We recently connected with Karin Broker and have shared our conversation below.

Karin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My art was always based on “something”. But in 2013 I was pretty angry about something that occurred at my University (where I was a Full Professor of Art). My art dealer at the time, Robert McClain (Houston) told me to make art using those frustrations and that anger. His words were the best advice I’ve ever received. The subsequent solo exhibition at McClain Gallery was titled “damn girls”. They were large scale drawings on HPL (High Pressure Laminate) using Conte crayon, graphite and water. I also produced a small bible sized book that had every word I wrote on the 7 drawings as well as a large steel table that was etched with tick marks noting the number of days and then years specific women were held captive. I.e. Jaycee Dugard and the 3 young girls in Cleveland. There were also 6 chairs etched with bad women jokes and other bits of horror.

The information began sadly with martyrs and a list of women and girls incarcerated in a 1911 Irish Magdalena Laundry. But I also began researching women of note that were forgotten throughout history. And there were thousands and thousands of unsung females that persisted to excel even when they were constantly and consistently prevented from taking any credit for their work and deeds.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in a very small town in the Allegheny mountains of Pennsylvania. Penn is approximately 35 miles from Pittsburgh. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Iowa and received a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

From 1980 until 2021 I taught Printmaking and Drawing at Rice University. I received National Endowment for the Arts Grants in 1985 and 1987. In 1994 I was chosen as the Texas Artist of the Year.

My work has been included in a number of books such as “Loaded: Guns in Contemporary Art” by Suzanne Ramljak (2022), NATURE MORTE Contemporary artists reinvigorate the Still-life Tradition ( 2013) by Michael Petry.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I try to embrace the thorny stuff.

Family violence, sexual abuse, birth conundrums, and apathy towards my tribe that dance in the center ring of my own gender circus. Women have been overlooked, forgotten, physically abused, murdered, and lied about throughout history.

And I will admit that my small voice is becoming shriller. It is my hope that my screams give strength, understanding, and resiliency to those within hearing range. And in the middle of all this visual shouting, I hope my pieces also stand proud and revel in a heap of optimism- all the while dancing between heavy doses of beauty. I want them to say, “Look at me”.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When my works started to swim mightily in the gender affirming and dangerous currents I thought my pieces would have a small voice and a small sympathetic audience. Yet the fact that females make up half if not more of the world’s populations proved my very wrong. Women did indeed appreciate seeing art that visualized difficult lives, dilemmas and obstructions housed in their female gender.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://karinbroker.com
• Facebook: Karin Broker

Image Credits

Artworks photographed by Paul Hester of Hester & Hardaway Photographers.