Mary Kelly

If the mother who knows sexual pleasure, the subject of Mary Kelly's earlier work Post-Partum Document, is the most severely repressed "feminine" figure in Western culture, then the middle-aged woman runs a close second. If the assumption of an image occasions desire, then middle age marks the loss of that assumed image, of not being the object of man's desire, of being out of sync with how one looks, of alienation from one's image.

In Interim Kelly effects a displacement; the identification with the woman observed is transferred to the article of clothing - a metonymy, not a presence. In Kelly's narrative we are told that the black leather jacket is the orthopaedic prop, the armor, worn by the woman attempting to signify "professional artist." Each image is accompanied by a text, a compilation of conversations with women - women who are listened to rather than looked at - as in "the talking cure."

About the Artist:
Mary Kelly was born in Iowa in 1941. She studied in Florence at Pius XII Institute and in London at St. Martin's School of Art. A selection of her writings was recently published by MIT Press and a monograph on her work appeared in the "Phaidon Contemporary Artists" series in 1997. She now lives in Los Angeles.

Introductory Essay by Jo Anna Isaak / Pictures from the Exhibition / List of Works / Excerpts of Essays included in the Catalog / History of the Exhibition / How to order a print copy of the catalog / About the Curator / Website Credits