City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works School of Arts & Sciences Theses Hunter College Spring 5-13-2020 Beyond Movements: Senga Nengudi’s Art Within and Without Feminism, Postminimalism, and the Black Arts Movement Tess Thackara CUNY Hunter College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/605 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] Beyond Movements: Senga Nengudi’s Art Within and Without Feminism, Postminimalism, and the Black Arts Movement by Tess Thackara Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art History, Hunter College The City University of New York 2020 Thesis Sponsor: May 4, 2020 Dr. Howard Singerman _____________ ______________________ Date Signature May 4, 2020 Dr. Lynda Klich _____________ ______________________ Date Signature Table of Contents List of Illustrations……………………………………………………………………………....ii Introduction……………………………………………………………………….......................1 Chapter 1: “Black Fingerprints and the Fragrance of a Woman”: Senga Nengudi and Feminism………………………………………………………………………………………..12 Chapter 2: Toward Her Own Total Theater: Senga Nengudi and Postminimalism…………….31 Chapter 3: Ritual and Transformation: Senga Nengudi and the Black Arts Movement……………………………………………………………………………………….49 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………64 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………….68 Illustrations……………………………………………………………………………………...72 i List of Illustrations Fig. 1: Senga Nengudi, ACQ series (install view), 2016–7, refrigerator and air conditioner parts, fan, nylon pantyhose, and sand. © Senga Nengudi. Courtesy of the artist, Lévy Gorvy, Thomas Erben Gallery, and Sprüth Magers. Fig. 2: Senga Nengudi, ACQ I, 2016–7, refrigerator and air conditioner parts, fan, nylon pantyhose, and sand.