TJ Norris
TJ Norris | |
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![]() TJ Norris by Jim Lommasson TJ Norris (2008), Photo: Jim Lommasson | |
Born |
Thomas J. Whiting October 10, 1965 Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
Nationality | American |
Education | Massachusetts College of Art, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University |
Known for | Artist, Curator |
Website | |
tjnorris |
TJ Norris (born October 10, 1965) is an American interdisciplinary artist known for his urban, conceptual photography and installation projects. Hailing from New England, Norris is also a celebrated curator and writer now based in Dallas, Texas.
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 has included collaborations with sound artists and composers such as Scanner (Robin Rimbaud), Asmus Tietchens, Leif Elggren and Christian Renou (Brume) among others. These collaborations led to many critical observations about the intersection between sound and visual art. Norris eventually put his thoughts into writing as a journalist for such publications as Signal to Noise, Leonardo Magazine (MIT Press), Igloo Magazine, Resident Advisor, Willamette Week, EnzymePDX, Oregonlive.com among others. His work has been shown in the Americas and in the United Kingdom and is in the collections of the Fuller Museum of Art, Museum de la Ciudad, Vanhaerents Art Collection (Brussels) and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts as well as numerous private collections. Norris was featured in the 10th Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum and at the Center on Contemporary Art (Seattle). He studied at Massachusetts College of Art with influential American photographers Abelardo Morell and Laura McPhee and at Nova Scotia College of Art & Design.
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)
- Through the Cracks, 1994 (Ragged Edge Press, New York, New York)
- New American Paintings, 1993 (Open Studios Press, Boston, Massachusetts)
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.
Awards
- Regional Arts & Culture Council, 2013 / Artistic Focus Grant
- Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, 2012 / Change Grant
- Oregon Arts Commission, 2012 / Career Opportunity Grant
- Regional Arts & Culture Council, 2010 / Professional Development Grant
- New American Art Union, 2008 / Couture Stipend
- New England Open Studio: The Arts Online, 1999 / NEA (through the Benton Foundation)
- Massachusetts Arts Lottery Grant, 1991 / Somerville Arts Council
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. 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, Ethan Rose and the spoken word collective Spare Room (Portland, OR). The gallery closed in November 2003.
External links
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