Thornton, Leslie

Back to search

Advanced search… Manage your Profile

Leslie Thornton

Professor Emerita of Modern Culture and Media

Overview

Brown Affiliations

Modern Culture and Media

On the Web

17 faculty members receive Salomon research awards (GSJ of Feb. 13, 2004)

Senses of Cinema: Great Directors

Research

Research Overview

Leslie Thornton is an artist working in film, video and new genres.

Research Statement

Leslie Thornton produces films, videos, installations and artworks whose most salient feature is the continual re-questioning of cultural artifacts and hidden or invisible histories. Three of her main areas of interest include the influence of technological progress on our day to day lives, the organizing structure of narrative, and the a-verbal construction of an argument or position through the use of image, sound and time.

Funded Research

Salomon Award, Brown University Research Grant, 2004

Humanities Research Fund, Brown University, 2004

Salomon Award, Brown University Research Grant, 2002

Salomon Award, Brown University Research Grant, 1998

Media Arts Grant, National Endowment For the Arts, 1995

New York State Council on the Arts, Grant (for The Great Invisible), 1993

Art Matters, Inc., Grant (for The Great Invisible), 1993

National Endowment For the Arts, International Travel Grant (for The Great Invisible), 1992

The Jerome Foundation, Grant (for The Great Invisible), 1992

New York State Council on the Arts Grant, 1989

Art Matters, Inc., Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell), 1988

The Jerome Foundation, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell), 1988

Art Matters, Inc., Grant (for There Was An Unseen Cloud Moving), 1987

The Jerome Foundation, Grant (for We Talk Sahara, We Talk Mars), 1985

New York State Council on the Arts, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell), 1985

National Endowment For the Arts/Interarts, Grant (for Ex(centric) Lady Travelers, 1001 Eyes), 1985

National Endowment For the Arts/Regional/BF/VF, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell), 1985

Rhode Island Council on the Arts, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell), 1985

The Hartford Insurance Co., Aetna, Connecticut Mutual and Peacetrain Foundation: grants for production of Fiddlers in May, 1977

Scholarly Work

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/02/22/thornton.html

Leslie Thornton, "The Great Invisible: Notes", CinemaTexas/Sixth International Short Film Festival exhibition catalog, Austin: CinemaTexas 6, 2001

Joe Milutis, "All the Girls Without the Cameras in Their Heads: An Interview with Leslie Thornton", Afterimage, vol. 27, no. 4, (February, 2000)

Leslie Thornton, ". . . you will . . .", Fish Drum, No. 15, 1999

Tania Blanich (ed.),"Interview with Leslie Thornton", Rockefeller Foundation Report on Media, New York: Rockefeller Foundation, 1999

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/02/22/thornton_interview.html

Leslie Thornton and Thomas Zummer, "Wrapped Around Her Neck, Two Strings and a Piece of Gum", Whitney Biennial Catalog exhibition catalog/artist page, New York: Whitney Museum, 1996

Leslie Thornton, "From The So-called Duck Factory", Art Papers, 1995

Leslie Thornton/Irene Borger, "Leslie Thornton" interview in The Force of Curiosity: CalArts/ Alpert Award in the Arts 1994-1998, ed. Irene Borger, Los Angeles: CalArts/Alpert Fndn, 1999, pp.2-29

Leslie Thornton, "Her Weak Memory of the Tornado" and "Peggy and Fred in Hell" in CRASH: Nostalgia for the Absence of Cyberspace exhibition catalog, ed. Robert Reynolds and Thomas Zummer, New York: Thread Waxing Space, 1994

Leslie Thornton, "Places", photographs by Leslie Thornton, Blind Spot (Fall, 1993)

William C. Wees, "Speaking of Found Footage: Excerpts from Conversations with Craig Baldwin, Abigail Child, Bruce Connor, David Rimmer, Keith Sanborn, Chick Strand and Leslie Thornton" in Recycled Images, New York: Anthology Film Archives, 1993

Trinh Minh-ha, Leslie Thornton, Laleen Jayamane, "Which Way To Political Cinema?" in Framer Framed, Trinh T. Minh-ha, New York: Routledge, 1992

Leslie Thornton, "On Unconventional Character" in Breakthroughs: Avant-Garde Artists in Europe and America, 1950-1990 exhibition catalog/artist's commissioned project page, Columbus: Wexner Center for the Arts/New York: Rizzoli, 1991

Christopher Ortiz, "Pushing at the Edges", interview, Midnight Hour, (March/April, 1990)

Trinh T. Minh-ha, Leslie Thornton and Laleen Jayamane, "If Upon Leaving What We Have To Say We Speak: A Conversation Piece" in Discourses: Conversations in Post-modern Art and Culture, ed. R. Ferguson, et al, New York: New Museum for Contemporary Art/Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1990

"Leslie Thornton Interviewed", Lightstruck, Vol. 7, No. 2-3, 1989

"Interview: Leslie Thornton", Art Papers, 1989

Leslie Thornton, "We Ground Things Now On A Moving Earth", Motion Picture, Vol. 3, No. 1-2, 1989-90

"The Teachers: Dead or Alive?/Leslie Thornton", American Film Institute Video Festival exhibition catalog, Los Angeles: American Film Institute, 1987

Leslie Thornton, "The Adoration of Mathematics", [unpublished text] 1986

Leslie Thornton, "Peggy and Fred in Hell/Her Weak Memory of the Tornado", FIVE: Top Stories 23/24, ed. Constance De Jong, 1986

Stephanie Beroes, "Interview: Leslie Thornton", Cinematograph, Vol. 2,1986

Leslie Thornton, "Peggy and Fred in Hell" [first version], Subjects/Objects, No. 3, 1985

Leslie Thornton, "Women in Film: Interview with Laura Theilen", Cinezine (October, 1984)

Leslie Thornton, "Culture As Fiction", Unsound, Vol. 2, 1983

Leslie Thornton, "Peggy and Fred in Hell" [first version], Unsound, Vol. 2, 1983

Leslie Thornton, "Dear Su . . . from a list of things to tell you. . .", "Letters", Idiolects 13, 1982

Background

Education and Training

Year	Degree	Institution
1976	MFA	Hartford Art School
1973	BFA	State University of New York at Buffalo

Honors and Awards

2009
—Humanities Research Fund, Brown University

2008
—Anonymous Was A Woman Grant
—Pacific Film Archive, Archival Restoration Project

2007
—Artist's Fellowship, Hartvestworks, New York City

2005
—Second Place: Let Me Count the Ways Minus 10, 9, 8, 7...
Onion City Film Festival
—Technical Assistance Award, NVR, Rockefeller Foundation
—Humanities Research Fund, Brown University

2004
—Salomon Award, Brown University Research Grant
—Humanities Research Fund, Brown University
—Senses of Cinema, 50 Best Films of 2004 (Peggy and Fred in Hell: Beginning, Middle and End)

2002
—Salomon Award, Brown University Research Grant
—Senses of Cinema, 50 Best Films of 2004 (Peggy and Fred in Hell: End in New World)

2000
—The Best Films of 1999: Steven Holden's List, The New York Times
[for Another Worldy]

1999
—New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Film/Video Fellowship

1998
—Hugo Boss Award Nomination, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
—Salomon Award, Brown University Research Grant

1997
—Bellagio Study and Conference Center, The Rockefeller Foundation Residency, research for Haunted Swing: The Life and Work of Julia Margaret Cameron

1996
—The Maya Deren Award for Independent Film and Video Artists

1995
—Media Arts Grant, National Endowment For the Arts
—The Alpert Awards in the Arts (first Media Arts Recipient)
—Judges' Special Merit Award, New England Film and Video Festival,
(for The Last Time I Saw Ron)
—First Prize: Best of Show/Video Category, 1995 Three Rivers Arts Festival/Juried Visual Arts Exhibition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
(for The Last Time I Saw Ron)

1993
—New York State Council on the Arts, Grant (for The Great Invisible)
—Art Matters, Inc., Grant (for The Great Invisible)

1992
—National Endowment For the Arts, International Travel Grant
(for The Great Invisible)
—The Jerome Foundation, Grant (for The Great Invisible)

1990
—Fellowship: The Rockefeller Foundation

1989
—Citation: "Ten Best Films of the Year: 1989," The Village Voice
(for Peggy and Fred in Hell Series)
—Citation: "Ten Best Films of the Year: 1989," Cahiers du Cinema
(for Peggy and Fred in Hell Series)
—New York State Council on the Arts Grant

1988
—Fellowship: The Rockefeller Foundation
—Art Matters, Inc., Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell)
—The Jerome Foundation, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell)
—Fellowship: New York Foundation for the Arts

1987
—Art Matters, Inc., Grant (for There Was An Unseen Cloud Moving)

1985
—The Jerome Foundation, Grant (for We Talk Sahara, We Talk Mars)
—New York State Council on the Arts, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell)
—National Endowment For the Arts/Interarts, Grant
(for Ex(centric) Lady Travelers, 1001 Eyes)
—National Endowment For the Arts/Regional/BF/VF, Grant
(for Peggy and Fred in Hell)
—Rhode Island Council on the Arts, Grant (for Peggy and Fred in Hell)

1984
—Athens International Film Festival, Special Merit Award, (for Adynata)

1981
—Athens International Film Festival, Special Merit Award,
(for Jennifer, Where Are You ?)

1980
—San Francisco Art Institute Film Festival, Honorable Mention,
( for X-TRACTS)

1976
—Iowa Film Festival, Honorable Mention, (for X-TRACTS)

Researchers@Brown