Joan Dickinson

American artist, writer, director, curator and educator

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Joan Dickinson is a contemporary American artist, writer, director, curator, and educator. Her creative practice combines visual and performance art, photography, writing, farming and environmental restoration, astrology, ceremony, and palliative care. Dickinson holds a doctorate (2012) from the Literary Arts program at the University of Denver.

## History[edit]

### Early Work[edit]

Dickinson (see selected work list below re Hula, Black Cake, Big Goddess Powwow, Mental Beauty/Enduring Affection) along with others (Iris Moore,[1] Lawrence Steger,[2] Matthew Owens,[3] to name just a few) was part of an experimental arts scene that flourished in Chicago during the late 1980s through the early 2000s taking place, primarily, in night clubs including Club Lower Links,[4] Lounge Ax,[5] Cabaret Metro; [6] experimental performance venues such as Links Hall[7] and Hot House;[8] and alternative, non-profit galleries including Randolph Street Gallery,[9] and N.A.M.E.[10]).

Around this time, Dickinson also worked as a production artist and graphic designer on such varied projects as two of Peter Sellars' operas, Tannheuser[11] and The Death of Klinghoffer[12] and Biosphere 2[13] in Oracle, Arizona.

### Site-specific, Land, and Place-based Work[edit]

For a twelve-year period, Joan lived on a 300-acre wetland sanctuary in rural McHenry County, Illinois, where she created a series of eight immersive, dense, and ambitious works including Hunter’s Moon,[14] Flower, The Architecture of Honey,[15] Drove Road, [16] and Devotion [17] each based in the surrounding landscape(s), many unfolding over the period of a year and culminating in an event in which performers, actors, musicians, installations, objects, movements and actions, texts, sunsets, and meals converged. Documentation and writing from several of these projects are featured in an extensive photo-essay in TDR/The Drama Review (Jan.,1998, MIT Press).

In roughly the same time period and continuing into the present day, other work, including a long-term collaboration with the performance group, Goat Island, has been presented in various contemporary art spaces and theaters including Institute of Contemporary Arts in London,[18] 3rd Eye Center & Center for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, PS 122 in New York City,[19] Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica,[20] Illinois State Museum in Springfield,[21] and many locations in Chicago including the Lyric Opera,[22] the Chicago Cultural Center,[23] Hyde Park Art Center,[24] Randolph Street Gallery,[25] the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park,[26] and the Museum of Contemporary Art.[27] Other venues include Experimental Sound Studio, Club Lower Links, Cabaret Metro, and, in Denver, Platte Forum,[28] Counterpath Press,[29] and Common Name Farm.

### With Goat Island[edit]

Dickinson's multifaceted practice includes a significant and long-time collaboration with internationally renowned Goat Island, manifest most recently in “goat island archive – we have discovered the performance by making it"[30] a cross disciplinary retrospective including an exhibition, archives, a performance series, and symposia at the Chicago Cultural Center in Spring 2019.[31]

### With Randolph Street Gallery [32][33][edit]

Beginning in 1989 and continuing until early 1997, Dickinson worked at Randolph Street Gallery (RSG), the erstwhile alternative arts space in Chicago (1979-1998). Initially, Dickinson was a member of the committee responsible for performance programming, and then from 1993 and until her resignation, Dickinson directed all live events working in both curatorial and production capacities. Of the fifty or more artists and writers produced by RSG during these years, many have gone on to national and international recognition including Quraysh Ali Lasana,[34] Nancy Andrews,[35] Ron Athey,[36][37][38] Sadie Benning,[39] Jaap Blonk,[40][41] Lynn Book,[42][43] Mwata Bowden,[44][45] Janet Cardiff,[46][47] William Close,[48] Richard Elovich,[49][50] Coco Fusco,[51][52] Goat Island,[53] Essex Hemphill,[54] In the Flesh (Series),[55][56] John Malpede,[57] Eileen Myles,[58] Natsu Nakajima,[59][60][61] Achy Obejas,[62] Matthew Owens,[63] Guillermo Gomez Pena,[64][65] Pomo Afro Homos,[66] Marlon Riggs,[67][68] Root Wy’mn Theater Company,[69] [70] Sacred Naked Nature Girls[71][56] Carolee Schneeman,[72][73] Laetitia Sonami,[74][75] Patricia Smith,[76] Spiderwoman Theater,[77][78] Lawrence Steger,[79][80] That Time of the Months (Series),[81] Rose Troche,[82] Gregory Whitehead,[83] Michael Zerang.[84]

## Selected Work[edit]

* The Nocturnal Farmer's Almanac for Common Name Farm (2022 - ongoing)
* Goat Island Retrospective/Exhibition + Performances + Symposium (2019)[85][86][87][88][89]
* The Cooking School of the Air (2012-2019)[90][91]
* Coming in from the North (2007-2016)[92][93]
* The Dream of the Owl Sisters (performance + book; 2013-2015)[94]
* "Mule Deer Are Everywhere in the West" from A Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park (2012)[95][96]
* "Lindow Man" from Fat Boy Review (2011)[97]
* With All that She Is She Desires to Give Great Pleasure (2007–2009)[98]
* Degrees of Wildness/The Charioteer (2006)[99]
* The Language of Birds (2005)[100]
* Atmosphere (2005)[101][102]
* In the Palace of the Night Heron (2004)as part of Bird Brain with Jennifer Monson[103][104][105]
* Devotion (2001–2002)[106]
* Drove Road (1999–2000)[107][108]
* The Architecture of Honey (1997–1998)[109]
* Flower (1996–1997)
* Hunter’s Moon (1995–1996)[110]
* Hula (1994)[111]
* Big Goddess Powwow (1994-1996)[112][113][114][115][116]
* Black Cake (1993)[117]
* White Castle (1993)[118]
* Mental Beauty/Enduring Affection (1992)[119]
* We Got A Date (1989); Can’t Take Johnny to the Funeral (1991) as part of Goat island Performance Group[120][121][122][123][124][125][126]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Obejas, Achy (10 March 1994). "Iris Moore and Christina Cobb". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
2. ^ LePique, Annette (26 January 2023). "The afterlives of Lawrence Steger". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
3. ^ Wyman, Bill (10 October 1991). "In Performance: raising funds for Lower Links". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
4. ^ "CLUB LOWER LINKS PREFERS THE ALTERNATIVES". Chicago Tribune. 14 October 1988. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
5. ^ "Lounge Ax -". chibarproject.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
6. ^ "Metro Chicago | Live Music & Events | Chicago, IL". metrochicago.com. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
7. ^ "Links Hall". Links Hall. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
8. ^ "HotHouse in Memoriam: Chicago Bar Project". chibarproject.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
9. ^ "Randolph Street Gallery Archives". School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
10. ^ "N.A.M.E. Fame | 150 Years of SAIC". www.saic.edu. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
11. ^ Henahan, Donal; Times, Special To the New York (12 October 1988). "Review/Opera; Peter Sellars's Particular View of 'Tannhauser'". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
12. ^ "The Death of Klinghoffer". usopera.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
13. ^ Cornelius, Keridwen. "Biosphere 2: The Once Infamous Live-In Terrarium Is Transforming Climate Research". Scientific American. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
14. ^ Dickinson, Joan; Mallozzi, Dawn; Moore, Iris (1998-12-01). "Hunter's Moon and Flower: Two Performances by Joan Dickinson". TDR/The Drama Review. 42 (4): 14–36. doi:10.1162/105420498760308337. S2CID 57572188.
15. ^ "A World Apart". chicagoreader.com. 1998-05-21.
16. ^ "Performance Art". chicagotribune.com.
17. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist - Devotion". thearchitectureofhoney.com. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
18. ^ "Home - Institute of Contemporary Arts". Archived from the original on 2017-02-26. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
19. ^ "Performance Space 122".
20. ^ "Highways Performance Space & Gallery".
21. ^ "Welcome to the Illinois State Museum--Illinois State Museum".
22. ^ Lyric Opera of Chicago
23. ^ "City of Chicago :: Chicago Cultural Center".
24. ^ "Home - Hyde Park Art Center".
25. ^ Randolph Street Gallery
26. ^ "City of Chicago :: Millennium Park".
27. ^ "MCA – Home".
28. ^ "Joan Dickinson". PlatteForum. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
29. ^ "The Unseen Festival: List of Participants – Counterpath". Retrieved 21 April 2023.
30. ^ "goat island archive – we have discovered the performance by making it". www.chicago.gov. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
31. ^ Tsatsos, Irene; Dickinson, Joan; Christopher, Karen; Goulish, Matthew; McCain, Greg; McCain, Tim (1991). "Talking with Goat Island: An Interview with Joan Dickinson, Karen Christopher, Matthew Goulish, Greg McCain, and Tim McCain". TDR. 35 (4): 66–74. doi:10.2307/1146163. JSTOR 1146163.
32. ^ "Randolph Street Gallery Archives".
33. ^ "Randolph Street Gallery Archives Digital Library | SAIC Digital Collections".
34. ^ "Quraysh Ali Lansana". January 2022.
35. ^ "Nancy Andrews – Great Women Animators".
36. ^ "::::Ron Athey::::".
37. ^ Obejas, Achy (10 June 1993). "Martyrs and Saints".
38. ^ Stromberg, Matt (2 September 2021). "Ron Athey, Transgressive Performance Artist". Hyperallergic.
39. ^ "Sadie Benning | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art.
40. ^ "Jaap Blonk". Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice. 7 April 2016.
41. ^ Corbett, John (14 November 1996). "Jaap Blonk".
42. ^ "Lynn Book".
43. ^ "'Gorgeous Fever' Lets Book Plant Ideas". 16 September 1994.
44. ^ "Mwata Bowden - Department of Music - The University of Chicago".
45. ^ "Mwata Bowden". Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry - The University of Chicago.
46. ^ "Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller".
47. ^ Litvin, Michelle (15 December 1994). "On Exhibit: hearing is believing".
48. ^ Group, Twelve Twenty Four Design. "Mass Ensemble - A New Design in Music".
49. ^ "Artery: The AIDS - Arts Forum". Archived from the original on 2013-07-26. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
50. ^ Williams, Albert (12 November 1992). "Someone Else From Queens Is Queer".
51. ^ "Coco Fusco".
52. ^ Rago, Carmela (28 January 1993). "Specimens From the New World".
53. ^ "Goat Island Performance Group".
54. ^ "Essex Hemphill". January 2022.
55. ^ "Featured Articles about Randolph Street - Page 5 - tribunedigital-chicagotribune".
56. ^ a b "Randolph Street Takes 'In The Flesh' Literally". 24 May 1996.
57. ^ "Los Angeles Poverty Department - John Malpede, Founding Artistic Director, LAPD". Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
58. ^ Foundation, Poetry (4 May 2023). "Eileen Myles". Poetry Foundation.
59. ^ Mihopoulos, Effie (19 August 1993). "The First Butoh".
60. ^ "The Way Of Butoh". 8 July 1993.
61. ^ "Natsu Nakajima – Butoh Performance".
62. ^ Foundation, Poetry (4 May 2023). "Achy Obejas". Poetry Foundation.
63. ^ "Matthew Owns: Extreme Pet Portraits".
64. ^ "top".
65. ^ Rago, Carmela (14 January 1993). "Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Coco Fusco".
66. ^ "Owen Keehnen: Interviews".
67. ^ http://marlonriggs.com/
68. ^ "Living 'Color'". 3 April 1992.
69. ^ Sharon Bridgforth (3 December 2008). "The root wy'mn Theatre Company" - via YouTube.
70. ^ Obejas, Achy (16 June 1994). "Sisters in the House".
71. ^ "Sacred Naked Nature Girls!". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
72. ^ http://www.caroleeschneemann.com/
73. ^ Stamets, Bill (5 November 1992). "Art Facts: Carol Schneemann drives men crazy".
74. ^ "LAETITIA SONAMI".
75. ^ "Review_Chicago".
76. ^ Foundation, Poetry (3 May 2023). "Patricia Smith". Poetry Foundation.
77. ^ "Spiderwoman Theater".
78. ^ Telingator, Sue (24 October 1991). "Theater Notes: the cause of the Spiderwoman".
79. ^ Hayford, Justin (5 December 1996). "In Performance: the mortal passions of Lawrence Steger".
80. ^ Hayford, Justin (29 June 1995). "Brilliant Demise".
81. ^ Rago, Carmela (29 October 1992). "That Time of the Months . . ".
82. ^ "An interview with Rose Troche - AfterEllen". 7 March 2012.
83. ^ "Gregory Whitehead".
84. ^ Strell, Meghan. "Michael Zerang".
85. ^ The Visualist. "Goat Island Archive". Retrieved 29 March 2019.
86. ^ May, Mary. "goat island archive – we have discovered the performance by making it". City of Chicago. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
87. ^ Lowe, Nick. "From the archives". SAIC. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
88. ^ Climenhaga, Royd (2020). "Goat Island". Routledge Performance Archive.
89. ^ Island, Goat. "Goat island Archive". Youtube. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
90. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist - The Cooking School of the Air".
91. ^ "Joan Dickinson". PlatteForum.
92. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist - Invisible Channels of Commonality".
93. ^ "TOP V. WEEKEND PICKS (9/29-10/5) | Bad at Sports".
94. ^ "The Dream of the Owl Sisters - A ceremonial performance for listening at the river".
95. ^ "Rocky Mountain Land Series with Todd Simmons - A Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park". Tattered Cover Book Store. 22 August 2013.
96. ^ "The Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park – Wolverine Farm". www.wolverinefarm.org.
97. ^ "12 days of projects from Fatboy Review". 5 January 2011.
98. ^ "Review: "The Grammar of Landscape"/Illinois State Museum | Newcity Art". 11 October 2007.
99. ^ "Gapers Block: Slowdown - November 16, 2005".
100. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist - Invisible Channels of Commonality".
101. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist - Invisible Channels of Commonality".
102. ^ "Millennium Park". www.chicago.gov.
103. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist - In The Palace of the Night Heron".
104. ^ "Dancer Jennifer Monson goes where birds take her". 23 April 2004.
105. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist | In The Palace of the Night Heron". thearchitectureofhoney.com.
106. ^ "Her Field of Dreams Performance Artist Joan Dickinson Says the Costumed Bears, Dancing Horses and Shrouded Women in Her Work Have Deep Meaning - but Does Anyone Get It?". 17 October 2002. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
107. ^ Isaacs, Deanna (28 September 2000). "Performance Arts: Joan Dickinson's theater without walls". Chicago Reader.
108. ^ "Joan Dickinson, artist | Drove Road". thearchitectureofhoney.com.
109. ^ Burbank, Carol (21 May 1998). "A World Apart".
110. ^ Dickinson, Joan; Mallozzi, Dawn; Moore, Iris (1 December 1998). "Hunter's Moon and Flower: Two Performances by Joan Dickinson". TDR/The Drama Review. 42 (4): 14–36. doi:10.1162/105420498760308337. S2CID 57572188.
111. ^ Obejas, Achy (30 June 1994). "Hula, Part I".
112. ^ Obejas, Achy (13 May 1993). "Big Goddess Pow Wow III: the Empress Provoked".
113. ^ Rago, Carmela (2 June 1994). "Celebrating the Spoken Word".
114. ^ "Performance Artist Wilke Heads For L.a." 12 August 1994.
115. ^ "Wordsmyths Offer A Cultural Explosion". 30 April 1993.
116. ^ "Girls' Night Out". 14 May 1995.
117. ^ Obejas, Achy (4 February 1993). "Bizarre and Logical".
118. ^ "FLUXUS FEST SERVES UP SOME FUN – Chicago Tribune". www.chicagotribune.com. 7 November 1993.
119. ^ Obejas, Achy (21 May 1992). "Next Step". Chicago Reader.
120. ^ "Goat Island Performance Group - Performances".
121. ^ "Project MUSE". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
122. ^ Hayford, Justin (2 November 1989). "Intimate Details". Chicago Reader.
123. ^ "Goat Island Performance Group - Performances".
124. ^ Tsatsos, Irene; Dickinson, Joan; Christopher, Karen; Goulish, Matthew; McCain, Greg; McCain, Tim (1 January 1991). "Talking with Goat Island: An Interview with Joan Dickinson, Karen Christopher, Matthew Goulish, Greg McCain, and Tim McCain". TDR. 35 (4): 66–74. doi:10.2307/1146163. JSTOR 1146163.
125. ^ "The Last Performance".
126. ^ Maoilearca, Laura Cull Ó. "The politics of becoming(-woman): Deleuze, sex and gender".

## External links[edit]

* www.thearchitectureofhoney.com
* www.thedreamoftheowlsisters.org