video still from Conversations wit de Churen III: Da Young and Da Mess, 2005, photo courtesy of the artist and Taxter & Spengemann, New York

   Kalup Linzy received his MFA from the University of South Florida in 2003, where he also completed his BFA (2000). He cleverly exploits the dramatic television soap opera format for inspiration, creating farcical serials set within the urban environment that are laced with “shrewd home truths about race, class, sex, love, family and stereotyping.” By exploiting the campy behavior of his subjects, Linzy’s videos incisively deconstruct racial and gender stereotypes, while holding at their core a respect for the truths of his characters. This is possible because Linzy himself either voices or portrays most of the characters.

Linzy attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture program in 2002, and received the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant in 2005. His solo exhibitions include All My Churun, LAXART, Los Angeles, CA (2006); Kalup Linzy, P.S. 1 Art Center, Long Island City, New York (2006); Taxter & Spengemann, New York (2006); Kalup Linzy and Charles Nelson, Romo Gallery, Atlanta, GA (2005); and Le Petit Versailles, East Village, NY (2004). Group exhibitions include Masquerade: Representation and the Self in Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia (2006); Do You Think I'm Disco, Longwood Art Gallery, Bronx, NY (2006); Frequency, Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (2005); Mommy! I'm! Not! An! Animal!, CapsuleGallery, New York, NY (2004); Faith, Champion Fine Art, Culver City, CA (2004); All Together Now, Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY (2003); and Sunday in the Arts, Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, Tampa, FL (2002).

More Information:

http://www.freewebs.com/kalup/
http://www.luxlotus.com/lux_lotus/2005/05/kalup_linzy_at_.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E1D6173FF936A15750C0A9639C8B63
http://www.nyfa.org/level3.asp?id=468&fid=6&sid=17