Meridel Rubenstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meridel Rubenstein
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Meridel Rubenstein in 2024
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| Born | March 26, 1948 Detroit, MI
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Minor White |
| Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of New Mexico |
| Known for | Photography |
| Style | narrative, mixed-media installation |
Meridel Rubenstein (born 1948) is an American artist who creates amazing art using photography. She is famous for making large, detailed photos and combining them with sculptures and other objects. This type of art is called installation art, where the artwork fills up a whole room or space.
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Early Life and Education
Meridel Rubenstein was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1948. She was always interested in creative fields. In 1970, she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in social science, where she focused on making films.
She wanted to learn even more about art, so she went to the University of New Mexico. There, she studied with famous art experts like Beaumont Newhall and Franck Van Deren Coke. She earned two more advanced degrees, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in 1974 and a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in 1977.
Career as an Artist and Teacher
Rubenstein's unique art quickly gained attention. In 1981, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a very important award for artists and writers. Just two years later, in 1983, she won another major award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Besides creating her own art, Rubenstein also loves to teach. From 1985 to 1990, she was in charge of the photography department at San Francisco State University. Later, she returned to New Mexico to teach at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Today, she continues to create art and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Singapore.
Rubenstein's Unique Art Style
Rubenstein is known for her special way of making art. She doesn't just take simple pictures. Instead, she uses large-format cameras that create very big and detailed photographs.
She often mixes her photos with other things, like sculptures, to tell a story. This is called mixed-media art. For example, her famous piece Monks in a Canoe is a photograph printed on glass that is placed inside a real wooden dugout canoe. This combination makes the artwork feel more real and powerful.
Much of her work explores themes of nature and how people connect with it. One of her big projects, called The Volcano Cycle, is part of an even larger series titled Eden Turned on its Side.
Where to See Her Work
You can find Meridel Rubenstein's art in museums all over the world. Some of the places that have her work in their public collections include:
- The Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii
- The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg in Germany
- The New Mexico Museum of Art
- The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
