Jody Pinto
Jody Pinto is an American environmental artist internationally known for her site-specific public works. In her works as an artist she has over 40 collaborations around the world including the US, Japan, and Israel. In her work as a feminist activist, she founded the organization known as WOAR, and was active in it for four years.
Early life and education
Jody Pinto was born in New York City in 1942 to a family of artists, and carried on this legacy with both her education as well as activism.She attended Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, winning the William Emlen Cresson Memorial Travel Scholarship while she was there, which funded travels throughout Europe after her graduation. She earned her BFA from Philadelphia College of Art.
Work
Pinto's early works confront nature in work performances such as the 1976 digging piece Triple Well Enclosure, which explores excavation and entombment. Pinto's work was never rejected by the public, mainly because she considered her work ethic to be very attentive in what the client and public wanted out of the piece. Taking a break from her art to focus on her activism with WOAR she returned to her art after her four-year involvement, and had a new perspective on changing peoples lives through her work. Not only did WOAR give her new perspectives, but it helper her learn how to talk to people, and thus giving her ways to connect and make connections through her art.Public art
In 1987 Pinto completed her first large-scale permanent public art work, Fingerspan, commissioned by the Association for Public Art in Philadelphia and located in Wissahickon Valley Park. The artwork is a 59'-long metal enclosure that connects two cliffs together in the shape of a bent finger.In 2000 Pintos collaboration on the B.I.G Project, was various installations such as restrooms, seatwalls, paths, and the "Beacon Overlook". they also landscaped and restored the Palisades, as well. as designed workout area and chess courts.
In 2000 Light Islands was created in Tokamachi City, Japan. this installation consisted of fiberglass tubes illuminated by interior fiber-optics.
In 2008 Pinto completed a permanent work at the Third Street/Convention Center station in Charlotte, NC. The work consists of 20 illuminated fiberglass canopies that provide light and also serve as shelter for users during inclement weather. The canopies range in height from,, and and are either green or berry in color.
In 2014 Pinto created a piece called Land Buoy which is a metal spiral staircase, Standing 55' tall. This installation overlooks the ocean and land of the Washington Avenue Pier on the Delaware River in South Philadelphia.