Arts & Entertainment

Making A Statement

Artist uses mediums of knitwear and photography
to create works with political underpinnings.

"Early on, I was interested in advertis-
ing and graphics. I didn't want to go to
an art school, but I found myself spend-
olitics, religion and humor merge ing all my time making photographs
so I finally transferred. I think it's
in one outfit of the Lisa Anne
Auerbach fiber-photo installation more that I gave in to being an artist
on view July 11-Oct. 11 at the University of than I wanted to be an artist."
After earning her bachelor of fine
Michigan Museum of Art.
arts
degree from the Rochester
A sweater, paired with a skirt and
Institute
of Technology and her
completed in blue and white, has the fol-
master
of
fine arts degree from
lowing text woven into the front: "My
the
Art
Center
College of Design
Jewish grandma is voting for Obama. Is
in Pasadena, Auerbach decided
yours?" The back reads, "Chosen people
to remain in California. With
choose Obama" The skirt offers the words
graduation, she lost dark room
"Baruch Obama"
access and took up knitting.
"The outfit is in response to comedian
"I had gotten interested in
Sarah Silverman's 'Great Schlep:" explains
sweaters that were worn by
Auerbach, 41, whose artistry relates to
issues, global and personal. "She had invit- rock star Rick Nielsen, the gui-
tarist in Cheap Trick:' explains
ed Jews to schlep to Miami to convince
Auerbach, self-taught from a
their grandparents to vote for Obama.
library book.
"I thought that was a great idea since
"He always wore custom sweaters
Florida was an on-the-fence state for the
with text on them, and I was inter-
election, but my grandmother lives in
ested in how the meaning of the text
Chicago and already had decided to vote
was extended by the sweaters."
for Obama. I did the knitting instead:'
The artist's first sweater on exhibit
Auerbach, who will be showing 24
was part of a group show in 1996, when
sweaters and skirts with woven text and
she hand-knit a Jewish star on the back.
12 photographs, will be represented in the
The sweater was completed after a trip
Irving Stenn Jr. Family Project Gallery.
to Germany, where she toured concentra-
"The most basic way to say that the
tion camps.
two mediums of knitwear and photog-
Photography dominated her attention
raphy connect is that they're both about
for eight years, and her work appeared in
small things making big statements',' says
group shows. Also claiming her time were
Auerbach, who was born in Ann Arbor
Web sites and small, self-produced publi-
and recently learned that her ancestors
cations.
had a knitting factory in Poland.
Auerbach resumed knitting by mak-
"The photographs are of small, free-
ing a John Kerry sweater for a politically
standing, individually-owned businesses
minded friend who was not allowed to
disappearing in this ever-homogenized
wear T-shirts to work.
landscape, and I feel they have a very
The purchase of a knitting machine
political bent."
altered the techniques she employed dur-
Auerbach was invited to exhibit at
ing a period when she also taught pho-
UMMA after a curator learned about
tography. After working for six years as an
her projects in. Florida. She was asked
adjunct faculty member, Auerbach starts
to include a sweater that references the
full time in the fall at Pomona College in
Weather Underground, a protest group
Claremont, Calif.
that launched in 1960s Ann Arbor. A more
"I feel that teaching is very connected
personal sweater has to do with her com-
to
my practice because a lot of my prac-
mitment to caring for feral cats.
tice
has collaborative aspects to it',' says
"I don't think I ever knew I wanted to
Auerbach,
who has demonstrated political
be an artist in a clear career way,' says
convictions
since childhood. "I see teach-
Auerbach, who was raised in Chicago.
ing
as
part
of
being an artist."
"When I was 10, I took my first photog-
Auerbach's
knitting projects have been
raphy class and used my grandfather's
featured
in
solo
and group exhibits in the
apartment dark room to print images.

er, the warmth."
The artist is preparing a series of
sweaters taking off from the Robin Hood
myth for a show in England, and she is
producing tracts relating to Darwin for
a graphic and design exhibition in
Philadelphia.
"I feel my work always
had political underpin-
nings, but that became
more overt with design-
ing sweaters and getting
involved with campaigns:'
says Auerbach, married to a
curator and active with Reboot, a
Jewish cultural organization.
"I think it's the responsibility of
an artist to be engaged with society
and bring up difficult issues. I'm
not sure that making art that's just
about an art practice or a studio practice
is that productive for me." II

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

p

Lisa Anne Auerbach: Chosen People

United States and foreign countries, where
she has explored a variety of themes.
"Part of my interest in the sweaters
is looking at how the text is woven and
integrated into the fabric:' she says. "I'm
really interested that the words themselves
become part of the function of the sweat-

The work of Lisa Anne Auerbach
will be on view July 11-Oct.11 at the
University of Michigan Museum of
Art, 525 S. State Street. The galler-
ies are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Saturdays; 10 a.m.-
10 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays and noon-
5 p.m. Sundays. During the Ann
Arbor Art Fairs, July 15-18, hours will
be extended to 9 p.m. Wednesday
and 6 p.m. Saturday. Free admission.
(734) 763-UMMA; www.umma.umich.
edu .

Ann Arbor Art Fairs

More than 1,000 artists from around the world will be
showing their designs in many media when the Ann
Arbor Art Fairs celebrate 50 years of exhibitions
and sales.
The milestone event runs July 15-18 — 10 a.m.-9
p.m. Wednesday - Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.
It combines the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, State
Street Area Art Fair, Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair and
the South University Art Fair. Each one is juried separately.
New street corner and stage entertainment, diverse food stations, artist
demonstrations and children's activities are available throughout the display
schedule. Shuttle arrangements to different sites also are offered.
Information is provided at (800) 888-9487 and www.annarbor.org .

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July 9 • 2009

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