Visiting Artist: Julia Christensen

February 25, 2010
Richmond Center for Visual Arts, room 2008
5:30 p.m.

Julia Christensen is an artist, musician, and writer based in Oberlin, Ohio, whose work treads the fine line between art and research. She is the author of Big Box Reuse, published by the MIT Press. This book is a product of her ongoing investigation into how communities are renovating and reusing abandoned big box buildings. Christensen's writing has been publshed in magazines such as Slate, Print, Orion, and Architect.

Christensen's photographs were recently on display at the Yale Architectural Galleries as a part of the show "Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes," (Feb.16- May 18, 2009). A solo exhibition of Christensen's photographs and large-scale architectural installation work was on display this fall at the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University (Your Town Inc., August 29-November 23, 2008, curated by Astria Suparak). She recently had a solo show of photographs at the Gallery at the Green Building in Louisville, KY (December 5-January30). Christensen recently completed two commissions for net art through Turbulence.org. Her new media, photography, video, and installation work has also shown at the Lincoln Center in NY, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the DUMBO Art Center in Brooklyn, and the Carnegie Museum of Fine Arts, among other venues. Christensen also lectures widely.

Christensen is the founder and director of WAM!: Women and Art Music Ensemble at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has performed as a musician in such locations as 21 Grand and the Acme Observatory in Oakland, CA, and has studied composition with Pauline Oliveros, Maggi Payne, Fred Frith, and Chris Brown.

Christensen holds the chair of Luce Visiting Professor of the Emerging Arts at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she teaches in the Studio Arts and TIMARA (Technology in Music and Related Arts) Departments. She has also taught at Stanford University, Pratt Institute, and the California College of the Arts, among other universities.