Lorraine O’Grady, a trailblazing conceptual artist and critic, has passed away at the age of 90 in New York City. Known for her pioneering works that subverted Western binaries, O’Grady left an indelible impact on the contemporary arts sphere from a Black feminist perspective.
Born in 1934 to a middle-class Jamaican immigrant family in Boston, Massachusetts, O’Grady was raised with a strong sense of aesthetics and faith. However, her life took a significant turn after her sister’s unexpected death, which led her to explore different careers before eventually finding stability in translation.
O’Grady’s art career began decades later, marked by her collage series “Cutting Out the New York Times” (1977), followed by her performances as Mademoiselle Bourgeoise Noire, a persona who critiqued racial discrimination and targeted NYC’s art institutions. Her most notable works include “Nefertiti/Devonia Evangeline” (1980) and “Rivers, First Draft” (1982).
The artist was also an avid writer and critic, making waves with her seminal essay “Olympia’s Maid” (1992), which highlighted the lack of attention to Black servants in fine arts. O’Grady’s work has been widely recognized, with solo shows, group exhibitions, and profiles in various institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Modern Art.
O’Grady is survived by her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her legacy continues to inspire artists, activists, and scholars alike, leaving behind a trail of frames within frames that reflect her life’s narrative arcs.
Source: https://hyperallergic.com/974851/lorraine-ogrady-who-dismantled-art-world-binaries-dies-at-90