On this episode of In Conversation, James Campbell is joined by Amelia Jones and Ken Gonzales Day as they discuss Amelia’s new book, Ken Gonzales-Day: History’s “Nevermade”. Amelia Jones is Robert A. Day Professor and Vice Dean of Faculty and Research at Roski School of Art & Design, USC, and is a curator and scholar of contemporary art, performance, and feminist and sexuality studies. Ken Gonzales-Day is a Los Angeles based artist whose interdisciplinary practice considers the historical construction of race and the limits of representational systems ranging from lynching photographs to educational museum displays.
00:00 Introduction
01:15 Encountering Ken’s work
01:50 Collaborations and working together
04:00 Information about the exhibition
06:45 Process of curating the book and exhibition
10:15 Balancing roles
13:00 Ken’s journey into art and thoughts on the curation
16:00 Contributors to the project
19:00 Importance of representation in the project
21:45 How the book medium changes perception
26:00 Role of the artist
28:00 Erased Lynchings and other projects
42:50 Anecdotes about Ken and his work
45:20 Changes to Amelia’s work
46:50 Project evolution
51:30 New creative outputs in current political climate
54:30 Past artist influences
58:00 Quick time questions
Resources:
Ken Gonzales-Day: History’s “Nevermade” edited by Amelia Jones https://www.intellectbooks.com/ken-go…
Ken Gonzales-Day website: https://kengonzalesday.com/