Carolee Schneemann

Pioneering multidisciplinary artist Carolee Schneemann weaved together the mediums of paint, photography, film, performance and installation art, describing herself as “a painter who has left the canvas to activate actual space and lived time.”

From the 1960s Schneemann fought against sexism in New York’s male-dominated art scene. She is known for using her naked body as a paintbrush and a means to create art. Focusing on explorations of the body, gender and sexuality, her art challenges boundaries and social taboos whilst drawing on archaic visual traditions. Through her art she considers how the body has endured abuse from wars, political upheaval and sickness, reflecting upon repressed and unresolved histories of controlling confinement and violence.

Evidence juxtaposes colourful abstract hand-drawn forms with three photographs of destruction, conflict and suffering. Schneemann was concerned with the mass de-sensitisation of the news and how images shape our feelings towards others. Breathing new life into these photographs and their narratives, her work engenders a greater consciousness about the power of images.