The artwork, titled “Performance Piece (detail, Photo by Harmon Outlaw),” was created by Senga Nengudi in 1977. It is associated with the Performance Art and Feminist Art movements and falls under the genre of performance.
The artwork captures a dynamic and evocative scene featuring a performer—presumably Senga Nengudi herself—interacting with an assortment of stretched, elastic materials that radiate outward from her body. They create an impression of both entrapment and resilience, exploring themes of bodily and spatial constraints. The performer, clad in a form-fitting black outfit that starkly contrasts with the white backdrop, contorts her body in various elegant yet restrictive postures. The tension in the stretched materials symbolizes the social and personal limitations faced, while also demonstrating the strength and flexibility of the human form. This powerful image highlights Nengudi’s exploration of gender, identity, and the corporeal experience, resonating deeply within the context of Performance and Feminist Art movements.
