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Bruce ConnerAmerican artist
Date of Birth: 18.11.1933
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Bruce Conner: A Multifaceted American Artist
- Early Career and the Beatnik Movement
- Asseblages and Dark Imagery
- Experimental Films
- Notable Assemblages
- "COSMIC RAY" and the Kennedy Assassination
- The Batman Gallery and the End of Assemblages
- Later Career and Legacy
Bruce Conner: A Multifaceted American Artist
Early Life and EducationBruce Conner, born in McPherson, Kansas, spent his formative years in Wichita. He studied art at the University of Nebraska before receiving a scholarship to attend the Brooklyn Museum Art School. He later enrolled at the University of Colorado.
Early Career and the Beatnik Movement
In 1957, Conner moved to San Francisco, where he immersed himself in the Beatnik community. He founded the Rat Bastard Protective Association and held his first solo exhibition in New York City in 1956, showcasing only paintings. His subsequent solo exhibitions in San Francisco in 1958 and 1959 expanded to include graphics, collages, assemblages, and sculptures.
Asseblages and Dark Imagery
Conner gained recognition for his ominous nylon-covered assemblages made from found objects such as stockings, doll parts, fur, and ornaments. These works, often combined with collages or painted surfaces, explored themes of individuality, societal distortion, violence against women, and consumerism.
Experimental Films
In the late 1950s, Conner began making short films, most notably "A MOVIE" (1958). The film, a compilation of old documentary and movie footage, reflected on the cinematic experience and human nature. It was later inducted into the Library of Congress. Conner went on to create over two dozen experimental, non-narrative films.
Notable Assemblages
One of Conner's most iconic assemblages, "CHILD," depicted a small wax figure with an open, agonized mouth. Encased in nylon stockings, it sat bound to a highchair. The work garnered attention at the De Young Museum in 1959 and is now housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
"COSMIC RAY" and the Kennedy Assassination
In 1961, Conner completed "COSMIC RAY," a four-minute-long collage of found footage and original material set to Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." The film premiered in 1962 and was widely interpreted as a meditation on sex and war.
The Batman Gallery and the End of Assemblages
In 1964, Conner participated in a three-day exhibition at the Batman Gallery in San Francisco, where he remained within the gallery space for its duration. This event was documented in his film "VIVIAN." The artist subsequently decided to cease making assemblages.
Later Career and Legacy
Conner remained active in the San Francisco counterculture, co-creating light shows and producing intricate mandala-like drawings and collages based on 19th-century engravings. He continued to make films, including "CROSSROADS," a meditation on the atomic bomb that pioneered the use of popular music in filmmaking.
Conner's work often critiqued the media, particularly television and advertising, and their influence on American culture and society. His films inspired a generation of filmmakers and are considered precursors to the music video genre.
