MK Guth (born 1963) is an

installation artist Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often cal ...

from

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States, whose work engages ritual and site of social interaction. She has exhibited nationally and internationally at museums, galleries, and festivals including the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

, the

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a multi-disciplinary Contemporary art, contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens, YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that cel ...

, the Swiss Institute,

White Columns White Columns is New York City's oldest alternative non-profit art space. White Columns is known as a showcase for up-and-coming artists, and is primarily devoted to emerging artists who are not affiliated with galleries. All work submitted i ...

, and the

Melbourne International Arts Festival Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...

among others. She is the recipient of the Betty Bowen Special Recognition Award and the Ford Family Foundation Fellowship.

Career

Guth was educated at

University of Madison, Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, graduating in sociology. She obtained a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

degree at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. She first came to international attention for her work at the

Whitney Biennial The Whitney Biennial is a biennial exhibition of contemporary American art organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932; the first biennial was held in 1973. It is considered ...

in 2008, which the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described as "sweet, New Agey expansiveness that is atypical for this year's hermetic, uningratiating show". Her installation, entitled "Ties of Protection and Safe Keeping" asked visitors to record what was most dear to them on scraps of cloth, which were then woven into the sculpture. The work was based loosely on the tale of Rapunzel. It expanded in size three-fold during the event, eventually totalling 500 feet. During a 20-day

residency Residency may refer to: * Artist-in-residence, a program to sponsor the residence and work of visual artists, writers, musicians, etc. * Concert residency, a series of concerts performed at one venue * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or m ...

at the Cosmopolitan P3 Studio,

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

in 2011, Guth created a similar work of braided art (the third and final in her braided series) that stretched for 200 feet covering two rooms. In 2012 Guth created installations entitled "When Nothing Else Subsists, Smell and Taste Remain" and "Taste and Smell Remain" at The Art Gym,

Lake Oswego, Oregon Lake Oswego ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Population in 2020 was 40,731, an 11.2% increase since 2010, making it the ...

, where she used food as a vehicle for triggering memories and emotions. To accompany the exhibition "When Nothing Else Subsists, Smell and Taste Remain", Marylhurst University published a 150-page text that addresses many of Guth's recent bodies of participatory work including "Red Shoe Delivery Service", "Lenticulars", "Braids", and "Knots and Networks". Guth has exhibited at the

and the Nottdance Festival,

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 ...

as well as venues across the USA. She is a faculty member at the

Pacific Northwest College of Art The Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is an art school of Willamette University and is located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1909, the art school grants Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and graduate degrees including the Master of Fine ...

in Portland.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

2016: ''Shout, Recount, Get Drunk'', Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York, NY 2016: ''This Fable is Intended for You: A Work Energy Principle'',

Elizabeth Leach Gallery The Elizabeth Leach Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District that specializes in artists from the Pacific Northwest, although Leach shows other artists. It was established in 1981 by Elizabeth Leach, who is consid ...

, Portland, OR 2014: ''Advice Station'', Aqua Miami Basel, Miami FL 2014: ''MK Guth'', Gallery Pfeister, Gudhjem, Denmark 2012: ''When Nothing Else Subsists, Smell and Taste Remain'', Marylhurst Art Gym, Lake Oswego, OR 2011: ''Best Wishes'', P3 Studio, Cosmopolitan Resort, Las Vegas, NV

Group exhibitions

2016: ''In Scene'', Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR 2015: ''Andy Warhol to Kara Walker: Picturing the Iconic'', Art Museum of Sonoma, Santa Rose, CA 2014: ''Memory Palace'', Center for Contemporary Arts, Cincinnati, OH 2008: ''

'', The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guth, MK Living people Artists from Portland, Oregon New York University alumni Pacific Northwest College of Art faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni 1963 births