David J. Getsy Livres

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.

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.

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.