ARTIST STATEMENT
Side Effects #1 (From the Pharmaceutical Series) is from an ongoing series of works examining our drug-dependent culture. It challenges the notion that a pill will make everything better. With this established pill- popping norm, I seek to shine a light on the truth in advertising, emphasizing the importance of perspective, and to challenge conceptual and material boundaries, pushing the limits of what is traditionally accepted as being good for you. Many times, the cure is worse than the disease. Humorously, a potential side effect of one of my medications is “excessive happiness with a side of reckless behavior.” We are bombarded with “ask your doctor about so-and-so” without even knowing what the drug is intended for, but the ad shows someone smiling in a sunny meadow and all is perfect. This is in sharp contrast to the current opioid addiction and overdose crisis, with Big Pharma pushing drugs and making huge profits while families go bankrupt in an effort to afford the basic right of healthcare.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Karen M. Gutfreund is an independent curator, consultant and artist with a focus on feminist and social justice art. She has worked in the Painting & Sculpture Department at MoMA, Andre Emmerick Gallery, The Knoll Group, John Berggruen Gallery and the Pacific Art League. She served on the board of the Women’s Caucus for Art, the Pacific Art League and the Petaluma Arts Council. She was the National Exhibitions Director for the Women’s Caucus for Art, curator for UniteWomen.org, is a member of ArtTable, and the Northern California Representative for The Feminist Art Project (TFAP). She is a partner in Gutfreund Cornett Art, with the motto “changing the world through art”. To date she has created over forty national exhibitions. Gutfreund has juried and advised on numerous exhibitions and is a mentor/advisor to emerging artists. She creates exhibition catalogs for artists, art groups and galleries around the country. She has a BFA in Photographic Design and a BA in Art History, and a MA (pending) from New York University. Lastly, Gutfreund is a practicing artist and has exhibited extensively around the country. Gutfreund has lived in all four corners of the United States and is currently at her ranch outside of Yosemite in the Sierra Foothills.
© Karen M. Gutfreund