Cynthia von Buhler

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Self-Portrait with Cockroaches by Cynthia von Buhler
Self-Portrait with Cockroaches by Cynthia von Buhler

Cynthia von Buhler is an internationally exhibiting visual artist, illustrator, children's book author, and performer living in New York City. Von Buhler uses traditional as well as unconventional media: painting, sculpture, performance, video projection, installation, living fauna, collage, photography, human detritus, and electronic audio. By innovatively combining these media, often enhanced with text and electronics, von Buhler's canvasses frequently become elaborate kinetic installations. In March 2006, Art & Antiques named von Buhler as "one of the top contemporary surrealists", however, she has also been linked to the Fluxus movement.

Cynthia von Buhler
Cynthia von Buhler

Contents

[edit] Artistic career

Miss Ann Thrope by Cynthia von Buhler
Miss Ann Thrope by Cynthia von Buhler
Sir Repetitious by Cynthia von Buhler
Sir Repetitious by Cynthia von Buhler

Von Buhler’s canvasses are three-dimensional collages enhanced with objects, live animals, and electronics, such that in addition to being paintings, they are also often large and elaborate mixed-media installations. For example, Miss Ann Thrope is a life-sized painting of a woman with two doves perched inside. When the birds move in the piece, they change its equilibrium and alter its intended meaning. In Sir Repetitious, an egotistical man’s transparent insides reveal two voracious rats, hungry for the food and attention of onlookers – feed the rodents with the supplied seed, and you are satisfying Sir on physical and metaphorical levels. A velvet-curtained puppet theater sets the stage for Show and Tell, a multimedia painting that explores the use of word versus action with hidden visual and auditory messages. The aptly-named Please Don’t Look Up My Skirt is a commentary on date-rape in which a Botticelli-esque beauty without arms or legs tries modestly to cover herself, imploring the viewer not to violate her; those who disregard the plea see what they have become. As when the mind is absent but the body lives on, the pensive but vacant face of Grandfather explores the mechanics of Alzheimer’s disease; the pendulum oscillates to a steady rhythm, but time stands still for a broken clock.

Regardless of medium, all of von Buhler's pieces require the viewer to get involved: sometimes physically, by pulling a cord or inserting a coin to operate a machine, and at other times mentally, when the message sent strikes a chord with the viewer. The Artist is a disembodied mannequin head and wooden hand in a booth. The work takes your quarter, deliberates a moment, and then gives you a tongue-in-cheek assessment of your artistic temperament, dispensing a postage-stamp-sized example of your style. Cynth-O-Matic offers the brave a chance to buy one of various plastic capsules containing actual samples of the artist’s body hair and fluids from a gaily-decorated vending machine. The piece is von Buhler’s critique of those who attend art openings to chat with the artist and scarf hors d’oeuvres while ignoring the art. An androgynous pair of gold-painted legs offers up a Viewmaster slideshow from its pubic region – the piece warns of sexually transmitted diseases by delivering a surprising visual twist. Lil’ Blast O’ Past conjures memories of trying to be grown up by dispensing three more ubiquitous men’s colognes from the 1980s with accompanying audio dialogue; many will remember the smells associated with their various suggested locales – locker room, prom date, and an infamous New York dance club. Though the artist works in numerous media, her pieces are uniform in that each piece provides incisive commentary, whether on morality, aging, vanity, politics, or the art world itself.

Her work has appeared on the covers of New York’s Gallery Guide, Communication Arts, Step by Step Graphics, New York Arts, The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, and many other publications.

CYNTH-O-MATIC exhibition catalog cover
CYNTH-O-MATIC exhibition catalog cover
Show & Tell by Cynthia von Buhler
Show & Tell by Cynthia von Buhler

Von Buhler's cover photograph and headline for The Boston Globe Calendar section was later enlarged and used on billboards advertising the publication. Before von Buhler moved to New York City she lived in Boston where she was chosen by Boston Magazine as one of the "40 Bostonians We Love" in their June 2002 cover feature article. " Von Buhler's paintings have appeared in more than a thousand magazines, books, publications, billboards, and CDs. Her work has also appeared on TV in Law & Order SVU and Kidnapped and she was interviewed and profiled in Mary Magdalen: An Intimate Portrait on The Lifetime Network. In addition, a painting of hers commissioned by The New Yorker was featured in the show's introductory graphics.

Von Buhler has won the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the Society of Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, and the Gold Medal from the Visual Club. Her work has been published frequently in The Society of Illustrators Annual, Communication Arts Illustration Annual, and American Illustration, each of which feature the best and most cutting-edge illustration in the country.

Howard Stern owns a portrait of himself painted by von Buhler, while Jann Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone, bought von Buhler’s portraits of Madonna and Jimi Hendrix, both of which were featured in the "50th Anniversary of Rock and Roll" issue of Rolling Stone. Von Buhler's work is also in the collections of The University of Toronto, The Opera Company of Philadelphia, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and hundreds of personal collections all over the world.

The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside by Cynthia von Buhler
The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside by Cynthia von Buhler
The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside by Cynthia von Buhler
The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside by Cynthia von Buhler

The Cat Who Wouldn’t Come Inside, von Buhler's children’s picture book, was released by Houghton Mifflin in September 2006. Kirkus Reviews called The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside "a sheer delight." The book was chosen as a Teacher's Picks: Best of 2006 by Parent & Child and was a Booksense Children's Pick for Winter/Spring 2006/2007. They Called Her Molly Pitcher, written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by von Buhler was chosen as One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing by The New York Public Library in 2002. The New York Times called the book "handsomely illustrated." In the Steven Spielberg celebrity-written benefit book Once Upon A Fairytale von Buhler's art illustrates a story by Martha Stewart.

Von Buhler is also involved in the music industry and performance art, and has performed at museums, galleries, and nightclubs in major cities around the country. Von Buhler's seminal, underground performance troupe, “Women of Sodom” won a Best Music Poll Award from The Boston Phoenix and paved the way for the revival of burlesque and cabaret acts in Boston such as The Dresden Dolls. Her band "Countess," a rock opera about the music industry, was nominated for a Boston Music Award and the they opened for Karen Finley at Royally F***ed, a three-day event featuring visual and performance art in Boston at The Dietrich von Buhler Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Paradise Rock Club. Von Buhler also formed and managed the band Splashdown, who were for a time signed to Capitol Records. She also co-owned Castle von Buhler Records with her ex-husband and Splashdown member, Adam Buhler and Clifford Stoltze. Castle von Buhler released a series of three art and music CD compilations which won many art and design awards. Proceeds from these compilations were donated to various AIDS charities. Von Buhler also appeared as Bettie Page in a music video for the band The Amazing Crowns on MTV.

Detail from The Great Warhola by Cynthia von Buhler
Detail from The Great Warhola by Cynthia von Buhler

CVB Space also known as The Carrozzini von Buhler Gallery, an art gallery, film location, and event space in New York City's Meatpacking district is owned and directed by von Buhler. Stefania Carrozzini is the director of International Exhibition Projects at The Carrozzini von Buhler Gallery. In February, 2007, von Buhler curated an exhibit titled Andy Warhol: In His Wake featuring Warhol's superstars, Ultra Violet, Taylor Mead, Billy Name, and Ivy Nicholson along with artists who were influenced by Warhol. For this exhibit von Buhler created The Great Warhola, an interactive, fortune-telling machine. With reality television and YouTube everyone has the 15 minutes of fame that Warhol predicted for them. This popular exhibit was featured on television in Japan, Switzerland and Germany. CVB Space and the historic, industrial building it is housed in has been featured in Sex and the City, Law & Order SVU, and Someone Like You (starring Ashley Judd, Hugh Jackman, and Greg Kinnear) and will be appearing in Mostly Martha (starring Catherine Zeta-Jones).

Von Buhler, an avid animal lover and rescuer of cats, lives with her husband, noted jazz violinist Russell Farhang, and a veritable zoo of animal species in a castle on Staten Island.

[edit] References

[edit] Selected domestic press

Detail from The Artist by Cynthia von Buhler
Detail from The Artist by Cynthia von Buhler

[edit] Selected international press

  • Prima Delle Elezioni, review, D'ARS International Arts Magazine, September, 2005
  • CVB Space, interview, The International Channel, RAI Corporation Italian TV, aired internationally, May 22, 2004
  • Il Principe dei sogni, review, “The Principe Azzurro”, Bologna Night and Day, May 29, 2003
  • Il Principe Azzuro, review, Archivio Delle Arte, September, 2003
  • The Principe Azzuro, review, D'ARS International Arts Magazine, September, 2003

[edit] Awards & Honors

[edit] Selected Juried Art Books

  • American Illustration, 25, 23, 21, 20, 18, 17, 14
  • Society of Illustrators, New York City, 49, 46, 45, 42, 40, 38, 37
  • Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles, 41, 36, 35
  • Communication Arts Illustration Annuals, 45, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37; Design Annual, 38

[edit] Children’s Picture Books

[edit] Other Books

[edit] Selected Lectures

[edit] Discography

  • 2001 Shooting Star, Countess, Castle von Buhler Records (funded by MCA Records)
  • 1999 Nigh, art and music compilation, AIDS Action Committee benefit, producer and contributor
  • 1997 Anon, art and music compilation, AIDS Action Committee benefit, producer and contributor
  • 1997 Boots, Women of Sodom, PussyKitty Records
  • 1996 Soon, art and music compilation, AIDS Action Committee benefit, producer and contributor

[edit] One-Woman Exhibits

[edit] Selected Group Exhibits

  • February, 2007 Andy Warhol: In His Wake, CVB Space, New York, NY
  • January, 2005 The Studio Visit, Exit Art, New York, NY
  • Nov-February, 2005 Plastic Princess: Barbie in Art, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
  • February, 2005 Love Is In The Air, Studio D'Ars, Milan, Italy
  • October, 2004 The Presidency, Exit Art, New York, NY
  • September, 2004 American, Gallery 49, New York, NY
  • July, 2003 International Paper Exhibit, Monique Goldstrom Gallery, New York, NY
  • June-July, 2003 Il Principe Azzurro, Gallery 9 Columns, Bologna, Italy
  • May-June, 2003 Il Principe Azzurro, Studio D'Ars, Milan, Italy
  • April, 2003 The Domestic Frontier of Homeland Security, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
  • September, 2001 The Animal as Muse: Divine to Demonic, The New Art Center in Newton, MA
  • August, 2001 Adults Only, Hallspace Gallery, Boston, MA
  • July, 2001 Guapo Y Fuerte, Anno Domini, San Jose, CA
  • June, 2001 Original Art, California State University, Northridge Gallery, Northridge, CA
  • February, 2001 Whatever It Takes, Pennsylvania School of Art & Design, Lancaster, PA
  • January, 2000 The Allegorical Figure, Randolph Gallery, Boston, MA
  • Summer, 1999 Made In Massachusetts, The Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA
  • April-July, 1998 Audubon Legacy, Vault Series: Birds, The New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA
  • November, 1996 Group Show, Museum of Contemporary Art, Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA

[edit] Selected Performances

  • January, 2006 The Studio Visit, window studio, Exit Art, New York, NY
  • October 6, 2004 The Artist Statement, Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA
  • June 9, 2003 Karen Finley’s Scream Out, Saint Mark’s Church, New York, NY
  • December 5-7, 2002 Ulcer Gulch, performed with The Bentmen, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
  • June 28, 2001 The Genital Confessions, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
  • June 29, 2001 Countess, Royally ******, opened for Karen Finley, Boston, MA
  • April, 2001 The Penis Confessions, opened for The Strokes, Gallery Bershad, Cambridge, MA
  • 1999-2001 X.C.R.M.N.T. 2000, The Millennium Time Captsule Project, Nationwide
  • December, 1995 Women of Sodom, Sextacy Ball, Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY

[edit] External links