Oh, Honey
Beth Livensperger
New cut-out ink-on-paper drawings will respond to the exhibition space, changing throughout the duration of the show as the artist adds and revises onsite. The pieces depict scenarios in which women interact with each other and navigate banal office interiors. After long experience in a job environment surrounded by women as mentors, competitors, friends and advocates, Livensperger began thinking about the complex dynamics and history of women in offices and how much—yet sometimes how little—has changed. Women have moved on from the clichéd days of the secretary/girlfriend, the typing pool, etc., yet still deal with numerous challenges not present for their male counterparts. This body of work reflects the difficulties and possibilities inherent in our relationship to structures of power, acknowledging an ongoing struggle while celebrating perseverance, ingenuity, and ambition. Livensperger’s departure from the traditional rectangle activates the space around the work and highlights the relationship between shape and image.
About the Artist
Originally from the Midwest, Beth Livensperger holds a B.F.A. from The Cooper Union in NYC, and an M.F.A. in Painting and Printmaking from Yale University. She has exhibited at venues in NYC, widely throughout the U.S., and in Seoul, Korea. Her solo projects have been hosted by The Abrons Art Center and Chashama, and she has participated in group exhibitions at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, RISD Memorial Hall Gallery and The Painting Center among many others. Her work has been discussed by ArtCritical’s Review Panel, and reviewed in Politico, Two Coats of Paint blog, and WNYC’s Culture Datebook. Residency and grant support has been received by the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Chashama, The Abrons Art Center, and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, among others.
For more about the artist, please visit bethlivensperger.com or follow her on Instagram at Beth Livensperger.
