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Alicia Eler (born 1984, Chicago) is an art critic, culture journalist, art curator and writer based in Los Angeles. She contributes to Hyperallergic, New York Magazine, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Gigaom, Colorlines, The Guardian, and The New Inquiry. Eler’s work primarily centers on social media, popular culture, and visual art. Her work has appeared in Artforum, Art Papers, Raw Vision Magazine, Salon, and Time Out Chicago and Art21 Magazine. She is represented by Caitlin McDonald at Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Contents
Books
She is currently working on a book called "The Selfie Generation" which will be published in 2017 through Skyhorse Books.
Early life and education
Eler grew up in the Chicago suburb of Skokie, Illinois. She received a BA in art history from Oberlin College in 2006.
Art Critic & Curator
Eler writes art criticism for many publications, including Artforum, Hyperallergic and Artsy. Buzzfeed interviewed her about the legitimacy of photographer Terry Richardson’s artwork, to which she said: “Terry Richardson makes images that ask you to look at them not because they ask hard questions or question cultural norms, but because they are glossy and filled with celebrity.” The BuzzFeed piece was picked up by Perez Hilton. ArtInfo interviewed her [2] about creative gifts that one could give to an art critic for a recent holiday gift guide.
Eler has curated multiple art shows involving video art, new media and internet aesthetics. In 2013, Chicago magazine identified her as one of "six young art curators you should know,” noting her use of social media.
Selfie Expert
From 2013-2014, Eler ran a column on Hyperallergic that was popularly referred to as the “Selfie Column.” The column investigated the selfie as a popular culture phenomenon, considering its roots in self-portraiture, social networked culture, and feminism. The column ran every Monday, and included a round up of the week’s news, Eler’s selfie analysis, and selfie contributions from readers. There were more than 50 articles published on the selfie, establishing Eler as a selfie expert.
New York Magazine Senior Art Critic Jerry Saltz quotes her in his seminal article “Art at Arm’s Length: A History of the Selfie.” "The critic Alicia Eler notes that they’re 'where we become our own biggest fans and private paparazzi,' and that they are 'ways for celebrities to pretend they’re just like regular people, making themselves their own controlled PR machines.'" Washington Post writer Dan Zak quotes her in his story ‘‘’Selfie’-reliance: The word of the year is the story of our individualism.” “'Selfies are a form of vernacular photography, like amateur daguerreotype or Polaroid,’ says Alicia Eler, who writes routinely about selfies on the arts Web site Hyperallergic, ‘and the prevalence of the artistic tool (the smartphone) doesn’t diminish the value of the work.’”[3] “'I think the self-portrait and the selfie are for anyone who’s continuously documenting the act of becoming,' she says. 'It’s not self-obsession, though. It’s a way to connect.'” She is currently working on a book called The Selfie Generation which will be published in 2017 through Skyhorse Books.
Long-Form Collaborative Culture Essays
Eler has co-authored two essays on the affective labor and gamification of internet dating culture with writer Eve Peyser for The New Inquiry. [4] [5] Their first Tinder essay, “How to Win Tinder,” was named as one of Gawker’s "The Best Things We Read in 2015" and one of Autostraddle’s “The Best Longreads of 2015 — All Written by Women” She was recently referred to as a Tinder Expert on David Lizerbram & Associates podcast #1 iTunes podcast, Products of the Mind.
Their second essay, “Tinderization of Feeling” [6] went viral, receiving considerable press attention from outlets such as Le Monde (France) [7], The Daily Beast [8], Hyperallergic [9], The Independent [10], The Fader [11], and Daily Mail [12]. The essay was also translated into Brazilian Portuguese [13]. On Valentine’s Day 2016, Peyser and Eler were interviewed on Toronto-based Mark Towhey’s NEWSTALK 1010 radio show [14].
Eler co-authored Hyperallergic essay entitled “The Teen-Girl Tumblr Aesthetic” [15] with Kate Durbin, in relation to her project WOMEN AS OBJECTS. "The Teen Girl Tumblr Aesthetic" was the 7th most popular article on Hyperallergic in 2013. The essay was cited in an article on VICE about what it’s like to be Tumblr famous. The New Yorker recently cited their essay in a review of @sosadtoday's book of poetry.
After receiving criticism that the opening paragraph of the Teen Girl Tumblr Aesthetic essay was racially problematic, Eler worked with writer Brannon Rockwell-Charland on the essay “Naming a Radical Queer Girl Tumblr Aesthetic,” which sought to reclaim the teen-girl Tumblr aesthetic for queer people and people of color, and to disengage from normative beauty standards that are seen in the teen-girl Tumblr aesthetic. The essay was published on .dpi Feminist Journal of Art and Digital Culture (Montreal).
Long-Form Culture Essays
Eler has written frequently cited long-form essays both solo and collaboratively. The Atlantic listed her essay "Joe Cool" [16] on The New Inquiry as one of the must-read pop-culture/entertainment stories to read the week of March 5, 2016.
Personal Narrative Essays
Eler’s personal narrative essays about adolescence, queerness, and digital vulnerability have been published in the Guardian and New York Magazine. She’s written several essays for the Guardian on the topics of how her mother’s career as a psychiatrist influenced her decision to be a writer, the experience of reconnecting with a teenage sweetheart during the early days of texting, and what it’s like to be a homoromantic bisexual person. She challenged ideas of the cismale dick pic in her piece for New York Magazine, ‘What is the Lesbian Dick Pic?’, which also includes a story of her own experience with this type of ‘dick pic.’ Previously, the lesbian dick pic had not been defined.
Editorial Roles
Eler was the guest editor-in-chief of two issues of PBS’ Art21 Magazine. She worked on the FAMILY Issue (May/June 2015) [17] and the HAPPINESS Issue (September/October 2015) [18].
Viral News Stories
Eler broke the news story President Obama Pens Apology to an Art Historian for Hyperallergic. It was featured on two network TV shows: MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show [19] and NBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews [20]. The story was picked up by the following publications: New York Times, New York Magazine, New York Post, Reuters, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Memorandum, Huffington Post, Complex, Washington Examiner, Townhall, The Wire, Mediaite, Chronicle of Higher Education. Eler wrote the story “The Artist is Not Present, But the Brand Sure Is” for Hyperallergic about Marina Abramovic’s exhibition ‘’The Artist is Present at MoMA’’. The post received nearly 2K shares on Facebook, and spurred conversation about authenticity in Abramovic’s exhibition.
Celebrity Stories
Eler interviewed Steve Martin about his first curatorial endeavor at The Hammer Museum for Artsy. Eler spoke with Miranda July about both the beginning and the end of her Somebody app for KCET Artbound and Artsy, respectively. Eler interviewed Kate Berlant and Lauren Lapkus about their Netflix Specials, The Characters, for Daily Dot.
Eler interviewed BRAVO Work of Art: The Next Great Artist runner-up Peregrine Honig about her residency in Argentina for Art21 Magazine.
She recently interviewed John Early about his success as a young actor/comedian, and Fred Melamed about his work in Maria Bamford's show, Lady Dynamite.
The DailyDot recently named her one of 15 hilarious women you need to follow on Twitter.