David Getsy: “Second Skins: Nancy Grossman and the Binding of Genders”
presented within the space of My Barbarian’s “Broke People Baroque People’s Theater.”

In the late 1960s, Nancy Grossman became notorious for making sculptures of heads bound tightly in leather. Often mistaken for depictions of gay male S&M practices, these works sought to convey personal and political frustration. She called them “self-portraits.” Putting these iconic sculptures into the context of her earlier, but largely unrecognized, abstract assemblages made from leather, this talk will examine how Grossman’s work engaged with questions of gender mutability through her use of leather to make new bodies from old skins.

David Getsy’s presentation will be followed up with a seminar-style discussion led by Getsy and Jennifer Doyle.

Join us for this exploration of the overlap and gaps between feminist, gay, and queer art history!

Photos: Nancy Grossman, Ali Stoker, 1966-67; Installation view of Nancy Grossman: Heads at PS1, May 2011