Kerri Scharlin facts for kids
Kerri Scharlin is an American artist who lives and works in New York City. She is known for her interesting art projects from the 1990s. These projects explored what makes up a person's identity. She often asked other people, like police sketch artists or magazine writers, to create "portraits" of her. The New York Times newspaper said her art shows that who we are can change and grow.
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Early Life and Education
Kerri Scharlin grew up in Miami, Florida. She studied art at several colleges. She earned a bachelor's degree from Barnard College. She also got a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts. Later, she attended the Master of Fine Arts program at Hunter College.
Art Projects
Witnessed
From 1991 to 1993, Kerri Scharlin explored how others saw her. She asked artist friends to describe her to police sketch artists. The artists then drew her based on these descriptions. Scharlin then made these drawings larger and showed them in art exhibits.
The Big Nothing or Le Presque Rien
In 1992, Kerri Scharlin helped organize an art show. It was called "The Big Nothing" at the New Museum. This show featured artworks that were very subtle. Some pieces seemed almost invisible at first glance. The artists included Janine Antoni and Fred Wilson.
Student Body
In 1993, Scharlin wanted to see how art students would draw her. She put up flyers offering herself as a free live model. In return, she asked for the drawings and sculptures the students made of her. She then showed these artworks at a gallery in New York.
Interview
For her project called Interview, Scharlin hired writers and photographers. They came from famous magazines like Self, Allure, G.Q., and Vanity Fair. She asked them to create articles about her. Each article was written in the style of their own magazine. This showed how different publications could present the same person in many ways.
Diary
In 1997, Scharlin worked with writers from popular TV shows. These shows included The Simpsons, NYPD Blue, and Beavis and Butt-Head. She gave them parts of her diary. They then turned these diary entries into short scripts. Each script was written in the style of their TV show. Scharlin showed storyboards from these scripts. She also showed videos of actresses trying out for the role of "Kerri Scharlin."
Girls' School
In 2006, Kerri Scharlin created a group of paintings. These paintings were inspired by her daughter's school. Her daughter attended a private school in Manhattan.
In Her Studio
In 2019, Scharlin showed a new series of paintings. These works featured women artists in their studios. She found pictures of these artists online. She painted them in a style that was very expressive. These paintings were meant to feel like an "invitation to friendship."
Exhibitions
Kerri Scharlin has had many solo art shows. These include exhibitions at:
- Dooley LeCappellaine, New York (1993)
- Postmasters Gallery, New York (1993)
- Jose Freire Gallery, New York (1994)
- Schaper Sundberg Galleri, Stockholm (1995)
- Wooster Gardens, New York (1997)
- Kustera Tilton Gallery, New York (2006)
- New Release Gallery, New York (2019)
She also helped organize the show The Big Nothing or Le Presque Rien. This exhibition was at the New Museum in 1992.
Personal Life
Kerri Scharlin lives in New York City with her husband, Peter. They have a son and a daughter.
