Lisa Kokin
From Provisions
About the Artist
Lisa Kokin’s work in mixed media installation, artist’s books, assemblage and sculpture is about memory and history, both personal and collective. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and groups exhibitions in the United States and abroad. A recipient of a California Arts Council Individual Artist’s Fellowship and a Eureka Fellowship from the Fleishhacker Foundation, Ms. Kokin’s work is in numerous public and private collections. She is represented by Jenkins Johnson Gallery in New York, and Donna Seager Gallery in San Rafael, California.
Layer Upon Layer - FiberArts Web Exclusive
Lisa Kokin creates her portraits from buttons and found objects, sewn with synthetic sinew. Images courtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco.
"At the flea market several years ago I found some photos of African American schoolchildren. I was informed by the white man selling the photos that photos of black people were worth more than those of white folks. Oh the ironies of capitalism and race in America! I negotiated a price for the photos and brought them to my studio. I wanted to use them responsibly because I knew the work I made from them would be viewed through the lens of race. The year of this particular photo was 1963, which was the year of the historic March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. The image of a table came to mind because I was thinking of the phrase 'a place at the table.'"
--Lisa Kokin, about her mixed media piece, 1963
"Strange Loves, a book about homosexuality from the 1930s which I found at an estate sale, has given me hours of deconstructing pleasure. I have slowly dismembered this gem of a book and used it for several different pieces. In fact I still ahve shreds of it left for something in the future. At any rate, I am appaled by the rise of the Christian Right and by the short sightedness of those representatives of any organized religion who claim to have a direct line to God. The quilt and pillow are innocent schoolchildren (and two female teachers whom I imagine to be lovers). The mattress is a juicy page form Strange Loves, and it is all supported by the cover of a book called Moral Guidance, written for Catholics by a member of the clergy."
--Lisa Kokin, about her mixed media piece, Homosexual Lifestyle
More about Sexual Identity and Education
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
SIECUS affirms that sexuality is a fundamental part of being human, one that is worthy of dignity and respect. We advocate for the right of all people to accurate information, comprehensive education about sexuality, and sexual health services. SIECUS works to create a world that ensures social justice and sexual rights.
Out for Equity believes that every student, staff member, and family deserves a safe, supportive school environment that fosters positive self esteem, respect for others, and academic success.
More images from Lisa Kokin
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| 1963, 2000 | Pat the Money, 1997 |
