Kathleen Agnoli
Medium: Photography Studio Location: Artist Studios at 43-01 22nd Street - Studio# 438 43-01 22nd Street Phone: 9179726907 Email: kathleenagnoli@gmail.com Website:: www.kathleenagnoli.com Artist Bio: KATHLEEN AGNOLI In the last five years, I have assembled a legacy book project that includes a brief memoir and black and white photographic portraits of artists and friends. The portrait sittings actually occurred between 1979 and 1981 in my SoHo loft at a time when SoHo was a collegial community of artists and art commerce.The portraits are timeless, revelatory, and powerful. The project is entitled The Face of SoHo Once Upon a Time to evoke the warm and fuzzy sense of bygone days. I began my photographic career as one of the original Soho loft dwellers in the seventies. Previously, I frequented a trendy art bar/restaurant called Max's Kansas City. Although Max's did not qualify to be on any art school syllabus, I was inspired and educated by this intoxicating environment. Drinking in proximity to Andy Warhol, maybe helped? After completing my portrait series, I moved to Paris for six years, where I taught photography at the American Center on the Boulevard Raspail. I had exciting photography adventures including sittings with the president of France, Francois Mitterand and other luminaries, aristocrats, cafe proprietors, etc.. My work appears in the following public collections: THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK, NY. CENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU, PARIS, FRANCE. BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE, PARIS, FRANCE. BOYMANS VAN BEUNINGEN, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS. THE OCEAN COUNTY LIBRARY, TOMS RIVER, NJ. When I returned to New York, I continued making portraits--now working from life. I am working on an irreverent photographic series called "My Left Thumb" which focuses on not focusing. Artist Statement: ARTIST STATEMENT Every day, in some way I am faced with me. I became interested in seeing what that looked like. Not the collection of ideas comprised of what I have been told I am, or should be, or what I shouldn't be; but, really, who am I? In order to discover me, it was helpful to look, really look at me; then to interpret that observation using whatever tool I could. My art grew out of that exploration. One might say I was broken open and transformed by this process, even healed. Although my work is often confrontational / it is beautiful. The work is on paper and apparently fragile / yet powerful. The work is figurative, yet unreal, provocative or taboo / it's always truthful. All images and text copyright Kathleen Agnoli