions at the DeichtorhallenDeichtorhallen
Deichtorhallen, in Hamburg, is one of Europe's largest art centers for contemporary art and photography. The two historical buildings dating from 1911-13 are iconic in style, with their open steel-and-glass structures. It's architecture creates a backdrop for spectacular major international...
, Hamburg (1999), and her solo 1991-2005 career retrospective "Andrea Zittel: Critical Space" was exhibited at the following in stitutions: Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
The Contemporary Arts Museum – Houston is a not-for-profit institution in Houston, Texas, dedicated to presenting the contemporary art of our time to the public....
(2005), the New Museum of Contemporary Art
New Museum of Contemporary Art
The New Museum, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is the only museum in New York City exclusively devoted to presenting contemporary art from around the world...
, New York (2006), The Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is an art museum located in Delaware Park in Buffalo, New York. The gallery is a major showplace for modern art and contemporary art. It is located directly across the street from Buffalo State College.-History:...
in Buffalo (2006), Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (2007), and the Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver Art Gallery
The Vancouver Art Gallery is the fifth-largest art gallery in Canada and the largest in Western Canada. It is located at 750 Hornby Street in Vancouver, British Columbia...
(2007).
Jobs
Zittel is a co-organizer of a project called High Desert Test Sites along with Shaun Caley Regen, Lisa Anne Auerbach, Andy Stillpass and John Conelly. High Desert Test Sites are a series of experimental art sites located along a stretch of desert communities including Pioneer town, Yucca Valley, Joshua treeJoshua 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....
, 29 Palms and Wonder Valley. These sites provide alternative space for experimental works by both emerging and established artists.
In 2006, she was appointed faculty at the Roski School of Fine Arts at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Since then she has continued to commute between the High Desert and Los Angeles. In 2007, her public project the "smockshop" was unveiled.
Awards
In 2005 she received the Smithsonian American Art MuseumSmithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
's Lucelia Artist Award.
Zittel currently lives in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and is represented by Andrea Rosen Gallery and Sadie Coles HQ
Sadie Coles HQ
Sadie Coles HQ is contemporary art gallery in London, England, owned and directed by Sadie Coles.Sadie Coles first worked as a gallery director for Anthony d'Offay....
.
External links
- Official website
- Biography, interviews, essays, artwork images and video clips from PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series Art:21 -- Art in the Twenty-First CenturyArt21Art:21 - Art in the 21st Century is a PBS series, educational resource, archive, and history of contemporary art. It premiered in 2001, and is now broadcast in over 50 countries worldwide. Premiering a new season every two years, Art:21 is the only series on United States television to focus...
- Season 1 (2001). - NY Times Review
- Interview: Andrea Zittel in conversation with Allan McCollumAllan McCollumAllan McCollum is a contemporary American artist who was born in Los Angeles, California in 1944, and now lives and works in New York City. He has spent over forty years exploring how objects achieve public and personal meaning in a world constituted in mass production, focusing most recently on...
- http://fillip.ca/content/where-art-meets-designReview of Zittel exhibit at the Vancouver Art GalleryVancouver Art GalleryThe Vancouver Art Gallery is the fifth-largest art gallery in Canada and the largest in Western Canada. It is located at 750 Hornby Street in Vancouver, British Columbia...
by Lisa Marshall in FillipFillipFillip is a Vancouver-based contemporary art publishing organization formed in 2004. It publishes a magazine as well as books of critical writing...
] - Andrea Zittel at Regen Projects
- Andrea Zittel at Sprüth Magers Berlin LondonSprüth Magers Berlin LondonSprüth Magers is a commerical art gallery owned by Monika Spüth and Philomene Magers, with spaces in London and Berlin, representing such artists including Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Andreas Gursky, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Rosemarie Trockel...