“Beth Cook: It’s Not You, It’s Me” August 24 – 27, 2006
Opening night event: Thursday, August 24, 7-10 pm

Beth Cook, Hamburger Theory of Love, 2005, pencil on vellum


The Triple Base Flat Files are a brand new, one-of-it’s kind collection of works on paper that highlight emerging local artists. All works may be viewed by the public during gallery hours -- just put on your white gloves and explore some of the most exciting artworks in the Bay Area. The affordable works in the Triple Base Flat Files benefit the project space’s experimental arts programming and the contributing artists. “Out of the Flat Files” events are designed as educational programs to contextualize the practice of individual artists featured in the collection. The inaugural pair of “Out of the Flat Files” events will feature two intriguing and diverse local artists: Todd Bura and Beth Cook.

From Thursday, August 24 to Sunday, August 27, 2006 Triple Base features “Beth Cook: It’s Not You, It’s Me” guest curated by Zoe Taleporos. Fashioning herself as a relationship anthropologist of sorts, San Francisco-based Cook creates elaborate diagrams detailing the history of her romantic, sexual, emotional, and creative life. These text based works use the scientific rhetoric of charts and symbols to form a non-linear autobiography complete with humor, sarcasm and charmingly blunt honesty. While examining the nuances in the quest to understand oneself and the need to connect with others, Cook’s work takes us through the all too familiar scenarios of unrequited love, dysfunctional relationships and obsessive introspection. Through bravely offering us insight into her character, Cook celebrates the fallibility of human emotion and intimacy by turning them into an art practice.


For the opening night of “Beth Cook: It’s Not You, It’s Me” on Thursday August 24th at 7pm, the artist will give a one-night only performance taking the form of a dating and relationship seminar. This is the chance you have always wanted to get closure with your ex, indulge in emotional catharsis or revel in the messy world of dating. Periodically throughout the night, “office hours” will be held where you can sign up for a personal one-on-one session with the artist. So bring your tissues, your love letters to burn, and embrace the crazy world of looking for love.

Click here to see images from “Beth Cook: It’s Not You, It’s Me”

Click here to see more images of Beth Cook's works in the Triple Base Flat Files