Sometimes good art requires a bit of an expedition. Last weekend I traveled three-and-a-half hours north of the city to Saratoga Springs, NY, for the opening of Nancy Grossman’s retrospective Tough Life Diary. A long-time friend of the family, I am an avid follower of Nancy’s career. At 72 years old, Nancy is still one of the most relevant artists working today, with recent exhibitions at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery and alongside RYAN TRECARTIN at PS1 MoMA.
The evening began with a conversation between Nancy and performance artist Elizabeth Streb, in which they discussed feminism, their rigorous artistic methods, and, surprisingly, fashion. Starting on a Singer sewing machine at age sixteen, Nancy was a self-described “dart and gusset girl,” fixing leather and zippers in the Garment District. As an artist in the 1960s, she repurposed salvaged materials like leather and metal, molding them to hand-carved heads, totem poles, and canvases. These pieces, often confrontational and violent, represent Nancy’s opposition to censorship, whether this be in regards to the Vietnam War or gender inequality in the art world. An added bonus at the show is Male Figure (1971), which hasn't appeared in the US for over 20 years. Well worth the trip, guys!
THE FRANCE YOUNG TANG TEACHING MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
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Nancy and Male Figure (1971)
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Male Figure (1971)
The evening began with a conversation between Nancy and performance artist Elizabeth Streb, in which they discussed feminism, their rigorous artistic methods, and, surprisingly, fashion. Starting on a Singer sewing machine at age sixteen, Nancy was a self-described “dart and gusset girl,” fixing leather and zippers in the Garment District. As an artist in the 1960s, she repurposed salvaged materials like leather and metal, molding them to hand-carved heads, totem poles, and canvases. These pieces, often confrontational and violent, represent Nancy’s opposition to censorship, whether this be in regards to the Vietnam War or gender inequality in the art world. An added bonus at the show is Male Figure (1971), which hasn't appeared in the US for over 20 years. Well worth the trip, guys!
THE FRANCE YOUNG TANG TEACHING MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
MAP
Nancy and Male Figure (1971)
Male Figure (1971)