B. Quinn
area: Interdisciplinary Art, Installation
Key Facts
nationality
USAarea
Interdisciplinary Art, Installationresidence
Chicagorecommending institution
Fulbright Austriatime period
March 2021 - April 2021Unapologetically feminist, using everyday materials, text, and found media, Quinn’s projects typically feature traces of gesture and obsessive repetition. Although works may at first glance look unrelated—walls smeared with margarine to 18,928 handmade clay cookies to experimental video—each project is a continuation of the last and informs future experimentation.
Quinn received her BA from Chatham College for Women in Pittsburgh, Pa, and later completed her MFA in Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has participated in exhibitions and projects internationally, notably presenting work with Critical Art Ensemble at documenta 13. More recently, Quinn contributed work to the group exhibition Storied References at Northern Illinois University Art Museum in Dekalb, Illinois. She is currently a Fulbright Independent Scholar and will present a solo exhibition at AIR Gallery in New York in the fall of 2021.
Education
2014 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, MFA Painting and Drawing
2011 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, BFA
2010 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, AVU, Prague, CZ, summer study program
2008 Chatham College for Women, Double BA Visual Arts Management, Studio Art, cum laude
Fellowships | Residencies | Grants
2020 Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Support – Project Grant
2020 Fulbright Independent Scholar Award, Artist-in-Residence, Vienna, AT (in conjunction with Q21)
2018 Vermont Studio Center, Fellowship Recipient & Artist-in-Residence, Johnson, VT
2016 HATCH, Artist-in-Residence, Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC), Chicago, IL
2015 Mote 078, Artist-in-Residence, Columbus, OH
Solo Exhibitions and Events
2021 "Blue Valentine," AIR Gallery, New York, NY (forthcoming)
2021 "The Haircut," Vienna, AT (forthcoming, to be rescheduled in conjunction with Fulbright)
2020 "Women Sustain the Patriarchy" Western Pole, Chicago, IL
2019 "116 Actions in 24 Hours with a Cabbage in Johnson, Vermont," Border Patrol, Portland, ME
2019 "lllatszertár (Parfumerie)" curated by George William Price, University Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2018 "116 Actions in 24 Hours with a Cabbage in Johnson, Vermont" performance, VSC, Johnson, VT
2015 "PORTEND." curated by Nayeon Yang, MOTE90, Columbus, OH
2014 "MFA Thesis Exhibition" curated by Naomi Beckwith, Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago with MA Fellows, Sullivan Galleries, Chicago, IL
2012 "41°51'22"N, 87°40'6"W + 41°52'54"N, 87°36'53"W" Site-specific Installation, Chicago, IL
2011 "How to Forgive" Site-specific, performance project, Venice, IT
2008 "Motive-vote" Site-specific installation and written thesis project, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pa
Select Two Person and Group Exhibitions
2021
"Storied References” Northern Illinois University Art Museum, DeKalb, IL
2020
"Blueprint” Spudnik Press Benefit Auction, Chicago, IL
"Distant Future" curated by Jova Lynne, Vermont Studio Center Gallery, Johnson, VT
"Fe-Mail" exhibition and fundraiser, AIR Gallery, New York, NY
2019
"Flavor Profile" curated by Meg Hahn, Border Patrol, Portland, ME
"Siblings" curated by Stevie Hanley, Siblings, Chicago, IL
2018
"Gød-Bottom" curated by Stevie Hanley, Inferno, New York, NY
"Talks" Meekling Press Lecture Series, Chicago, IL
"116 Actions in 24 Hours with a Cabbage in Johnson, Vermont" Johnson, VT
"Gød-Bottom" curated by Stevie Hanley, The Condo Association, Chicago, IL
2017
"Employee of the Month" curated by Alex Tam and Olivia McManus, South of the Tracks, Chicago, IL
"20th International Open" juried by Sharmyn Cruz Rivera, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
"Corporate Lunch" curated by Stevie Hanley, The Condo Association, Chicago, IL
"Hiding in Plain Sight" curated by George William Price, CAC, Chicago, IL
"Sinister Feminism" AIR Biennial, curated by Piper Marshall, with Lola Kramer, AIR Gallery, New York, NY
2016
"Revolvers Are Meant for Crocodile-skins" curated by George William Price, CAC, Chicago, IL
"Art In Motion" juried exhibition, James Rondeau, President and Eloise M. Martin Director, The Art Institute of Chicago, Northwestern Lurie Hospital Gallery, Chicago, IL
"Cherry Pie" curated by Grace Stott, Union Shop, Charlotte, NC
2015
"Future and Behind" curated by Andrea Swoboda, Venice, IT
"Wish You Were Here" AIR Gallery, New York, NY
"Body Mass Index" curated by George William Price, Chicago Urban Artists Society, Chicago, IL
2014
"In Response" curated by Justin Long, Audrey Love Gallery, Miami, FL
2013
"ArtWork6" Faculty Exhibition, SAIC Sullivan Galleries, Chicago, IL
"P1xels. The Third Wave." Berkeley, CA. and Bremen, DE
"Bad Rabbit" performance with R. Grajeda, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
"The Pen Pal Show" Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
"Video, Video." VHS Zine and screening, Church of Templehead Gallery, Chicago, IL
2012
"Skin Tight" New Capital, Chicago, IL
"The Past: History, Time, Memory and Nostalgia" Santorini Biennale of the Arts, Thira, GR
"Winning Hearts and Minds" with Critical Art Ensemble at dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel, DE
"Downcast Eyes" Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
2011
"Stream of Consciousness" Dispatch Gallery Space, Chicago, IL
"Silent Hope" with Nayeon Yang, FFC Gold Coast, Chicago, IL
"Aloud" SAIC Performance Space, Chicago, IL
"Little Animal House" Fine Arts Building, Chicago, IL
"7308.23 kilometers = 4541.123 miles" Mess Hall, Chicago, IL
"BFA Exhibition" SAIC Sullivan Galleries, SAIC, Chicago, IL
"7308.230" Gallery AVU, Prague, CZ
"40 Hours" Autumn Space Gallery, Chicago, IL
2010
"Spill" curated by Judith Geichman and John Phillips, Betty Rhymer Gallery, Chicago, IL
"Weird It Up" CTA PopUp Gallery, Chicago, IL
Bibliography
• "Siblings Has a Kindling Feeling, Siblings Gallery," Chicago, IL Review by Noa/h Fields www.newartexaminer.org/siblings.html
• "Food, Mundanity, Devotion: Flavor Profile at Border Patrol," Review by Olivia Canny https://thechart.me/flavor-profile-border-patrol
• Interview, University Club of Chicago, between George William Price and B. Quinn, for the exhibition "lllatszertár (Parfumerie)"
• Interview, Thoughts @ MOTE 078 Gallery, http://blog.mote078.org/post/128047765764/sandeepsebhisinterviewwithbquinnrecent
• Editorial: Features, "Body Mass Index," Chicago Urban Art Society, Chicago, IL, Recommendation by Robin Dluzen, http://www.visualartsource.com/index.php?page=editorial&pcID=17&aID=2915
• Interview, A Common Thread, featured artist, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tgVlrEeOn8
• Sound Sculpture, 2012. School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Catalog from the spring 2012 course with Bill Fontana, William and Stephanie Sick Distinguished Professor
As a Fulbright Core Fellow Artist-in-Residence in collaboration with Vienna, Austria’s Q21 network of cultural institutions, I will be completing an installation and experimental video project The Haircut.
The Haircut reconstructs selected scenes from movies in which female characters cut their hair, for reasons ranging from pretending to be a man to compete in a horse race (National Velvet, 1944), resisting royal expectations of appearance (Roman Holiday, 1953), embodying a feline aesthetic as a vigilant antiheroine (Catwoman, 2004), to aligning with male military standards (GI Jane, 1997).An essential component of my work as an artist is the investigation of value and power structures. In this case, I am questioning the presentation of women in film and how their bodies, hair, and self-transformation both conform to and confront stereotypical societal expectations. This project also examines the gesture of the haircut as one that can also be synonymous with violent acts against women.
I plan to work with the Q21 partners to develop the presentation of this work and to connect with both arts professionals and Austrian organizations centered on women’s issues and human rights. Additionally, during my residency, I will be developing new research on the history of feminism in Vienna to inform the creation of companion artworks. With this project, I intend to advance our understanding of the history of women’s self-image and how that reflects their sense of autonomy, or lack thereof, within a patriarchal society and its inherent power structures.