Kembra Pfahler

Russell & Robert meet legendary American performance artist and musician Kembra Pfahler. We discuss growing up in California, her early performance art installations in 1980s Lower East Side (including sleeping in a storefront window for The Extremist Show at ABC No Rio), the impact of the AIDS crisis and how forming her band The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black helped transform her life. We chat about Availabism (a term coined by Kembra - making the best of what's available), Future Feminism, drawing, body paint, Punk rock, her respect for artists Karen Finley, David Wojnarowicz and experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger, the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, collaborating with Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson, being taught by Mary Heilmann and Lorraine O'Grady, and the influence of her later relationship with art dealer Colin De Land. We hear about her recent teaching role at Columbia University, championing interdisciplinary art, her friendship with musician/artist Christeene, collaborating with Rick Owens for a show later this year at Centre Pompidou and working on a solo booth with Emalin gallery at Frieze London 2019. We love Kembra so much!!! Follow Kembra at Instagram @KembraPfahler_ and check out @TalkArt for images of artworks discussed in this episode.

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