Скачать или смотреть In the Studio: Kathleen White '86 "Spirits of Manhattan" || MassArt Art Museum

Kathleen White '86 (1960-2014) was a visual artist who emerged in the late 1980s as part of New York’s downtown art scene and created poignant reflections on the ravaging of her community by AIDS. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 1986 with a BFA in Painting.

White’s installation is made of 39 individual sculptures hung in all directions. Some of the hair in the work is real, synthetic, or given to the artist, while some were recovered from belongings thrown out onto the streets. Most of these wigs belonged to drag performer friends who had died of HIV/AIDS. Others are from those who survived—Lady Bunny, Billy Erb, and Jojo Americo. White was an important member of the Boston School-era artists, and she was affected by the U.S. government’s intentional erasure of the queer community during the (still ongoing) HIV/AIDS crisis. A poignant yet glorious homecoming, this is the first time “Spirits of Manhattan” has been exhibited in Boston.

White’s work is included in The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression on view through May 19, 2024 curated by Mari Spirito ‘92.⁠

Artwork:
Kathleen White. Spirits of Manhattan, 1993-1996. Hair, synthetic hair, hairnet and ties, monofilament, dental floss, starch, powdered glitter. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of The Estate of Kathleen White with Rafael Sánchez, and Martos Gallery, New York.

Kathleen White. Untitled (Blonde Fall Spirit), c. 1995. Hair, thread, monofilament. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of The Estate of Kathleen White with Rafael Sánchez, and Martos Gallery, New York.