Louise Lawler

Place: Bronxville

Born: 1947

Biography:

is an American artist and photographer born in Bronxville, New York in 1947. She earned a B.F.A. at Cornell University and moved to Manhattan in 1969. Lawler's work has focused on photographing portraits of other artists’ work, giving special attention to the spaces in which they are placed and methods used to make them.

Early Life and Education

Lawler attended Cornell University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After graduating, she took a job at the Castelli Gallery in Manhattan. While there, she met Janelle Reiring, who went on to co-found Metro Pictures with Helene Winer in 1980.

Career

Lawler has photographed pictures and objects in collectors’ homes, in galleries, on the walls of auction houses, and off the walls, in museum storage. Along with photography, she has created conceptual and installation art. Some of her works, such as Book of Matches, are ephemeral and explore the passing of time, while others, such as Helms Amendment (963), are expressly political. Lawler's work is interested in the intersection of art and commerce, and she is less interested in the original process of creating a work of art than in the context lying beyond the artist's sphere of influence and in which the work is subsequently situated. Often framed as appropriation art or institutional critique, Lawler’s photographic work lays bare the day-to-day operations of the art world and its circulation and presentation of art works. Notable Works Some notable works by Lawler include Birdcalls (1972/2008), an audio artwork that transforms the names of famous male artists into a bird song, parroting names such as Artschwager, Beuys, Ruscha, and Warhol. Another notable work is A Movie Will Be Shown Without the Picture, which was presented at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California, in 1979.

• Louise Lawler's profile on Wikioo.org
• Louise Lawler's biography on Wikipedia
• The Widener University Art Collection and Gallery on Wikioo.org

Lawler's work continues to influence and be influenced by present-day cultural discourses, making her a significant figure in the art world. Her use of photography and conceptual art has pushed the boundaries of what is considered "art" and has challenged the way we think about the context in which art is created and presented. As a result, Lawler's work remains an important part of the art world, and her influence can be seen in many other artists who have followed in her footsteps.