Heresies #15: Racism Is the Issue — Published in the Heresies collective’s journal, this was O’Grady’s first attempt to deal publicly with issues of black female subjectivity. It is based firmly in personal anecdote and psychological description rather than the more theoretical analysis she would later employ.
Lorraine O’Grady’s career began with bold disruption. Her 1980 performance Mlle Bourgeoise Noire, storming New York galleries in a gown of white gloves and demanding, “Black art must take more risks!”, set the tone for decades of boundary-pushing work. Her recent resurgence includes the 2017 Wellesley Alumnae Achievement Award and the solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Unedited transcript for Performance Artists Talking in the Eighties — Montano’s questions on “ritual” cast interesting light on the connection between O’Grady’s early life and her performances. The unedited transcript of the interview contains answers in greater depth on Mlle Bourgeoise Noire and Nefertiti/Devonia Evangeline.