Vanessa Beecroft  (Italian, 1969) 

Vanessa Beecroft (Italian, b.1965) is a Contemporary artist whose performances, photographs, and paintings have attracted critical acclaim as well as controversial criticism. Beecroft studied at the Civico Liceo Artistico Nicolo’ Barabino (from 1983 to 1987) and the Accademia Ligustica Di Belle Arti (from 1987 to 1988) in Genoa and the Accademia Di Belle Arti Di Brera (from 1988 to 1993) in Milan. Titling her performances sequentially with her initials, her first performance VB01 took place in Milan in 1993. Featured at the center of the exhibition was her own “food diary,” the Book of Food, surrounded by near-motionless female nude models. This presentation became the original archetype for her performances and the exploration of narcissism, voyeurism, politics, eating disorders, the female form, and the female gaze. After arranging her models into a tableau vivant, most of which echo figural arrangements seen in classical Western Art, Beecroft then documented the performance through photography and film. Since VB01, Beecroft has staged over 60 performances at numerous institutions that include the Guggenheim Museum, Gagosian Gallery, Andrea Rosen Gallery, and Moma P.S. 1 in New York, NY, the Venice Biennial and Galleria d'Arte Moderna, in Bologna, Italy, as well as the Wacoal Art Center, Tokyo, Japan, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, London. She has collaborated with prominent fashion designers, such as Miuccia Prada and Tom Ford, and most recently with the singer Kanye West. Her latest performance, VB70, took place in 2011 at the Lia Rumma Galleries in Milan and Naples, with sculptures from the project, titled VBMARMI, appearing at the Venice Biennial. She now lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.