"Fold III" by Thomas Downing: one of the works uncovered among the CIA's art collection by artist Joby Barron. Her quest to uncover the CIA's art collection evolved into an exhibition that lays bare the hurdles she has faced. It is now on show at San Francisco's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecjm.org%2Findex.php" target="_blank" target="_blank">Contemporary Jewish Museum</a> as part of an group show called "<a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecjm.org%2Fon-view%2Fupcoming%2Fchasing-justice%2Fabout" target="_blank" target="_blank">Chasing Justice</a>" alongside to other artists who take on institutional secrecy and government surveillance. Discover more...
"Fold III" by Thomas Downing: one of the works uncovered among the CIA's art collection by artist Joby Barron. Her quest to uncover the CIA's art collection evolved into an exhibition that lays bare the hurdles she has faced. It is now on show at San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum as part of an group show called "Chasing Justice" alongside to other artists who take on institutional secrecy and government surveillance. Discover more...
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
Oregonian artist Barron wondered what it would take to get a glimpse inside the secretive and mysterious CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. She had her eyes on a collection of abstract paintings that have scarcely been seen in 50 years.
Joby Barron "Acres of Walls" (2015) —
Oregonian artist Barron wondered what it would take to get a glimpse inside the secretive and mysterious CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. She had her eyes on a collection of abstract paintings that have scarcely been seen in 50 years.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
For her exhibition "Acres of Walls," Barron recreates a selection of paintings from the Melzac Collection, which was donated to the CIA in the 70s, in 3/4 scale.
Joby Barron "Acres of Walls" (2015) —
For her exhibition "Acres of Walls," Barron recreates a selection of paintings from the Melzac Collection, which was donated to the CIA in the 70s, in 3/4 scale.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco
A selection of documents follow her research and interactions with the CIA including FOIA requests, denials, appeals, redacted pages, and correspondence. She says she wanted to make clear the limits of the current FOIA system.
Joby Barron "Acres of Walls" (2015) —
A selection of documents follow her research and interactions with the CIA including FOIA requests, denials, appeals, redacted pages, and correspondence. She says she wanted to make clear the limits of the current FOIA system.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
Joining Barron, life-long activist Arnold Mesches used FOIA requests to dig up dirt on.... himself.
Arnold Mesches "The FBI Files" (2001--03) —
Joining Barron, life-long activist Arnold Mesches used FOIA requests to dig up dirt on.... himself.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
New York-native Mesches petitioned the government for access to the files the FBI has kept on him.
Arnold Mesches "The FBI Files" (2001--03) —
New York-native Mesches petitioned the government for access to the files the FBI has kept on him.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
The artist (now 92 years old) received 700 pages, often heavily redacted, dating from the 1940s to the 70s .
Arnold Mesches "The FBI Files" (2001--03) —
The artist (now 92 years old) received 700 pages, often heavily redacted, dating from the 1940s to the 70s .
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
He turned the government's investigations of him into a canvas for his own creativity:<br />adding splashes of color and images from popular culture.
Arnold Mesches "The FBI Files" (2001--03) —
He turned the government's investigations of him into a canvas for his own creativity:
adding splashes of color and images from popular culture.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
His aimed to create "juxtapositions between the new elements and the blacked-out sheets of paper."
Arnold Mesches "The FBI Files" (2001--03) —
His aimed to create "juxtapositions between the new elements and the blacked-out sheets of paper."
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
Berkeley-based Robbin Henderson contributes 55 artworks created as part of her series focusing on a woman named Matilda Robbins.
Robbin Henderson "Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist" (2013--15) —
Berkeley-based Robbin Henderson contributes 55 artworks created as part of her series focusing on a woman named Matilda Robbins.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
Matilda Robbins was a Jewish immigrant from Russia who became an itinerant labor activist throughout the Northeast in the years before WWII.
Robbin Henderson "Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist" (2013--15) —
Matilda Robbins was a Jewish immigrant from Russia who became an itinerant labor activist throughout the Northeast in the years before WWII.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
She was also Henderson's grandmother.
Robbin Henderson "Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist" (2013--15) —
She was also Henderson's grandmother.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
"Henderson's work uses the unpublished memoir of Robbins --the leader of the first strike in Detroit against the auto industry, labor organizer, editor, social worker, and single mother -- as the basis for a suite of original black and white scratchboard drawings," says the gallery.
Robbin Henderson "Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist" (2013--15) —
"Henderson's work uses the unpublished memoir of Robbins --the leader of the first strike in Detroit against the auto industry, labor organizer, editor, social worker, and single mother -- as the basis for a suite of original black and white scratchboard drawings," says the gallery.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
"Through the creation of a sort of 'graphic memoir' representing her grandmother's story, Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist provides a contemporary interpretation of what pursuing justice in the early twentieth century looked like."
Robbin Henderson "Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist" (2013--15) —
"Through the creation of a sort of 'graphic memoir' representing her grandmother's story, Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist provides a contemporary interpretation of what pursuing justice in the early twentieth century looked like."
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.
Discover more on <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecjm.org%2Fon-view%2Fcurrently%2Fchasing-justice%2Fabout" target="_blank" target="_blank">the CJM website</a>.
Robbin Henderson "Matilda Robbins: Immigrant, Wobbly, Feminist" (2013--15) —
Discover more on the CJM website.
Courtesy Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.