TJ Norris
| TJ Norris | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas J. Whiting |
| Born | 10 October 1965 Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Field | Conceptual art, installation art, photography |
| Training | Massachusetts College of Art, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University |
| Influenced by | Dada, Modernism |
TJ Norris is an American interdisciplinary artist, independent curator, and writer based in the Pacific Northwest.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Norris was born in the heart of Irish Catholic Boston to longshoreman Kenneth C. Whiting and chef Phyllis M. Whiting (née Norris). Making visual art from found objects and materials was evident as early as age six, and developed into elementary school where he would win his first student awards. His studio practice is a hybrid of photography, installation, video and sculpture and includes collaborations with sound artists and composers such as Scanner (Robin Rimbaud), Asmus Tietchens and Christian Renou (Brume) among others. His work has been shown in the Americas, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In 2012 Norris was featured in the 10th Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum. He studied at Massachusetts College of Art with influential American photographers Abelardo Morell and Laura McPhee and at Nova Scotia College of Art & Design.
[edit] Published works
- Fur: The Love of Hair (Bruno Gmünder Verlag GmbH), 2012 (Berlin, Germany)
- Of Other Spaces (Bureau for Open Culture), 2009 (Columbus, Ohio)
- Beyond Trend (F+W Publications), 2008 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- One Shot/Visual Codec, 2007 (Seattle, Washington)
- Portland Modern/Radius Studio, 2006 (Portland, Oregon) Issue #3
- The Bear Book II (Hawthorne Press, Editor Les Wright), 2001
- Sgraffito Press, 1997 (Marina Del Rey, California)
- More Big Thoughts, 1996 (Golden Apple Press, Champaign, Illinois)
- Through the Cracks, 1994 (Ragged Edge Press, New York, New York)
- New American Paintings, 1993 (Open Studios Press, Boston, Massachusetts)
- Aphasia, 1993 (Nada Blue Productions, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
- Paradox/Arts & Literary Journal, 1993 (Denver, Colorado)
- Tin Ear / Wire Mother, 1993 (The Book House, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
- Empathy, 1993, Vol 3, #2 (G.L.A.R.P., Columbia, South Carolina)
- Backspace, 1992–93, Vol 1, # I & 2 (Textworks, Somerville, Massachusetts)
[edit] Discography
- 2006 - triMIX (Innova Recordings)
- 2003 - The Tribryd Installation Soundtracks (Beta-lactam Ring Records)
In 2003 Beta-lactam Ring Records released Norris' compilation The Tribryd Installation Soundtracks. This collection of soundtracks, were based on his photographic works of the urban and industrial Pacific Northwest. In 2006, The Innova Recordings/American Composers Forum released mixed, reconstructed versions of compositions by eleven sound artists including Nobukazu Takemura, Andrew Lagowski (Lustmord) and Troum.
[edit] Awards
- Oregon Arts Commission, 2012 / Career Opportunity Grant
- Regional Arts & Culture Council, 2010 / Professional Development Grant
- New American Art Union, 2008 / Couture Stipend
- GRGRF, Inc., 1999-2000 / Annual Community Grants
- New England Open Studio: The Arts Online, 1999 / NEA (through the Benton Foundation)
- LOOKOUT Video Festival, 1992 / Auto-Porto-Matic, for DCTV/NY
- Massachusetts Arts Lottery Grant, 1991 / Somerville Arts Council
[edit] Soundvision
In 2002 Norris founded his signature gallery, Soundvision, which focused on sound-related work, installation and performance. Soundvision was recognized as one of the "10 Best New Places in Portland" by The Oregonian.[citation needed] The gallery featured audio/visual and multimedia work with a focus on installation, 2/3D by artists including Terre Thaemlitz, Cary Leibowitz, and Janek Schaefer. The space also played host to a series of performances including Belgian composer Vidna Obmana, Twine, Illusion of Safety and the spoken word collective Spare Room (Portland, OR). The gallery closed in November 2003.
