Organized by Lynn Gumpert and Ned Rifkin

"'Persona' explores the territory of the surrogate self, alter ego, disguise or alias. These concepts, originating with Duchamp's Rrose Sélavy, have generated a considerable amount of attention from artists who have sought alternative means for self-expression. Whether it involves a process of radical physical transformation or intangible alteration, the acquisition of personae by these nine artists is one indication of a heightened self-awareness and increased use of autobiography in recent art."

Lynn Gumpert and Ned Rifkin, Persona catalogue.

”This exhibition features the work of nine contemporary artist who, in making or presenting their work, assume specific alter-egos or personae (human or animal, fictitious or historical) that serve as vehicles for greater freedom of expression.”

-From The New Museum Annual Report, 1981-1984

“Colin Campbell’s ‘Woman from Malibu’ is only one of his alter egos which develops the female aspect of the artist’s sensibility Eleanor Antin’s ‘King ‘ is one of her several personae which also addresses the dialectic of sexual identity. During Lynn Hershman’s extended performance piece, ‘Roberta Breitmore’ interacts with the real world over a long period of time. Similarly, Colette has created ‘Justine’ to function in the world of commercial enterprise, speaking through her in order to comment incisively on both the intrinsic and extrinsic values of art. Likewise, Marial Westberg’s ‘Ray Rodrique’ was formulated by the artist’s need to distance himself from the often callous machinations of the art scene and to address it satirically. Bruce Charlesworth’s ‘Eddie Glove,’ like Westburg’s persona, functions in a decidedly more private realm than those of the first four artists described. His serial photoplays are oblique narratives of personal mystery and intrigue. James Hill’s ‘alter images’ of the gorilla and the deer are considerably less narrative than Charlesworth’s, but share and intensively private arena with the viewer. Redd Ekks is not, strictly speaking, a persona, bit is Robert Rasmusen’s alias, a pseudonym of a specifically visual character. In an extraordinarily controversial piece, Mr. Apology is also a pseudonym invented by newspaper and radio reporters for an anonymous artist. In 1980, Mr. Apology solicited repentances from criminals and other who, in need of a blind confessor, telephoned their responses in to a telephone answering machine.

The works in Persona include a wide range of media—drawing, photography, documentation/diaries, sculpture, installations, audio and videotapes. Photographs, video images, the inclusion of reflecting glass or mirrors, and the presence of words (either in text or recorded form) recur in the works in the exhibition. There is often a strong personal or autobiographical element in each character as an intrinsic aspect of the artist’s alter ego. Narrative, autobiography, performance, and body art converge to help formulate uniquely personal statements. The artists’ use of personae signifies the importance that these movements had on contemporary art.”

-From The New Museum Press Release, September 1, 1981