Savannah Knoop

Knoop grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, born to artist and acupuncturist Sharon Hennessey, and documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, John Knoop.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/nov/02/savannah-knoop-jeremiah-jt-leroy |title=This is the woman who played the man who became a transsexual and fooled the world for six years |last=Vernon |first=Polly |date=November 1, 2008 |work=The Observer |access-date=August 20, 2021 |language=en-GB}} Knoop was the youngest of five half siblings. Knoop attended high school at Westover, an all girls boarding school in Connecticut. From 1999 to 2001, they attended City College of San Francisco.

In 1999 writer Laura Albert, then-partner of Knoop's brother, asked Knoop to play her fictional persona JT LeRoy. Knoop embodied JT LeRoy in all public appearances for the next six years. After the literary scandal was unveiled in the NY Times in 2005, Seven Stories Press published Knoop's memoir in 2007 titled Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT LeRoy cataloguing their experiences of playing their sister-in-law's writing persona and avatar JT LeRoy. With director Justin Kelly, they adapted it into the feature-length film JT Leroy, starring Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Jim Sturgess, and Diane Kruger, released by Universal Pictures in April 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/movies/jt-leroy-review.html|title='J.T. LeRoy' Review: Unpeeling the Layers of an All-American Hoax|last=Dargis|first=Manohla|date=April 25, 2019|work=The New York Times|accessdate=March 2, 2019|author-link=Manohla Dargis}}

In 2001, Knoop founded the clothing line Tinc with Parachati Pattajotti, creative partner, architect and restaurateur. In 2006, their sister Hennessey Knoop joined as head of sales for their company. Tinc ran until 2009 and sold to stores such as Modern Appealing Clothing and Takashimaya. After folding Tinc, Knoop moved to New York. They finished their bachelor's degree in the fall of 2013 at CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies under the mentorship of Vito Acconci.{{Cite web|url=https://cunyba.cuny.edu/|title=CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary StudiesCUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies|language=en|access-date=2019-07-07}} In 2014 they went on to their MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University: Sculpture + Extended Media.{{Cite web|url=https://arts.vcu.edu/savannah-knoop-featured-in-bomb-interview/|title=Savannah Knoop featured in BOMB interview|date=2019-01-30|website=VCUarts|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-23}} Movement is an essential part of Knoop's practice. They have studied dance and martial arts for over twenty years. Knoop studies Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the tutelage of Marcelo Garcia in New York.

Knoop, who identifies as gender neutral,{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/23/my-life-as-jt-leroy-savannah-knoop-on-playing-the-great-literary-hoaxer|title=My life as JT LeRoy: Savannah Knoop on playing the great literary hoaxer|last=Freeman|first=Hadley|date=2019-04-23|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-06-23|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} has shown and performed at the Whitney,{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitney.org/Events/MathBassLaurenDavisFisher|title=Math Bass and Lauren Davis Fisher: Quiet Work In Session|website=www.whitney.org|language=en|access-date=2019-06-23}} MoMA,{{Cite web|url=https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/31|title=The Everyday Life of Simone Forti's Dance Constructions {{!}} Magazine|website=www.moma.org|language=en|access-date=2019-06-23}} the ICA Philadelphia, the Leslie-Lohman Museum,{{Cite web|url=https://hyperallergic.com/503519/queer-artists-in-their-own-words-savannah-knoop/|title=Queer Artists in Their Own Words: Savannah Knoop Is an Intimacy Hound|date=2019-06-07|website=Hyperallergic|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-23}} Movement Research,{{Cite web|url=https://movementresearch.org/people/savannah-knoop|title=Savannah Knoop|last=Studio|first=Familiar|date=2019-06-22|website=Movement Research|language=en|access-date=2019-06-23}} and Essex Flowers gallery.{{Cite web|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/savannah-knoop-jt-leroy-1439470|title=The Artist Savannah Knoop, Who Spent Six Years Posing as Literary Wunderkind JT LeRoy, Has a New Gallery Show|date=2019-01-22|website=artnet News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-23}} They have collaborated and performed live with artists such as Simone Forti, A.K. Burns,{{Cite web|url=http://www.newmuseum.org/calendar/view/1140/body-politic-from-rights-to-resistance-session-two|title=Body Politic: From Rights to Resistance: Session Two|website=www.newmuseum.org|language=en|access-date=2019-07-07}} Math Bass and Lauren Davis Fisher, Gordon Hall,{{Cite web|url=http://www.drawingcenter.org/en/drawingcenter/20/events/439/past-public-programs/2143/walkthrough-and-reading/|title=The Drawing Center {{!}} New York, NY {{!}} Events {{!}} Past Public Programs {{!}} Walkthrough and Reading|website=www.drawingcenter.org|access-date=2019-07-07}} Geo Wyeth,{{Cite web|url=https://artweekendla.com/i-am-serious-man-human-resources/|title=I Am Serious Man @ Human Resources · art weekend LA|date=2013-01-04|website=art weekend LA|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-07}} Nica Ross, Nicole Killian, Jules Gimbrone,{{Cite web|url=http://packprojects.us/projects/tag/Savannah+Knoop|title=Savannah Knoop — PROJECTS|website=PACK PROJECTS|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-07}} Niv Acosta, Elizabeth Orr, Robert Wilson, and Laura Albert. From 2010 to 2016 they threw the party, WOAHMONE, with Nica Ross and Nathann Carerra.

• Tripod Sweep (2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.leslielohman.org/project/arch|website=www.leslielohman.org|access-date=2019-06-23|title=Leslie-Lohman Museum}}
• SCREENS, a project about "community" (2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.artinamericamagazine.com/reviews/savannah-knoop/|title=Savannah Knoop|last=Vogel|first=Wendy|date=2019-04-01|website=Art in America|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-23}}
• Nosferatu on the Beach (2018)
• Heads and Tails (2016){{Cite web |url=https://contemporaryartreview.la/savannah-knoop-at-artist-curated-projects/ |title=Savannah Knoop at Artist Curated Projects |last=Larkey |first=Molly |date=March 8, 2017 |website=Contemporary Art Review |access-date=August 20, 2021}}

• Small Town Sex Shop (2015){{Cite web|url=https://www.recessart.org/katherine-hubbard-savannah-knoop-small-town-sex-shop/|title=Katherine Hubbard & Savannah Knoop: Small Town Sex Shop.|website=Recess Art|date=2 July 2015}}
• WOAHMONE (2009-2016){{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-different-kind-of-order-the-i-c-p-triennial|title=A Different Kind of Order: The I.C.P. Triennial|last=Wender|first=Jessie|magazine=The New Yorker|date=2013-04-10|access-date=2019-06-23|language=en|issn=0028-792X}}

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Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American artists

Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people

Category:Filmmakers from California

Category:American non-binary artists

Category:Artists from San Francisco

Category:City College of San Francisco alumni

Category:CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies alumni