Larry Rivers and Frank O'hara: Reframing Male Sexualities
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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2006 Larry Rivers and Frank O'Hara: Reframing Male Sexualities Dong-Yeon Koh Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1659 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] LARRY RIVERS AND FRANK O’HARA: REFRAMING MALE SEXUALITIES by DONG-YEON KOH A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2006 UMI Number: 3232003 Copyright 2006 by Koh, Dong-Yeon All rights reserved. UMI Microform 3232003 Copyright 2006 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 ii © 2006 DONG-YEON KOH All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Art History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Anna Chave Date Chair of Examining Committee Prof. Kevin Murphy Date Executive Officer Prof. Mona Hadler Prof. Harriet Senie Prof. Sarah Schulman Supervision Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract Larry Rivers and Frank O’Hara: Reframing Male Sexualities by Dong-Yeon Koh Adviser: Professor Anna Chave In 1970, Sam Hunter complained that the distinctive persona of proto-Pop artist Larry Rivers had overshadowed his artistic achievement. “Too often he has been taken as an engaging public performer,” wrote Hunter, claiming that some critics “make the mistake of confusing his irrepressible exhibitionism with an imagined artistic flaw of fitful or unsteady inspiration.”1 This dissertation presents an alternative proposition regarding the relationship between Rivers’ artistic persona and art: that an examination of Rivers’ numerous activities inside and outside the artistic arena, such as poetry, jazz, and media, is indeed useful for understanding his work. Particularly, Rivers’ involvement with young homosexual poets in the New York School, including Frank O’Hara, proves crucial to Rivers’ artistic production during the 1950s and early 1960s. Rivers’ intimate and artistic partnership with O’Hara set him in close contact with camp, the gay subculture, and historical references to homoeroticism in art and literature. Concentrating on Rivers’ and O’Hara’s collaborative years, this dissertation explores selected individual and collaborative works by Rivers and O’Hara from the 1950s and early 1960s. These include Rivers’ early drawings from the late 1940s and his Washington Crossing the Delaware in 1954, which are discussed in conjunction with 1 Sam Hunter, Rivers (New York: Harry N. Abrams/ Meridian Books, 1971), 11. v O’Hara’s writing The 4th of July in 1951 and “On Seeing Larry Rivers’ Washington Crossing the Delaware” in 1955; Rivers’ portrait O’Hara in 1954, which is addressed with O’Hara’s “Homosexuality” in 1954 and “In Memory of My Feelings” in 1956; and, finally, Rivers’ and O’Hara’s collaborative projects, from Try! Try! in 1953 to Stones, a ten-part lithograph series created between 1957 and 1960. The purpose of this examination is to locate parallels, influences, and interactions between Rivers’ and O’Hara’s works and then to consider their treatment of the self and male sexuality from various angles—theories of camp, theoretical discussions in gay/lesbian studies or queer theory, and the historical context of the 1950s. The particular emphasis is placed upon how Rivers’ and O’Hara’s depictions of the male nude and the image of male intimacy were forged against the distinction between high art/literature and the gay subculture or between “normality” and “abnormality” in male sexualities. vi Acknowledgements Writing a dissertation has been an exceptional journey—one that I never anticipated. My idea for a dissertation topic developed in the fall of 2001 through my independent research under the guidance of Prof. Anna Chave. I am deeply indebted to Prof. Chave for her advice, mentoring, and support throughout the research and writing processes. I have truly appreciated her patience and tolerance during my numerous mishaps. This dissertation is the result of her careful, detailed, and consistent revisions, suggestions, and criticisms. I have been fortunate to work with a stimulating and knowledgeable committee. I have enjoyed working with Prof. Mona Hadler, who, from the beginning, has been very supportive of my topic. Her extensive knowledge of Abstract Expressionism and the New York School have been essential to this dissertation. Prof. Harriet Senie has remained exceptionally encouraging and supportive, from my oral examination to the dissertation revision process. In addition to my three committee members, I have benefited greatly from working with Sarah Schulman as an outside reader; her class “Gay and Lesbian Films before Video” in 2004 was an eye-opening experience for me. Many of the films shown in her class were previously censored or hard to come across at video stores and art movie houses. Her emphasis on students’ independent viewing experiences and opinions greatly increased my understanding of forms and contents related to “homosexuality” or “homoeroticism” in visual culture in general. My hands-on experience at Rivers’ archive was also crucial to my knowledge of Rivers’ art. David Joel, Chief Archivist, was kind enough to allow me to access all of Rivers’ materials, including the artist’s collections of books and magazines and his vii correspondence with O’Hara. David Joel, who worked as an assistant to Rivers for almost twenty years, shared much of his firsthand knowledge of Rivers’ creative process with me. I was also fortunate to have an opportunity to conduct interviews with Rivers’ two sons. Joseph Rivers, the older son, kindly responded to all of my questions, offering descriptions of Larry Rivers’ personal lives that would otherwise have been hard to obtain. Steven Rivers, the younger son, also offered detailed information on Rivers’ involvement with poets, especially his memories of Frank O’Hara. During a difficult time, Steven Rivers invited me to his house and showed some of Rivers’ paintings in his collection. This dissertation has also benefited from Addie, Constanza, Heather, Mary-Ellen, Paul, Pam, and Tina, the members of my peer group. I would not have been able to complete my dissertation without their consistent emotional support and insightful suggestions at every turn. We had a weekly Friday meeting to share our concerns, from administrative tasks to writer’s block. They helped me to maintain my self-confidence and my passion toward the dissertation throughout its different stages. Finally, I cannot express enough gratitude to my family in Korea and the United States—especially my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Koh; my husband, Mr. Sim; and my son, Julius. Their consistent love and support are the source of my strength and the reason that I have come this far. My parents taught me the importance of hard work and perseverance. My husband and Julius have always been there whenever I have needed them most and have enabled me to understand the true meaning of family. viii Table of Contents ABSTRACT---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS---------------------------------------------------------------------- vi THE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------- xi INTRODUCTION Larry Rivers and Frank O’Hara: Toward the Fluidity in Male Sexualities---------1 Rivers, Art Critics, and Camp: Literature Review on Rivers------------------------- A Poet among Painters: Literature Review on O’Hara-------------------------------- Writing on Rivers and O’Hara: Methodology and Structure------------------------- CHAPTER 1. MAKING A QUEER CIRCLE OF ARTISTS AND POETS IN THE NEW YORK SCHOOL The Formation of Nell’s Gathering and “Avant-Garde Sex”----------------------- 24 Rivers and O’Hara: Standing Still and Walking in New York “Together”------- CHAPTER 2. MALE SEXUALITIES IN AN AGE OF ANXIETY: 1950S DISCOURSES ON MALE HOMOSEXUALITY IN SEXOLOGY, LITERATURE, AND ART Re/defining Homosexuality in the 1950s: the Kinsey Report and Its Reception- 60 Beyond the Sexual Binary of Homosexuality and Heterosexuality---------------- The “Homophile” Movement and Homosexual Poets in the 1950s --------------- Issues of Gender and Sexuality in the New York School----------------------------- ix The Emergence of “Masculine” Aesthetics and Macho Images in the New York School---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rivers and O’Hara in Art History: Between Abstract Expressionism and the Rise of Pop Art ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 3. RIVERS’ FORMATIVE YEARS AND WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DELAWARE (1953) The Beginning: Tradition, Figuration, and the New York School---------------- 126 Rivers’ Early Nude Drawings and Hans Hofmann---------------------------------- Rivers’ Two Women Series and Willem de