Exploring the intersection of art and identity, this analysis delves into 1960s abstract sculpture through the lenses of transgender studies and queer theory. It challenges traditional interpretations of the era's artistic movements, offering fresh insights into how these sculptures reflect and engage with themes of gender and sexuality. By blending art history with contemporary theories, the work invites readers to reconsider the cultural significance of abstract forms and their relation to personal and collective identities.
David J. Getsy Book order (chronological)
David J. Getsy is a leading art historian whose work deeply explores the complexities of sculpture, gender, and performance art. Through meticulous analysis, he examines how artists push the boundaries of the body and form. Getsy's essays and critical studies are prized for their insightful contributions to the historical and theoretical understanding of visual arts.
Exploring the innovative work of Scott Burton, this book delves into his performance art and sculptures that reflect queer experiences and the vibrant sexual cultures of 1970s New York City. David J. Getsy highlights Burton's focus on nonverbal communication and public behaviors, particularly street cruising, as a means to redefine art's audience and impact. Through extensive research, Getsy reveals how Burton's art engaged with themes of power, identity, and functionality, positioning him as a pivotal figure in queer art history post-Stonewall.
Queer
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Key artists' writings that have influenced and catalyzed contemporary queer artistic practice. Historically, “queer” was a slur used against those perceived as abnormal. Beginning in the 1980s, it was reappropriated and embraced as a badge of honor. While queer draws its politics and affective force from the history of non-normative, gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities, it transcends these categories and identities. It offers a strategic challenge to the stability of identity and the power dynamics tied to categorization. Contemporary artists identifying their practices as queer envision utopian and dystopian alternatives, adopt outlaw stances, embrace criminality and opacity, and forge new kinships and communities. This anthology centers on artists' writings, bringing together diverse conversations about queer practice from various social and cultural contexts. The texts describe how artists have utilized the concept of queer for political critique, to develop new families and histories, to spur action, and to assert inassimilable difference.