Susan Otto: The Work

T H E W O R K : S u s a n O t t o 1 9 9 7

I'm Feeling Much Better Now, Thank You (1997)

"He who wishes to drown himself must have an ax at hand to cut the ice. "
- Wislawa Szymborska

Site specific commissioned installation at Cooper Union, New York City for the Technoseduction show. The piece includes a sound sculpture of handbags with 15 personal stereos with repeating audio narratives in headphones coming out of various handbags which signify a woman's age, class or personality. Text is above the mirrors reads " He who wishes to drown himself must have an ax at hand to cut the ice." and describes a moment of complete irrationality simultaneous to a rational thought. The text seems to be a metaphor for life in modern times - things are so difficult that even the option of suicide requires much planning and effort. The images, which are projected into the mirrors, magnified and shot onto the vellum covered windows are x-rays of post operative gun shot wounds. These images, taken from a hospital in Los Angeles that sees the most trauma of any hospital in the US, are of bones being repaired with what looks to be screws, rubber bands, bobby pins etc. Shrapnel is visible as various opaque forms; invaders inside the body that will remain there until the tissue, muscle and bone grow over the metal. The absurdity of using such common looking instruments in such a high tech process is again rational and irrational at once. The bones and muscles are vulnerable to these hits, which manifest as opaque splatters. Slides are magnified by the mirrors and projected at various speeds, times and intervals and reflected onto a large glass wall covered in frosted vellum. The image can be viewed from many directions other than just the interior of the gallery space. Viewers on any of the upper levels of Cooper Union (class rooms and study centers) have an unobstructed view across a 40' opening, as do viewers who are in any level of the library with it's three story plus high ceiling. These views also show silhouettes of the people who are in the interior who can not see out, but can be watched by viewers who survey them from different locations.

Click on a thumbnail to see a full image of each piece.

`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail	`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail	`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail
`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail	`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail	`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail
`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail	`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail	`...Feeling Better' 1997 Installation Detail
	`Revenge Is A Dish...' 1996 Installation Detail

A R T I S T ' S R E S U M E : S u s a n O t t o 1 9 9 7

EDUCATION

Whitney Independent Study Program (Studio) , New York

MFA University of Southern California, Los Angeles

BFA School of the Art Institute, Chicago

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1995 To Whom it May Concern
Whitney Independent Study Program Open Studios, New York

1995 Plump
Galerie Aldercreutz - Bjorkholmen, Stockholm

1994 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
The Brewery Art Complex, Los Angeles

SELECTED INSTALLATIONS IN GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1997 Don't Leave Me This Way in No Molestar/ Do Not Disturb site specific at the Hotel Ribott, Caracas

1997 I'm Feeling Much Better Now, Thank You in Technoseduction,
Cooper Union, New York

1996 Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold In Our Sights
California Museum of Photography, Los Angeles

1996 This is a True Story in Without Alarm: Arroyo Arts Collective.
LA County City Jail. Los Angeles.

1995 Bulge in Los Angeles Mind Quakes
De Beyerd Museum, Breda, Netherlands.

1993 She Watches Too Much Television in When Push Comes to Shove
Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1997 Displeasure and Hospitality
Silverstein Gallery. New York, New York

1996 One Hundred
Post Gallery, Los Angeles

1995 Smart Art
SMART Art Fair, Stockholm

1994 Diderot & the Last Luminaire
Southern Exposure Gallery, San Francisco & Site Gallery, Los Angeles

1992 Issue of Choice
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles.

SELECTED PUBLISHED WRITING

1997 Todd Gray Art in America May, New York

1997 Erika Rothenberg Art in America, July, New York

1996 David Bunn Art In America, November, New York

1996 I Love My Work and Want to Continue in Resuscitate : Martin Sjoberg, Silverstein Gallery, New York

1996 Clowns, Terrorists, and the Town Crier - Locus Plus 1991-1995, New Castle, England

1996 Cultural Problems & Popular Mechanics and Manifesto for Art Practice (with D. Martinez) in The Things You See When You Don't Have a Grenade! Smart Art Press, Santa Monica, CA.

1996 Manifesto for Re-evaluation of Gender Specific Practice: Sisterhood is Still Powerful, but More Complex than ever (Thank God!) Stories From Her Catalogue Essay. University of Rochester

1995 Manifesto for a Virtual Favela! Theory of internet web site

SELECTED LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS

1997 Visiting Artist
California State University at Los Angeles, Graduate Seminar(CH)

1997 Visiting Artist
"You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down"
University of South Florida

1996 Women and Guns - Panel
Society for Photographic Education National Conference, Los Angeles

1995 Visiting Artist
Art Center College of Design (w/FAVELA!)

1995 Visiting Artist
Akademien for fotografi Konstfack, Stockholm

1995 Visiting Artist
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester

SELECTED FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS

1995 Western States Arts Federation
Individual Artist Grant

1994 Van Lier Foundation Grant, New York

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berger, Shelley A. "Serious Art Criticism" Coagula Art Journal, #20, pp. 20-21.
Camper, Frank. "Things We Hate" CHICAGO READER: October 29, 1993
Frank, Peter. Pick of the Week LA WEEKLY : July 21, 1994.
Jones, Amelia. Artforum "Diederot and the Last Luminare: The Private Life of Objects", Feb. pp. 96-97.
Nahas, Dominique. "Are You Technoseduced?" Art Review, New York, Feb 1, 1997, p. 2.
Shields, Kathleen. Parallaxis Western States Arts Federation Publisher (book) 1997, p. 121.
Wallenstein, Sveg-Olov. "Rational Paranoias". Material, April 1995, p. 11.
FAVELA! Flash Art, January-February 1996, p. 43.

EDUCATION
	Whitney Independent Study Program (Studio) , New York
MFA	University of Southern California, Los Angeles
BFA	School of the Art Institute, Chicago
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1995	To Whom it May Concern Whitney Independent Study Program Open Studios, New York
1995	Plump Galerie Aldercreutz - Bjorkholmen, Stockholm
1994	Let Sleeping Dogs Lie The Brewery Art Complex, Los Angeles
SELECTED INSTALLATIONS IN GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1997	Don't Leave Me This Way in No Molestar/ Do Not Disturb site specific at the Hotel Ribott, Caracas
1997	I'm Feeling Much Better Now, Thank You in Technoseduction, Cooper Union, New York
1996	Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold In Our Sights California Museum of Photography, Los Angeles
1996	This is a True Story in Without Alarm: Arroyo Arts Collective. LA County City Jail. Los Angeles.
1995	Bulge in Los Angeles Mind Quakes De Beyerd Museum, Breda, Netherlands.
1993	She Watches Too Much Television in When Push Comes to Shove Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1997	Displeasure and Hospitality Silverstein Gallery. New York, New York
1996	One Hundred Post Gallery, Los Angeles
1995	Smart Art SMART Art Fair, Stockholm
1994	Diderot & the Last Luminaire Southern Exposure Gallery, San Francisco & Site Gallery, Los Angeles
1992	Issue of Choice Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles.
SELECTED PUBLISHED WRITING
1997	Todd Gray Art in America May, New York
1997	Erika Rothenberg Art in America, July, New York
1996	David Bunn Art In America, November, New York
1996	I Love My Work and Want to Continue in Resuscitate : Martin Sjoberg, Silverstein Gallery, New York
1996	Clowns, Terrorists, and the Town Crier - Locus Plus 1991-1995, New Castle, England
1996	Cultural Problems & Popular Mechanics and Manifesto for Art Practice (with D. Martinez) in The Things You See When You Don't Have a Grenade! Smart Art Press, Santa Monica, CA.
1996	Manifesto for Re-evaluation of Gender Specific Practice: Sisterhood is Still Powerful, but More Complex than ever (Thank God!) Stories From Her Catalogue Essay. University of Rochester
1995	Manifesto for a Virtual Favela! Theory of internet web site
SELECTED LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS
1997	Visiting Artist California State University at Los Angeles, Graduate Seminar(CH)
1997	Visiting Artist "You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down" University of South Florida
1996	Women and Guns - Panel Society for Photographic Education National Conference, Los Angeles
1995	Visiting Artist Art Center College of Design (w/FAVELA!)
1995	Visiting Artist Akademien for fotografi Konstfack, Stockholm
1995	Visiting Artist Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester
SELECTED FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS
1995	Western States Arts Federation Individual Artist Grant
1994	Van Lier Foundation Grant, New York
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berger, Shelley A. "Serious Art Criticism" Coagula Art Journal, #20, pp. 20-21. Camper, Frank. "Things We Hate" CHICAGO READER: October 29, 1993 Frank, Peter. Pick of the Week LA WEEKLY : July 21, 1994. Jones, Amelia. Artforum "Diederot and the Last Luminare: The Private Life of Objects", Feb. pp. 96-97. Nahas, Dominique. "Are You Technoseduced?" Art Review, New York, Feb 1, 1997, p. 2. Shields, Kathleen. Parallaxis Western States Arts Federation Publisher (book) 1997, p. 121. Wallenstein, Sveg-Olov. "Rational Paranoias". Material, April 1995, p. 11. FAVELA! Flash Art, January-February 1996, p. 43.