Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
) is an American artist living in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Whitmarsh received an MFA from the
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High rese ...
and a BFA from the
Kansas City Art Institute
The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. It has approxi ...
, both in painting. Working predominantly with textiles, Whitmarsh uses hand-stitched embroidery to fabricate replicas of personal and cultural ephemera. Her embroidered canvases and soft sculptures reference contemporary pop culture and the 1970s and '80s eras of her childhood.
Her most recent body of work, Fabricated Revisions, consists of "imagined, handmade revisions" of past covers of prominent art magazines, featuring female artists who were overlooked at the time. About this body of work, Whitmarsh notes, "The way that I am interested in feminism is the way I am interested in many things. It's something peripheral to my view that influences my vision rather than being a focus. I am interested in watching the process of feminism rather than trying to locate it. I don't believe I could locate it… The artists I find compelling are mostly women and I decided to pay tribute to this personal fact. Many of these works are from a fictionalized past. From 1970-1980, Artforum devoted 5 of its 99 covers to women artists."
Whitmarsh has shown her work internationally, including solo exhibitions at
New Image Art
New Image Art is an art gallery in West Hollywood, California. It was founded and is directed by Marsea Goldberg, started in 1994.Zürich Museum of Design,
Wolfsonian Museum
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University or The Wolfsonian-FIU, located in the heart of the Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida, is a museum, library and research center that uses its collection to illustrate the persuasive power of ...
(at Art Basel Miami Beach), Galerie Libraire (Hong Kong),
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 is ...
and
Gavin Brown's Enterprise
Gavin Brown's enterprise was an art gallery with venues in New York City and Rome owned by Gavin Brown between 1994 and 2020. In 2020, it merged with Gladstone Gallery.
History Broome Street
The gallery was established by Gavin Brown in 1994 on ...
as part of the Drunk vs. Stoned show.
In 1996 Whitmarsh began creating merchandise under the moniker "Tiny Industries", self-publishing Snow Monkey comic books, producing puppet shows and 6mm stop action short films as well as making hand-embroidered wallets and bags. Since 2006, Tiny Industries has been on hiatus due to the demands of Whitmarsh's fine art career.
In 2010, Whitmarsh was commissioned by
Amy Sedaris
Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Most recently, she has appeared in both ''The Mandalorian'' (2019–2020) and ''The Book of Boba Fett'' (2022) as Peli Motto. She played Jerri Blank in the ...
to do the embroidery for "Simple Times, Crafts for Poor People". She was also commissioned by
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
to embroider the cover artwork of his "Ride Rise Roar" tour DVD.
Todd Oldham
Todd Oldham (born Jacky Todd Oldham; October 22, 1961) is an American-born designer and president of L-7 Designs Inc and Todd Oldham Studios. His approach to fashion and style has become known to millions through his fashion lines, interior desig ...
has used two of her drawings for paint-by-numbers sets in his Kid Made Modern line of craft and art projects for children.
In 2018 Hammer Museum curators announced that Whitmarsh would be one of the 32 artists included in the fourth edition of the ''Made in LA'' biennial, scheduled from June 3 to September 2, 2018.
Between 1998 and 2000, Whitmarsh played keyboard as a founding member of the instrumental band
The Hong Kong
The Hong Kong originally formed in New Orleans, but became more established after regrouping in Brooklyn. They are known for mixing a 1960s feel with modern indie rock sensibilities. They have also been compared to Blondie. In 2000, the band r ...
, with Harold Griffin, Matt Salata, and Aaron Carroll.