Barrie Karp
Encyclopedia
Barrie Karp is a New York City
philosophy professor and visual artist. Karp's work, as scholar and educator is at the intersection between (and arguably goes well beyond) several distinct disciplines and practices: between feminist and anti-racist critique, between psychoanalysis and political activism, and between literature, art, visual culture, and new media studies. Karp is interested in Continental philosophy
, for instance the work of Luce Irigaray
, and in the work of American feminists such as bell hooks
, Judith Butler
, Drucilla Cornell
, Patricia J. Williams
, Hazel Carby
, Angela Davis
, Sara Ruddick
and Ann duCille. Through her pedagogy and scholarly activity, Karp has helped define feminism as a movement that can work across disciplinary boundaries and be informed by various traditions of scholarship. Karp has also worked to separate feminism from the so-called white privilege with which its critics sometimes associated it. Paintings of Karp's were featured in the November/December 2008 issue of Tikkun
magazine and by the Tikkun editor's August 2009 online blog.
, where she earned a B.S.
in 1967. A teacher of philosophy, cultural studies, humanities and arts from a decidedly feminist and anti-racist perspective in New York City colleges since 1970, she filed an unsuccessful discrimination case against City College
after losing her position in 1975 over her complaints to the affirmative action office about a "current and historical lack of female philosophy department faculty members at CCNY."
She completed an M.A.
(1977), a M.Phil. (1979) and a Ph.D.
(1980) in the Philosophy Department at City University of New York
. Her doctoral dissertation was titled "Self-Deception." Since 1982, she has been a faculty member of Eugene Lang College
and the School of Visual Arts
(Humanities and Sciences Department).
Karp began art studies with Maria Lowenstein (1954 to 1959) and Lycoming College
(Ian James
, 1962). After her Chatham College studies she also studied art at Provincetown Workshop
(Leo Manso, Victor Candell, summer 1964) and New York University
(Leo Manso, fall 1964, spring 1965). After completing her Ph.D. she studied at the New School for Social Research (Leo Manso, early 1980s); with the Art Students League (Leo Manso, Rudolf Baranik, 1981-1983); and at the Provincetown Art Association Museum School (Selena Trieff, 1983).
conducted a May 7, 2008 protest rally “for a socially just, responsible, and democratic university.” The activist students characterized the administration decision as part of a plan to “corporatize” the school and restructure its curriculum away from the school’s progressive tradition.
In addition to seeking her rehiring, the students were demanding the removal of New School Board of Trustees treasurer Robert B. Millard over his chairmanship of L-3 Communications
, a major military contractor. Eight students had been arrested for blocking the entrance to L-3 on March 19, 2008, the fifth anniversary of the Anglo-American invasion and occupation of Iraq. They were also protesting the New School's dealings with companies which they alleged were underpaying their workers and otherwise violating their rights and the school's "refusal to hear the demands" of Local 78 of the Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers Union.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
philosophy professor and visual artist. Karp's work, as scholar and educator is at the intersection between (and arguably goes well beyond) several distinct disciplines and practices: between feminist and anti-racist critique, between psychoanalysis and political activism, and between literature, art, visual culture, and new media studies. Karp is interested in Continental philosophy
Continental philosophy
Continental philosophy, in contemporary usage, refers to a set of traditions of 19th and 20th century philosophy from mainland Europe. This sense of the term originated among English-speaking philosophers in the second half of the 20th century, who used it to refer to a range of thinkers and...
, for instance the work of Luce Irigaray
Luce Irigaray
Luce Irigaray is a Belgian feminist, philosopher, linguist, psychoanalyst, sociologist and cultural theorist. She is best known for her works Speculum of the Other Woman and This Sex Which Is Not One .-Biography:...
, and in the work of American feminists such as bell hooks
Bell hooks
Gloria Jean Watkins , better known by her pen name bell hooks, is an American author, feminist, and social activist....
, Judith Butler
Judith Butler
Judith Butler is an American post-structuralist philosopher, who has contributed to the fields of feminism, queer theory, political philosophy, and ethics. She is a professor in the Rhetoric and Comparative Literature departments at the University of California, Berkeley.Butler received her Ph.D...
, Drucilla Cornell
Drucilla Cornell
Drucilla Cornell is a professor of Political Science, Comparative Literature, and Women's Studies at Rutgers University. She also holds visiting positions at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Birkbeck College, University of London...
, Patricia J. Williams
Patricia J. Williams
Patricia J. Williams is an American legal scholar and a proponent of critical race theory, a school of legal thought that emphasizes race as a fundamental determinant of the American legal system....
, Hazel Carby
Hazel Carby
Hazel V. Carby is professor of African American Studies and of American Studies at Yale University. Before joining Yale University faculty, she taught English at Wesleyan University for seven years...
, Angela Davis
Angela Davis
Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
, Sara Ruddick
Sara Ruddick
Sara Ruddick was a feminist philosopher and the author of Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace.. Ruddick taught philosophy at the New School of Social Research. She is best known for her analysis of the practices of thinking that emerge from the care of children...
and Ann duCille. Through her pedagogy and scholarly activity, Karp has helped define feminism as a movement that can work across disciplinary boundaries and be informed by various traditions of scholarship. Karp has also worked to separate feminism from the so-called white privilege with which its critics sometimes associated it. Paintings of Karp's were featured in the November/December 2008 issue of Tikkun
Tikkun
Tikkun/Tikun is a Hebrew word meaning "Fixing/Rectification". It has several connotations in Judaism:Traditional:*Tikkun , a book of Torah scroll text, used when learning to chant Torah portions or for correct-fixed scribal calligraphy...
magazine and by the Tikkun editor's August 2009 online blog.
Academic career and art studies
After studying painting and liberal arts at Chatham College with Vaino T. Kola and Jerry Caplan from 1962 through 1964, she transferred to Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where she earned a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1967. A teacher of philosophy, cultural studies, humanities and arts from a decidedly feminist and anti-racist perspective in New York City colleges since 1970, she filed an unsuccessful discrimination case against City College
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
after losing her position in 1975 over her complaints to the affirmative action office about a "current and historical lack of female philosophy department faculty members at CCNY."
She completed an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1977), a M.Phil. (1979) and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(1980) in the Philosophy Department at City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
. Her doctoral dissertation was titled "Self-Deception." Since 1982, she has been a faculty member of Eugene Lang College
Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts
Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts is the seminar-style, undergraduate, liberal arts college of The New School university. It is located on-campus in New York City's Greenwich Village on West 11th Street off 6th Avenue.-History:...
and the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
(Humanities and Sciences Department).
Karp began art studies with Maria Lowenstein (1954 to 1959) and Lycoming College
Lycoming College
Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of the 50 oldest colleges in America, Lycoming enrolls 1400 undergraduate students from over 28 states and 12 foreign countries. Eighty percent of the college's students live on campus...
(Ian James
Ian James
Ian James may refer to:* Ian James , Canadian Olympic long jumper* Ian James , Cambridge University lecturer in French and fellow of Downing College, Cambridge...
, 1962). After her Chatham College studies she also studied art at Provincetown Workshop
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
(Leo Manso, Victor Candell, summer 1964) and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(Leo Manso, fall 1964, spring 1965). After completing her Ph.D. she studied at the New School for Social Research (Leo Manso, early 1980s); with the Art Students League (Leo Manso, Rudolf Baranik, 1981-1983); and at the Provincetown Art Association Museum School (Selena Trieff, 1983).
SDS activism on Karp's behalf
After the administration of the New School decided not to renew Prof. Karp's contract to teach in the cultural studies department, the campus chapter of Students for a Democratic SocietyStudents for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
conducted a May 7, 2008 protest rally “for a socially just, responsible, and democratic university.” The activist students characterized the administration decision as part of a plan to “corporatize” the school and restructure its curriculum away from the school’s progressive tradition.
In addition to seeking her rehiring, the students were demanding the removal of New School Board of Trustees treasurer Robert B. Millard over his chairmanship of L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. is a company that supplies command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training devices and services, instrumentation, space, and navigation products. Its customers include...
, a major military contractor. Eight students had been arrested for blocking the entrance to L-3 on March 19, 2008, the fifth anniversary of the Anglo-American invasion and occupation of Iraq. They were also protesting the New School's dealings with companies which they alleged were underpaying their workers and otherwise violating their rights and the school's "refusal to hear the demands" of Local 78 of the Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers Union.
External links
- Barrie Karp's artwork site
- http://www.saatchionline.com/search?query=barrie+karp
- Karp's web albums artwork
- Karp at Pierogi 2000
- Gender, Body, Culture, p. 88
- 2009 Tikkun Magazine, (painting titled "supplicant") chosen, written by & posted by editor Dave Belden to Tikkun Daily Blog, in conversation with August 3, 2009 Tikkun phone forum with & writings by Michael Eigen about the film Into Great Silence
- 2008 Tikkun Magazine, Nov/Dec. 2008 (painting published) November/December 2008 print issue, and Karp painting published, with writing by Alix Kates ShulmanAlix Kates ShulmanAlix Kates Shulman is an American writer of fiction, memoirs, and essays, as well as one of the early radical feminist activists of feminism's Second Wave...
from her 2008 book To Love What Is: A Marriage Transformed, Farrar, Straus and Giroux - Lang needs Barrie
Works, reviews and listings
- 2002 Barrie Karp, in "Art & Observance ~ School of Visual Arts Commemorates 9/11", exhibition catalog, p. 14, two drawings by Barrie Karp published
- Feminist Studies, 19:2, Summer 1993, 314 & 320
- IKON Magazine #7, Spring-Summer 1987, p. 124
- 1989, Eileen O’Neill, "(Re)presentations of Eros: Exploring Female Sexual Agency," in Alison Jaggar, Susan R. Bordo, eds., Gender/Body/Knowledge — Feminist Reconstructions of Being & Knowing, New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers UP, 1989, 68-91
- 1987 Eileen O’Neill, "The Re-Imaging of Eros: Women Construct Their Own Sexuality," in IKON Magazine #7, Spring-Summer 1987, 118-126
- 1987 & 2005: Greg Masters, 2005, online review of “Barrie Karp/John Duch (Rastovski Gallery, East Village, January 28-February 15, 1987)”. Previously published in print, 1987 for Cover Magazine, posted online 2005
- Listed in Guide to the A.I.R. Gallery Archives, ca. 1972-2006, MSS 184, Fales Library and Special Collections, Elmer Holmes Bobst LibraryElmer Holmes Bobst LibraryThe Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, often referred to as Bobst Library or Bobst, is the main library at New York University. Located at 70 Washington Square South between LaGuardia Place and the Schwartz pedestrian plaza, across from the southeast corner of Washington Square Park, it is named after...
- Listed in National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Listed & reviewed at Abstract Art Online
- Internet Art Resources listing.
- http://www.allenginsberg.org/index.php?page=first-blues-gang1976 group photo with Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergIrwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
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