Margia Kramer facts for kids

Margia Kramer, born in 1939, is an American artist, writer, and activist from New York. In the 1970s and 1980s, she created unique art using official documents. Her work focused on important topics like feminism, civil rights, and government surveillance. She used different types of media, including art installations, videos, and books.

Margia Kramer's Art and Activism

Margia Kramer is known for her "documentary art." This means she uses real documents and information to create her artworks. She lives in New York and has been an important voice for social issues.

Using Government Documents in Art

In the 1970s and 1980s, Kramer used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This law allows people to ask the U.S. government for official documents. She requested files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Kramer then used these actual government documents in her art. She showed them exactly as she received them, even with parts blacked out. These blacked-out sections are called "redactions." She wanted to show how the government sometimes hides information.

How Kramer Transformed Documents

To make her art powerful, Kramer changed the size of the documents. She made them much bigger or smaller. She also changed them from positive (like a regular photo) to negative (like a film negative). She printed them on clear film instead of paper.

These large, clear documents would hang from the ceiling. They cast shadows on the walls, creating a strong and thought-provoking atmosphere. This made the hidden parts of the documents even more noticeable.

Art About Important Issues

Kramer's art highlighted how government actions could affect people's lives. She showed how these actions related to civil liberties and civil rights. Her work often explored themes of government censorship and surveillance.

She created art about specific government programs that watched citizens. For example, she made videos and installations about actress Jean Seberg and artist Andy Warhol. She used their FBI files to show how they were monitored.

Key Artworks and Exhibitions

Margia Kramer's art has been shown in many places. She had over 15 solo shows and more than 40 group exhibitions. Her work has been displayed at famous museums like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Her videos and installations are part of permanent collections. You can find them at MoMA, the Allen Memorial Art Museum, and the New York Public Library.

Notable Art Installations

• "Secret III" (1980): This was a window installation at a bookstore in New York City. It featured enlarged pages from Jean Seberg's FBI file. Kramer also made a pamphlet with more pages from the file.
• "Jean Seberg/The FBI/The Media" (1981): This video installation included large negative images of FBI files. It also had a 20-minute video and a pamphlet by Kramer. It was shown at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London.
• "Address Book Triptych" (1987-1988): This artwork used declassified FBI pages about people who opposed the Vietnam War. It was made of three panels with enlarged negative images on clear film.
• "CIA Screen" (1987-1988): This was a four-panel screen made with enlarged negative images of a CIA recruitment brochure. It was part of an exhibition about democracy and politics.
• "Looking At Militarism" (1989): This installation included documents from MIT archives and government defense programs. It also featured old film footage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kramer interviewed professors Noam Chomsky and Vera Kistiakowsky for this piece.
• "I a WO/MAN: The FBI File on Andy Warhol" (1989): This installation featured large negative images from Andy Warhol's FBI file. These files were released after his death through the Freedom of Information Act. The artwork also included a pamphlet by Kramer.

Margia Kramer's Videos

Margia Kramer has created several important video works. These videos often explore themes of government actions and public information.

• "Taking the Fifth" (1988): This video compares testimony from the Iran-Contra Hearings (1987) with the Army-McCarthy Hearings (1954). It also includes comments from journalist Edward R. Murrow.
• "Looking at Militarism: Two Interviews" (1989): This video features Kramer's interviews with activist Professor Noam Chomsky and peace activist Professor Vera Kistiakowsky. It was part of her "Looking at Militarism" art installation.
• "Freedom of Information Tape 3; The Guerrilla Manual for the Contras in Nicaragua" (1985): In this video, Kramer reads from a copy of a manual distributed by the U.S. government in 1984.
• "Freedom of Information Tape 2: Progress and Access" (1983): Kramer interviews early internet pioneers and an economist about automation and the future of work.
• "Freedom of Information Tape 1; Jean Seberg" (1980): This video tells the story of actress Jean Seberg's life and death. It uses voice-overs, film clips, and excerpts from the film "Breathless."

Margia Kramer's Writings

Margia Kramer has also written several books and articles related to her art and research.

Books by Margia Kramer

• Andy Warhol et al: The FBI File on Andy Warhol (1988)
• Jean Seberg/The FBI/The Media (1981)
• Essential Documents: The FBI File on Jean Seberg Part II (1980)
• Essential Documents: The FBI File on Jean Seberg Part I (1979)

Other Writings

Kramer has contributed to various magazines and art publications. Her articles often discuss art as a way to challenge power and share information. She wrote for Upfront, a magazine from Political Art Documentation/Distribution (PAD/D), which she helped start.

Education and Awards

Margia Kramer studied fine arts and languages at Brooklyn College. She also earned a master's degree in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. She learned from famous artists and historians.

Kramer has received many awards and grants for her work. These include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. These awards helped her create her important art projects.

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