Chris Kraus's Essay on Artist Suicide and the Unfinishable Whole Project
In her essay titled "What I Couldn’t Write," released by Afterall on December 21, 2016, Chris Kraus delves into the heartbreaking story of a nameless female artist who died by suicide at 43 in 2016, after struggling with addiction and mental health challenges. The artist's main work, "Whole," began around 2000 in a bungalow on Morton Street in Echo Park, Los Angeles. It included a miniature model of the California Federal Bank, a Tiki Bar, an elevator shaft, a videotape, glittery drawings of the dollar bill pyramid, and a concrete sidewalk cast. The artist expressed that "Whole" represented an ongoing exploration rather than a complete picture. Kraus also reflects on capitalism, shares memories of a memorial attended by a handful of people, and honors Ruth Maleczech, co-founder of Mabou Mines. This essay was originally created for an exhibition at Bard College from October 15 to December 16, 2016.
Key facts
- Essay published by Afterall on December 21, 2016
- Written by Chris Kraus
- Artist died by suicide in 2016 at age 43
- Artist's project 'Whole' began around 2000
- Work created in bungalow on Morton Street, Echo Park, Los Angeles
- California Federal Bank building on Sunset Boulevard was a subject
- California Federal Bank founded 1926, absorbed by Citigroup 2002
- Memorial held at Echo Park lake on summer Sunday
- Only ten or twelve people attended memorial
- Kraus attended class on Marx's Capital at New York Marxist School in 1976
- Arthur Felberbaum taught the class
- Ruth Maleczech (born 1939) was actress and co-founder of Mabou Mines
- Maleczech taught at New York Art Theatre Institute
- Essay originally for exhibition 'We Are the Center for Curatorial Studies' at Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College
Entities
Artists
- Chris Kraus
- Ruth Maleczech
- Ruth Reinprecht
- Eve Wood
- Eileen Myles
- Patti Smith
- Peter Handke
- Mark von Schlegell
- Philip K. Dick
- Roberto Bolaño
- Karl Marx
- Arthur Felberbaum
- Assata Shakur
- Paul O'Neil
Institutions
- Afterall
- California Federal Bank
- Citigroup
- New York Marxist School
- Mabou Mines
- New York Art Theatre Institute
- Hessel Museum of Art
- Bard College
- CalArts
- Hunter College
- Clinton County Correctional Facility
Locations
- Los Angeles
- Echo Park
- Morton Street
- Sunset Boulevard
- New York
- West Village
- Sheridan Square
- Phoenix
- Arizona
- San Francisco
- Europe
- Annandale-on-Hudson
- New York State
- United States
- Bronx
- New Jersey