‘Perceive Me’ an Artist Talk in Celebration of Women’s History Month

Kristine Schomaker’s ‘Perceive Me’ is a contribution toward self-growth. Engaging the art community to create this installation is a giant step forward in the trajectory of her ongoing personal exploration through performance. With ‘Perceive Me’ she asks, Who are we in the eyes of other people? Does it matter? Should it matter? Why do we take other people’s opinions of ourselves so seriously? Do we even know what other people perceive when they look at us? Why should we care? By baring her body, she is forcing people to confront their own biases, prejudices and stereotypes while overcoming her own. She states, this “project has made me cry and laugh, yell and hide, cringe and boast, and ultimately, to persist because I have faith in myself, the artists I have worked with and the audience who will look at my work and share the experience.”

Fifty-eight artists whose work Schomaker either already knew or whose work she had long admired gave of their time and talent to create their vision of her as she posed for them as a performative action. The performative elements included meetings, discussions about notions of identity and shared mutual stories of body image, which created a comforting and safe zone for all involved. Schomaker was able to take off her clothes in front of these trusted friends, colleagues and peers. She was a woman performing her art. Not only is the art outstanding but the love they have for Schomaker is reflected in the works. She shares that the artists’ collective vision of her has healed her on levels beyond the body.

For this project, three to four sessions a week were scheduled with the artists between December 2018 and August 2019. Every single one of these sessions was a mind-altering experience for Schomaker and she is forever grateful for the collaborations.

Schomaker states, “In my 46 years of life, I have only been asked out on a date a couple times. That equated with my belief that I was unattractive and unworthy. I made an assumption and lived my life from that self-perception, as truth. The concept of ‘Perceive Me’ originated from these ideas. The premise is that we value ourselves and our self-worth based on how we imagine others perceive us. The action of creating the work is allowing me to challenge these notions and begin the process of self-healing. ‘Perceive Me’ as a political and social act involves performance, installation, conversation and community organizing.

Today, I am awake, aware and I have persevered. Today I take these issues and confront, challenge, deconstruct and share them so others will be empowered and inspired. Today I share with you my plus size, curvy, imperfect body as a symbol for the change we need.”

— Kristine Schomaker, September 2019

Perceptions of Truth and Beauty

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anais Nin

Kristine Schomaker’s ‘Perceive Me’ project blurs a lot of lines. In its structure it is part curation and part commission, part group show and part collective thought experiment, part conceptual exercise and part social meta-commentary. In its format it includes work by 58 artists working across sculpture, 3-D printing, painting, drawing, photography and digital, video, and collage. Though not exactly self-portraiture, ‘Perceive Me’ is very much about self-image, and about the difference between being looked at and being seen.

— Shana Nys Dambrot, Los Angeles 2019

 

Kristine Schomaker is a multidisciplinary artist, art historian, publisher and mentor living and working at the Brewery artist complex in Los Angeles, California. She earned her BA in Art History and MA in Studio Art from California State University at Northridge (CSUN). In 2014 Kristine founded Shoebox Arts, a support network that focuses on creating community and offering mentorship and resources to artists.

Kristine is also the publisher of Art and Cake a contemporary L.A. Art Magazine focusing on underrepresented artists and exhibitions. Kristine has taught art history at Antelope Valley College and Pasadena City College, formed an artist collective in Los Angeles and has organized and curated numerous art exhibitions throughout Southern California. She is currently the President of the CSUN Arts Alumni Association. Exhibiting her work since the late 1990’s, Kristine has had solo exhibitions and participated in group shows nationally. She is collected Internationally.

 

Ellen Friedlander is a Los Angeles-based fine art and documentary artist who uses a variety of in-camera and post processing techniques to reveal the unpredictable, idiosyncratic, inscrutable nature of the human condition. Friedlander has exhibited her work internationally, including Hong Kong, London, Poland, Budapest, New York and Los Angeles. She has been featured in Lenscratch, The Hand Magazine, and on The Candid Frame podcast, Episode #499. Friedlander was a Winter 2019 Focus PhotoLA Top 20 and her piece titled Hiding IV was the winner and cover photograph for APA-LA OFF THE CLOCK 2020. During March-April, 2021, three of Friedlander’s photographs from her Betrayal: Shattered In A Moment series were in a group show at Austin Desmond Fine Art in London, as well as having her first solo show at The Photographer’s Eye Gallery in Escondido, CA in which she exhibited her Extended Frame body of work. In addition to her art practice, Friedlander has been an Advisor for Pasadena Photography Arts since 2019, for which she curates and hosts Open Show Pasadena-East LA.

 

Serena Potter is a California native and currently resides in Orange County. She received her BFA from the University of Utah and her MFA inpainting from Laguna College of Art and Design, where she is currently a mentor in their MFA program. She teaches at National University, Mt. San Antonio Community College and Cal State Long Beach. Her paintings are included in private collections throughout the United States, Europe and Mexico, as well as in the permanent collection of the Hilbert Museum of California Art. She recently had a solo show at Lois Lambert Gallery in Santa Monica, CA and an artist residency at The Long Beach Museum of Art.

 

Holly Boruck lives and works in the Los Angeles area. She has an MFA in Painting from Cal State University Northridge and a BFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. A common thread in her art making practice is a deep interest in the human psyche and earthly experiences. She is interested in asking questions about the nature of reality and feels a tender sensitivity toward the outcast, shunned and darker corners of who-we-are. She works in painting, drawing and sculpture, feeling most comfortable making work with her hands. Holly was a 2021 Luxembourg Art Prize finalist and bestowed a Circle Arts Award, USA Projects Funding Grant for The Butterfly Hurricanes Project, a Durfee Grant and a George Sugarman Grant. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions locally and at international venues. From 2014 – 2018 she was the curator and director of Surrogate Gallery Projects (SGP), dedicated to facilitating fellowship between under-represented contemporary artists and under-used/empty commercial spaces in Pasadena. SGP won multiple grants and was a fiscally sponsored project under the Pasadena Arts Council’s EMERGE program. Holly is an Adjunct Professor at Cal State University Northridge and is a faculty member in LA based Ryman Arts program.

Visit Schomaker’s website to see exhibition photos, read about all 58 project collaborators, and watch videos. Click ‘Perceive Me’ for a dropdown menu.

Event date: Sunday, March 20, 2022

Event time: 3:00–4:00 p.m. (CST) (GMT-6)

Duration: 1 hour

Accessibility: Close Captioning is available.

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How to attend: The event is free, but registration is required. Register here.