Performance Artist Mary Coble: New Work and Performance at Conner Contemporary - May 15

| INTERVIEWS |

An Interview with Mary Coble by Anna Flaaten

Mary Coble: Source May 15 – July 3, 2010

Performance May 15th from 2PM to 8PM, Opening from 6PM to 8PM

Inspired by her lakeside artist residency in Skowhegan, Maine last summer where she spent time exploring new subject matter and an intuitive work process, Mary Coble’s new works at Conner Contemporay focus on themes of purification and renewal in actions focused on the element of water. To gather her material, the artist went door-to-door, collecting water samples from residences in all of DC's 8 wards. Coble crossed demographic boundaries to emphasize that water quality has differential effects across populations. Her work will include a live endurance performance this Saturday, May 15th and three new videos.

In her performance, she seeks to raise social awareness about water quality and availability in the local and global communities and to call attention to the internal effects of water quality. Her videos aim to invite her audience to open up a dialogue of how the political is personal and to consider access to clean water a fundamental human right.

The exhibition demonstrates the depth and dimension of Coble's art, which ranges from personal introspection to experience shared through public interaction.

Performance Art, closely related to the feminist movement, challenges the audience to think in new and unconventional ways shocking audiences into reassessing notions of art and its relation to culture. A transition from her previous works’ themes, she has always been interested in social justice and standing up for what is right: "Being queer in the community, there are issues that people need to stand up for that just aren't fair."

Coble's work is in the collection of The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC.

Originally from Julian, North Carolina, Mary Coble now lives in Washington, D.C.

Additional information may be found at: http://www.connercontemporary.com Conner Contemporary Art is located at 1358 Florida Avenue, NE –Washington, DC 20002.