Kim Victoria Abeles (born August 28, 1952) is an American interdisciplinary artist and

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

. She was born in

Richmond Heights, Missouri Richmond Heights is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri. It is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The United States census shows the population grew from 8,603 in 2010 to 9,286 in 2020. According to Robert L. Ramsay, th ...

, and currently lives in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. She is described as an activist artist because of her work's social and political nature. In her work, she’s able to express these issues and shine a light on them to larger audiences. She’s able to show the significance of the issues by creating a piece that involves an object and adds the struggle attached to it, which represents what is happening in current events. She is also known for her feminist works. Abeles has exhibited her works in 22 countries and has received a number of significant awards including a

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

. Aside from her work as an artist, she was a professor in

public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...

, sculpture, and drawing at

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...

from 1998 to 2009, after which she became

professor emerita ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

in 2010.

Early life and education

Kim Victoria Abeles was born in

. As a child, she spent some time living in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, an experience which she says influenced her work ''The Smog Collector.'' Kim Abele's main influences for her sculptures and installations stem from the urban world and historical and contemporary issues. She focuses on this because she had her childhood in the known "steel town" of Pittsburgh. In addition, she moved to smoggy Los Angeles in 1978. Then in 1980, sweatshops started to pop up around her Los Angeles studio. By seeing all this, she wanted to take an approach to her art that was more about "real life." She has stated she is a "concept seeker and "object maker" this can be seen through her like Smog Collectors. Kim Victoria Abeles received her BFA in painting from

Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...

and earned a MFA in studio art from the

University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, U ...

in 1980. In connection with her thesis, about

Shingon Buddhism is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called "Tōmitsu" (東密 lit. "Esoteric uddhismof Tō-j ...

, she created constructions incorporating

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...

. Critics connect Abeles' early works to those of

Edward Kienholz Edward Ralph Kienholz (October 23, 1927 – June 10, 1994) was an American Installation art, installation artist and assemblage (art), assemblage sculptor whose work was highly critical of aspects of modern life. From 1972 onwards, he assembled ...

and

Wallace Berman Wallace "Wally" Berman (February 18, 1926 – February 18, 1976) was an American experimental filmmaker, assemblage, and collage artist and a crucial figure in postwar California art. Personal life and education Wallace Berman was born in Stat ...

, founders of the California assemblage tradition. Kienholz's ''The State Hospital'' was an early inspiration to Abeles.

Work

Abeles has worked in a variety of different mediums including repurposed materials, drawing, multimedia, sculpture and installations. She often experiments with materials. Intensive research, in which she immerses herself in her subject, is a significant part of her working process. Kim Abeles commented on her art as, "results from the urban experience, chronicling historical and contemporary issues housed in sculpture and installation." Her work begins with a singular person or idea and through her own independent research and exploration will delve into her chosen topic until she feels comfortable beginning her artwork. She describes her artwork as the poetic spirit in a visual language. Many of her projects address contemporary social and environmental issues. She has explored topics including

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

gender roles A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gende ...

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

, and labor. Kim Abeles explores such topical issues through humor and metaphors. Most of her work has revolved around three central themes:

, and the environment. With her range of media and distinctive styles, Kim Abeles seamlessly unites her call for activism with her work aesthetics through new innovative techniques.

Collaborative work

Abeles has worked with several educational organizations and schools to collaborate on installations and exhibitions. She has worked with the multiple art centers like: The Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati, Community Arts Resource in Santa Monica, Orange Country Museum of Art Teen Council, the

California Science Center The California Science Center (sometimes spelled California ScienCenter) is a state agency and science museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, next to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the University of Southern Cali ...

, and the CU Museum of Natural History in Boulder. Her more defining collaborators include the Bureau of Automotive Repair, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project, and the Lakota Indians of South Dakota. She has also collaborated in projects with agencies to ensure raising awareness for different topics such as pollution control agencies, museums, health clinics, etc.

''The Smog Collector''

In 1987, her work ''Smog Collector'' caught national and international attention, mentioned in ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'', ''

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

'', ''CBS Evening News'', and ''The Wall Street Journal''. Abeles accreits this piece as a tribute to what she first noticed upon moving into her new art studio in the city of Los Angeles- the smog. Abeles created an innovative technique, using stencils and adhesives to collect smog particulate and produce symbols and images. Abeles was motivated to create the project through her own curiosity and the effects of a year-long protest against a factory near her home that she said was "spewing

formaldehyde Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is an organic compound with the chemical formula and structure , more precisely . The compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde. It is stored as ...

". She considers the work an ongoing series to which she is currently contributing. Her work was memorialized in the book, ''Kim Abeles: Smog Collectors, 1987-2020''.

''To Sit As Ladder (In Honor of Rosa Parks)''

In some of her works pertaining to human rights, Abeles has taken a subjective approach that includes a presentation of individuals' portraits through text, maps, drawings, and objects. An example is her 1991 sculpture ''To Sit As Ladder (In Honor of Rosa Parks)'' which displayed a chair with text to represent the life of

Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American civil rights activist. She is best known for her refusal to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, in defiance of Jim Crow laws, which sparke ...

''HIV/AIDS Tarot''

Abeles' HIV/AIDS Tarot cards incorporate both image and text and discuss issues pertaining to the socioeconomic and medical aspects of AIDS. Only seven cards were issued, not a complete

Tarot Tarot (, first known as ''trionfi (cards), trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a set of playing cards used in tarot games and in fortune-telling or divination. From at least the mid-15th century, the tarot was used to play t ...

deck. They were printed in both English and Spanish and used as part of a public health information program in Los Angeles in 1992.

The Golden Mile

The Golden Mile is a 120 foot long photographic visual art piece located in the UK. The piece consists of photographs capturing both the East and West (stretching from the years 2003 - 2006) laid out and displayed at opposing ends. This installation was funded by Arts Council England, West Midlands, and The Public.

''Walk a Mile in My Shoes''

The initial inspiration for ''Walk a Mile in My Shoes'' was the political work of

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

and the civil rights movement. Searching for images of King's actual shoes, Abeles was deeply affected when she viewed civil rights activist

Xernona Clayton Xernona Clayton Brady (née Brewster, born August 30, 1930) is an American civil rights leader and broadcasting executive. During the Civil Rights Movement, she worked for the National Urban League and Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ...

's "profound collection of shoes belonging to members of the peace marches." The installations she created at the intersections of Jefferson Blvd. and Rodeo Rd. and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. included bronze casts of King's work boots as well as photographs of national and local activists' shoes.

Pearls of Wisdom: End the Violence

Created for a nonprofit organization
A Window Between Worlds (AWBW)
Kim Abeles gathered 800 participants who are domestic violence victims to share their stories and design a pearl. The pearl-making process requires mylar paper,

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

bandage A bandage is a piece of material used either to support a medical device such as a dressing or splint, or on its own to provide support for the movement of a part of the body. When used with a dressing, the dressing is applied directly on ...

, fiber cable,

paint Paint is a material or mixture that, when applied to a solid material and allowed to dry, adds a film-like layer. As art, this is used to create an image or images known as a painting. Paint can be made in many colors and types. Most paints are ...

, and an "Irritant"; any object can be an irritant depending on the maker that denotes their experience. Abeles encapsulates a powerful message through her work: "These women are not survivors, but rather, they are champions in the athletic and spiritual sense." Furthermore, ''Pearls of Wisdom'' juxtaposes pearls with the pairing of domestic violence against beauty, emphasizing the concept that beauty doesn't stem from bad experiences, but instead from recovery.

Citizen Seeds

Citizen Seeds is a public, permanent art installation created in 2020 that follows along the Playa to Park trail, funded by the Los Angeles County Arts & Culture. This piece features different sculptures of seeds created through mixed media in which the community, environments, and local journeys are illustrated and represented.

Exhibitions

Abeles has exhibited her work in twenty-two countries, including

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. Abeles' work has been shown at National Center for Atmospheric Research; Museum of Arts and Design in New York; National Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago; Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles;

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

; and, Intersection for the Arts in San Francisco. She has also been a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

representative in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

for Fotografie Biennale Rotterdam and Cultural Centre of Berchem. Kim Abeles took her art to the road in 1993 with the release of Kim Abeles: Encyclopedia Persona A-Z. The collection, curated by Karen Moss of the Santa Monica Museum, was sponsored by The Fellows of Contemporary Art in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

and

United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA) was a United States government agency devoted to propaganda which operated from 1953 to 1999. Previously existing United States Information Service (USIS) posts operating out of U.S. embassies wor ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. Her art show ''Encyclopedia Persona'', at the

Santa Monica Museum of Art The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA; formerly known as the Santa Monica Museum of Art) is a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, California, United States. As an independent and non-collecting art museum (or kunsthalle), it e ...

, featured a 15-year survey of her work; including 80 of her sculptures, installations and artist's books. Though her work has been displayed around the world, Abeles frequently presents her work in local communities across Los Angeles and beyond. With her art appearing in Downtown, Los Angeles, Highland Park, Glendale,

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...

, and

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, she challenges her community to confront social issues by making them impossible to ignore. This strategic placement of her work highlights Kim Abeles' activism, specifically how we must reform now before matters get worse, and the place where it starts is one's own community.

List of solo exhibitions

Abeles's work comes a long way, but listed here are the recent exhibitions within the last 5 years:
Nicholas and Lee Begovich Gallery
California State University Fullerton (2021) * Community Room, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA (2018)
Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA (2017) *

LA Art Show The LA Art Show (Los Angeles Art Show) is an international encyclopedic art exhibition which was originally conceived by the Fine Art Dealers Association (FADA). The show annually takes place in Los Angeles, typically in January/February, and is no ...

, Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk at the Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA (2017)
Seaver Gallery, Marlborough School
Los Angeles PØST, Los Angeles, CA (2016)

Awards

Abeles is the recipient of a number of awards from the

, the J. Paul Getty Trust Fund for the Visual Arts, the

Andy Warhol Foundation Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

, the

California Community Foundation The California Community Foundation (CCF) is a philanthropic organization located in Los Angeles, California. Foundation Center, an independent nonprofit organization, ranks it among the top 100 foundations in the nation by asset size and total ...

, and the California Arts Council.

References

External links

*
Figure/Ground interview with Kim Abeles. December 6th, 2013
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abeles, Kim Victoria 1952 births Living people Artists from Missouri Artists from Los Angeles American interdisciplinary artists Ohio University alumni People from St. Louis County, Missouri University of California, Irvine alumni 20th-century American women artists 21st-century American women artists 21st-century American women academics 21st-century American academics