Through still-life and figurative painting traditions, Kim Anderson’s work reflects on the codification of images, psychology of looking, and shifting boundaries between our physical and digital experiences. Household collections and ephemera including amateur photography and figurines are cast into fictional narratives evoking tensions between the personal, the commodity, seeing and being seen. An artist and educator residing in Bradenton, Florida, she holds the position of Professor of Art at New College of Florida where she has taught since 2004. She earned an MFA from the University of Florida and BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts. Her work has been exhibited nationally and featured in publications including New American Paintings, Studio Visit Magazine, Create! Magazine, and Manifest INPA and MEA.
Published on March 3rd, 2024. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you working on these days?
I’ve been working on a few different projects, bouncing around a bit between each. I’ve really been enjoying working on an ongoing series of still life paintings based on these ridiculous forlorn porcelain figurines I collect from thrift stores. People have started gifting these to me, it’s kind of funny. I’m also continuing with a series of stereoscopic paintings based on found stereo photographs. Some of these images are sourced from collections of amateur photographs and slides and others are from commercial studios that were produced in the late 1800’s. I’ve started painting directly on antique stereo cards that were printed for the Holmes stereoscope and I even engineered my own version of this instrument. This process results in a different type of experience completely. While the planning of the painting takes time as the images have to be painted in very precise locations on the cards, the process is much quicker and so I can afford more risk so to speak. I’m also revisiting some old super 8 films that I have collected over the years and turning the stills into these sort of dislocated paintings.
What has been going well for you in your art career and life recently?
So much has happened this year, it’s hard to know where to start. Last January 6, 2023 my employer of nearly 20 years, New College of Florida, became a target in Florida governor’s “war on woke”. What initially seemed like some kind of ridiculous joke has resulted in the irrevocable upheaval of life as we knew it. This small, public liberal arts college that embraced an alternative approach to education; narrative evaluations (no grades), diversity and LGBTQ+ communities, will never be the same. Many of my colleagues and students have made the painstaking decision to leave the college, while others are making similar plans for the near future. Within a few short months we witnessed the installment of 6 (now 8) new conservative members to our board of trustees, the elimination of our D.E.I director and office, the removal of our first woman president, the firing of LGBTQ+ staff and a librarian, and the purging of our Gender Studies program. We also witnessed the devastating destruction of several student murals completed just a few short months prior for one of my courses. I wake up every morning stricken with disbelief that this could be happening in this country.
What is something new that you have discovered this past year that is meaningful or helpful for you?
Good question. I’m learning how to adapt. My work has always been about looking at something long enough that it becomes unfamiliar, and now I’m learning how to do this with my life, and with everything I thought I knew and could expect. Change can be a barrier but it can also open up new possibilities, and I’m working on being receptive to this. I fear I may have a lot more to let go of before I know how to move forward again. This is scary and exciting.
Briefly walk us through your process of making art or thinking through a new project, focusing on what's most important to you as you create.
My process is fairly labor intensive and starts with the sourcing of subject matter or imagery, photographing objects or scanning found images, altering the images through collage or digital editing, and then developing that material into paintings. The stereoscopic work requires a degree of technical precision, that sometimes exceeds my ability and patience but when it works, I feel like the labor is worth it. For my still life paintings, I take numerous photos of the same object before feeling satisfied that something will make an interesting painting. I really enjoy this part of the process and try to take photographs that are as painterly as possible, either through lighting, camera settings, or a combination of both. The preparation of the canvas is also very important, and has a significant impact on the way the paint responds to the surface. I take pride and care in this process.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?
Just to return to what is happening at New College, I urge people to learn as much as possible about this very concerning situation. This isn’t just another weird thing happening in Florida, this is a model that is being tested and exported to other states and involves players far beyond Florida. I’m also witnessing attacks against k-12 as well, which impacts my children’s education. This is a lesson in how easily one’s life plans can be disrupted but also in how to accept change, which I’ve experienced much of but have never been really good at. It will be interesting to see how things play out.
What are you working on these days?
I’ve been working on a few different projects, bouncing around a bit between each. I’ve really been enjoying working on an ongoing series of still life paintings based on these ridiculous forlorn porcelain figurines I collect from thrift stores. People have started gifting these to me, it’s kind of funny. I’m also continuing with a series of stereoscopic paintings based on found stereo photographs. Some of these images are sourced from collections of amateur photographs and slides and others are from commercial studios that were produced in the late 1800’s. I’ve started painting directly on antique stereo cards that were printed for the Holmes stereoscope and I even engineered my own version of this instrument. This process results in a different type of experience completely. While the planning of the painting takes time as the images have to be painted in very precise locations on the cards, the process is much quicker and so I can afford more risk so to speak. I’m also revisiting some old super 8 films that I have collected over the years and turning the stills into these sort of dislocated paintings.
What has been going well for you in your art career and life recently?
So much has happened this year, it’s hard to know where to start. Last January 6, 2023 my employer of nearly 20 years, New College of Florida, became a target in Florida governor’s “war on woke”. What initially seemed like some kind of ridiculous joke has resulted in the irrevocable upheaval of life as we knew it. This small, public liberal arts college that embraced an alternative approach to education; narrative evaluations (no grades), diversity and LGBTQ+ communities, will never be the same. Many of my colleagues and students have made the painstaking decision to leave the college, while others are making similar plans for the near future. Within a few short months we witnessed the installment of 6 (now 8) new conservative members to our board of trustees, the elimination of our D.E.I director and office, the removal of our first woman president, the firing of LGBTQ+ staff and a librarian, and the purging of our Gender Studies program. We also witnessed the devastating destruction of several student murals completed just a few short months prior for one of my courses. I wake up every morning stricken with disbelief that this could be happening in this country.
What is something new that you have discovered this past year that is meaningful or helpful for you?
Good question. I’m learning how to adapt. My work has always been about looking at something long enough that it becomes unfamiliar, and now I’m learning how to do this with my life, and with everything I thought I knew and could expect. Change can be a barrier but it can also open up new possibilities, and I’m working on being receptive to this. I fear I may have a lot more to let go of before I know how to move forward again. This is scary and exciting.
Briefly walk us through your process of making art or thinking through a new project, focusing on what's most important to you as you create.
My process is fairly labor intensive and starts with the sourcing of subject matter or imagery, photographing objects or scanning found images, altering the images through collage or digital editing, and then developing that material into paintings. The stereoscopic work requires a degree of technical precision, that sometimes exceeds my ability and patience but when it works, I feel like the labor is worth it. For my still life paintings, I take numerous photos of the same object before feeling satisfied that something will make an interesting painting. I really enjoy this part of the process and try to take photographs that are as painterly as possible, either through lighting, camera settings, or a combination of both. The preparation of the canvas is also very important, and has a significant impact on the way the paint responds to the surface. I take pride and care in this process.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?
Just to return to what is happening at New College, I urge people to learn as much as possible about this very concerning situation. This isn’t just another weird thing happening in Florida, this is a model that is being tested and exported to other states and involves players far beyond Florida. I’m also witnessing attacks against k-12 as well, which impacts my children’s education. This is a lesson in how easily one’s life plans can be disrupted but also in how to accept change, which I’ve experienced much of but have never been really good at. It will be interesting to see how things play out.