Over the past 25 years, Kerry Skarbakka has focused in finding the continuity in his work by planting himself squarely between the studio arts and performance. As the main actor and model of his work, the center of Skarbakka’s creative practice integrates physical and often daring self-performances with constructed photography and video. Set against a backdrop of concern for a struggling natural environment and the ever-shifting landscapes of social, political and economic divide, Skarbakka’s work investigates the instability, confusion, anxiety, and the existential loss of control that constantly test and challenge the human condition. A Creative Capital Grantee (2005), his works have been exhibited internationally and are held in such collections as the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The North Carolina Museum of Art, and The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. He currently lives and works in Corvallis, Oregon and serves as an Associate Professor of Photography at Oregon State University.
**Work was made possible with the funding and support of the Oregon Arts Commission and The Ford Family Foundation, the Creative Capital Foundation, the Mayors Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs for the City of Seattle, the Illinois Arts Council and CAAP (Chicago).
