Yvonne Buchanan
Paraphrase
May 13 – June 3, 2023

Paraphrase is a multimedia installation consisting of a four channel video, a drawing and a sculpture. The installation examines the dynamics of gender identity, race and the general categorization of human beings in contemporary society through fragments of the iconic film Psycho, original video and accompanying wall works. The piece is constructed from the artist’s personal point of view, looking at expectations of women and Black people and the strategies that have been devised to cope with these. 

On May 13 and June 3, Yvonne gave artist talks exploring the inspirations for Paraphrase and the social hierarchies that surround the work and our lives. On May 28, Yvonne was joined by Adriene Jenik for a conversation about race, gender and sexual identity. The installation will be reinstalled at Marks Gallery, College of The Desert for an opening on January 23, 2024.

Yvonne Buchanan was born in Manhattan, NY. She holds an MFA from the Milton Avery Graduate School at Bard College and a BFA in Illustration from Parsons School of Design. Buchanan uses video, animation, photographs, illustrations and drawings to create narratives of survival strategies. Buchanan’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at Syracuse International Film Festival, Studio Museum in Harlem, Site: Santa Fe, Slamdance International Film Festival, Hammer Museum/UCLA, Aspex Gallery, 57th Venice Biennale, Society of Illustrators,  Everson Museum of Art, Munson Williams Proctor Museum of Art, Urban Video Projects, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Recontres International Paris/Berlin among others. Buchanan co-founded Buckwheat Space, an artist residency in the Mojave Desert. She recently retired from Syracuse University, and lives in Morongo Valley, California.

Artist website: yvonnebuchanan-art.com