BIOGRAPHY
Born 1960, Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from high school in Phoenix, AZ, Kitty moved to New York City in 1978 to attend Parsons School of Design. She quickly became involved in the East Village art, music, fashion, and performance scene centered around the legendary Club 57 on St. Mark’s Place and The Mudd Club on White St., in collaboration and conjunction with such notable friends as Kenny Scharf, Keith Haring, Ann Magnuson, John Sex, and Tseng Kwong Chi. During this period, Kitty also worked as a fashion model doing print, runway, and video in New York and Paris working with a number of now legendary designers and photographers. She also starred in numerous early art videos filmed by Kenny Scharf. Kitty’s art is in the permanent collection at MOCA Los Angeles, was featured in the Club 57 exhibition at MOMA, has been exhibited twice at MOCA Tucson, and is also in numerous private collections. Her art was featured in a major motion picture and on a wine label. Kitty currently lives and works in Tucson, AZ.
EDUCATION
1994 – Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Creative Writing, University of California at Santa Cruz
1985-1988 – Media and Communication Studies, Hunter College, New York, NY
1978-1982 – Illustration Techniques, Parsons School of Design, New York, NY
EXHIBITIONS
Solo
2023 – Savior presents: Kitty Brophy, curated by Erica Clum and Sydney Ballesteros, Savior, Tucson, AZ
2018 - "I Dreamed I was Normal & Nobody Noticed & Everyone Cared", curated by Zachary Witter, HausQ, Tucson, AZ
2018 - “I’m Still Here”, curated by Jennifer Borland and Matt Sova, Jenny’s, Los Angeles, CA
2015 – Elizabeth Cherry Presents: Kitty Brophy @ The Downtown Clifton, Tucson, AZ
Group
2023 – “Alice Leora Briggs and Kitty Brophy: El Sueño de Razón”, curated by Terry Etherton, Etherton Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2023 – “Collective Selection”, curated by Camilo Alvarez, Rivalry Projects, Buffalo, NY
2022 – “Living With Art”, curated by Rachel Brand, The Grocery at Object Hotel, Tucson, AZ
2022 – “ART + TECH”, curated by Lisa Jordan, Goya Studios, Los Angeles, CA
2022 – “Citizen After Dark”, curated by Myken Dahlen, Citizen Hotel, Tucson, AZ
2022 – “Put Your Sword Down For Me”, curated by Everybody, Everybody, Tucson, AZ
2021 – “Ignite”, curated by Steve Galindo and Steven Janssen, Janssen Artspace, Palm Springs, CA
2021 – “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife”, curated by Steven Pollock, gallery RUTTKOWSKI;68, Paris, France
2020 – “Drawings, Paintings, Maybe a Sculpture”, curated by Everybody, Everybody, Chicago, IL
2019 – “3 Graces”, curated by Oliver Sanchez, Swampspace, Miami, FL
2019 – “Sexy X-Mas III”, curated by Alice Lodge, The Lodge, Los Angeles, CA
2019 – “Yesterday’s Tomorrowland Today”, curated by Ann Magnuson and Alexa Hunter, Winslow Garage, Los Angeles, CA
2018 - “Impulse Control”, curated by Alex Freedman and Robbie Fitzpatrick, Freedman Fitzpatrick, Paris, France
2018 - “68-18”, curated by Ludovica Capobianco, Shin Gallery, New York, NY
2017 - “Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978-1983”, curated by Ron Magliozzi and Sophie Cavoulacos, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
2017 - “Beautiful Mess”, curated by Colleena Sabatino, La Matadora Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA
2017 - “Drop Dead Gorgeous", curated by Peter Hristoff, SVA Flatiron Project Space, New York, NY
2017 - “If You Stay Busy You Have No Time To Be Unhappy", curated by Jocko Weyland, MOCA Tucson, Tucson, AZ
2017 - “Being Feminist”, curated by Valerie Galloway, YWCA Galleria, Tucson, AZ
2016 – “Gardens of the Pure”, curated by Jocko Weyland, MOCA Tucson, Tucson, AZ
2015 – Memory Games Release Party and Exhibiton, presented by Elizabeth Cherry, MOCA Tucson Gift Shop, Tucson, AZ
2015 – “Sonoran Hot Dog Stand”, curated by Jocko Weyland, Fleisher Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA,
2011 – “East Village West”, curated by Ann Magnuson and Kenny Scharf, Royal T Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1981 – “Drawing Show”, curated by Keith Haring, Mudd Club, New York, NY
1980 - “Club 57 Invitational”, curated by Keith Haring, Club 57, New York, NY
OTHER PROJECTS
2021 – Wine label for “The Perfect End” Arizona Zinfandel dessert wine produced and bottled by Arizona Hops and Vines
2020 - Painting featured in Warner Brothers’ film, “Birds of Prey”, Production Designer, K.K. Barrett
2019 – Untitled Art Fair, New image Art booth, curated by Marsea Goldberg, Miami, FL
PRESS
“The Writing Is On The Wall”, interview by Bill Finley, Arizona Daily Star, October 22, 2023
“Impulse Control” at Freedman Fitzpatrick, Contemporary Art Daily, October 10, 2018
“Club 57” by Meredith Mowder, The Brooklyn Rail, March 5, 2018
"From The Desk of Ann Magnuson: Kitty Brophy", Magnet Magazine, September 22, 2016
“Gardens of the Pure at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson”, SFAQ, (online), July 29, 2016
“The Joy of Sex”, by Margaret Regan, Tucson Weekly (online and print), August 18, 2016
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village 1978-1983”, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 2017, edited by Ron Magliozzi, Curator, and Sophie Cavoulacos, Assistant Curator
“Kitty Brophy, Downtown Clifton, Tucson”, September 2015, by Jocko Weyland
“Gardens of the Pure: Kitty Brophy, Emma Kohlmann, Alice Mackler”, June 18, 2016, by Jocko Weyland
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
An Evening of Words with Kitty Brophy and Jo Blair Cipriano at Etherton Gallery, October 7, 2023
“You Are Here: The Journal of Creative Geography, Peace and Place”, The University of Arizona 20th Anniversary Issue release reception, November 1, 2018
AIGA Arizona presents Tucson Makers: Inspired by Women, September 22, 2016