Joan Dickinson Explained

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 master’s in performance from Columbia College^[1] and a doctorate (2012) from the Literary Arts program at the University of Denver.

History

Early Work

Dickinson along with others (Iris Moore, Lawrence Steger, Matthew Owens, 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 (such as Hula, Black Cake, Big Goddess Powwow, Mental Beauty/Enduring Affection). Locations included Club Lower Links, Lounge Ax, Cabaret Metro; experimental performance venues such as Links Hall and Hot House; and alternative, non-profit galleries including Randolph Street Gallery, and N.A.M.E. Around this time, Dickinson also worked as a production artist and graphic designer on such varied projects as Biosphere 2in Oracle, Arizona and two of Peter Sellars' operas, Tannhäuser^[2] and The Death of Klinghoffer.

Site-specific, Land, and Place-based Work

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,^[3] Flower, The Architecture of Honey,^[4] Drove Road, ^[5] and Devotion ^[6] each based in the surrounding landscape(s). Many of these works took place over the period of a year and culminated in an event in which performers, actors, musicians, installations, objects, movements and actions, and texts converged. Documentation and writing from several of these projects are featured in an extensive photo-essay in TDR.^[7]

In roughly the same time period and continuing into the present day, other work has been presented in various contemporary art spaces and theaters including: Institute of Contemporary Arts in London,^[8] 3rd Eye Center & Center for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, PS 122 in New York City,^[9] Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica,^[10] Illinois State Museum in Springfield,^[11] and many locations in Chicago including the Lyric Opera,^[12] the Chicago Cultural Center,^[13] Hyde Park Art Center,^[14] Randolph Street Gallery,^[15] the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park,^[16] and the Museum of Contemporary Art.^[17] Other venues include Experimental Sound Studio, Club Lower Links, Cabaret Metro, and, in Platte Forum (Denver),^[18] Counterpath Press,^[19] and Common Name Farm.

With Goat Island

Dickinson's multifaceted practice includes a significant and long-time collaboration with internationally renowned Goat Island between 1988-1990, additionally contributing to the 2019 retrospective at the Chicago Cultural Center: goat island archive – we have discovered the performance by making it.^[20]

With Randolph Street Gallery

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,^[21] Nancy Andrews,^[22] Ron Athey,^{[23] [24] [25]} Sadie Benning,^[26] Jaap Blonk,^{[27] [28]} Lynn Book,^{[29] [30]} Mwata Bowden,^{[31] [32]} Janet Cardiff,^{[33] [34]} William Close,^[35] Richard Elovich,^{[36] [37]} Coco Fusco,^{[38] [39]} Goat Island,^[40] Essex Hemphill,^[41] In the Flesh (Series),^{[42] [43]} John Malpede,^[44] Eileen Myles,^[45] Natsu Nakajima,^{[46] [47] [48]} Achy Obejas,^[49] Matthew Owens,^[50] Guillermo Gomez Pena,^{[51] [52]} Pomo Afro Homos,^[53] Marlon Riggs,^[54] Root Wy’mn Theater Company,^{[55] [56]} Sacred Naked Nature Girls^{[57] [43]} Carolee Schneeman,^[58] Laetitia Sonami,^{[59] [60]} Patricia Smith,^[61] Spiderwoman Theater,^{[62] [63]} Lawrence Steger,^{[64] [65]} That Time of the Months (Series),^[66] Rose Troche.^[67]

Selected Work

• The Nocturnal Farmer's Almanac for Common Name Farm (2022 - ongoing)
• Goat Island Retrospective/Exhibition + Performances + Symposium (2019)^{[68] [69] [70] [71] [72]}
• The Cooking School of the Air (2012-2019)^[73]
• Coming in from the North (2007-2016)^[74]
• The Dream of the Owl Sisters (performance + book; 2013-2015)^[75]
• "Mule Deer Are Everywhere in the West" from A Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park (2012)^{[76] [77]}
• "Lindow Man" from Fat Boy Review (2011)^[78]
• With All that She Is She Desires to Give Great Pleasure (2007–2009)^[79]
• Degrees of Wildness/The Charioteer (2006)^[80]
• The Language of Birds (2005)^[81]
• Atmosphere (2005)^[82]
• In the Palace of the Night Heron (2004)as part of Bird Brain with Jennifer Monson^[83]
• Devotion (2001–2002)^[84]
• Drove Road (1999–2000)^[85]
• The Architecture of Honey (1997–1998)^[86]
• Flower (1996–1997)
• Hunter’s Moon (1995–1996)^[87]
• Hula (1994)^[88]
• Big Goddess Powwow (1994-1996)^{[89] [90] [91] [92] [93]}
• Black Cake (1993)^[94]
• White Castle (1993)^[95]
• Mental Beauty/Enduring Affection (1992)^[96]
• We Got A Date (1989); Can’t Take Johnny to the Funeral (1991) as part of Goat island Performance Group^{[97] [98] [99] [100] [101] [102] [103]}

External links

• www.thearchitectureofhoney.com
• www.thedreamoftheowlsisters.org
• Randolph Street Gallery Archives Digital Library

Notes and References

1. Web site: Obejas . Achy . 1992-05-21 . Next Step . 2024-03-21 . Chicago Reader . en-US.
2. Web site: Henahan . Donal . Times . Special To the New York . Review/Opera; Peter Sellars's Particular View of 'Tannhauser' . The New York Times . 21 April 2023 . 12 October 1988.
3. Hunter's Moon and Flower: Two Performances by Joan Dickinson . TDR/The Drama Review . 1998-12-01 . 10.1162/105420498760308337 . Dickinson . Joan . Mallozzi . Dawn . Moore . Iris . 42 . 4 . 14–36 . 57572188 .
4. Web site: A World Apart . chicagoreader.com . 1998-05-21.
5. Web site: Performance Art . chicagotribune.com.
6. Web site: Joan Dickinson, artist - Devotion . thearchitectureofhoney.com . 2023-04-22.
7. Dickinson . Joan . Mallozzi . Dawn . Moore . Irish . 1998 . "Hunter's Moon" and "Flower": Two Performances by Joan Dickinson . TDR (1988-) . 42 . 4 . 14–36 . 1054-2043.
8. Web site: Home - Institute of Contemporary Arts. 2015-07-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20170226075900/http://www.ica.org.uk/. 2017-02-26. dead.
9. Web site: Performance Space 122.
10. Web site: Highways Performance Space & Gallery.
11. Web site: Welcome to the Illinois State Museum--Illinois State Museum .
12. [Lyric Opera of Chicago]
13. Web site: City of Chicago :: Chicago Cultural Center.
14. Web site: Home - Hyde Park Art Center.
15. [Randolph Street Gallery]
16. Web site: City of Chicago :: Millennium Park.
17. Web site: MCA – Home.
18. Web site: Joan Dickinson . PlatteForum . 21 April 2023.
19. Web site: The Unseen Festival: List of Participants – Counterpath . 21 April 2023.
20. Web site: goat island archive – we have discovered the performance by making it . 2024-03-21 . www.chicago.gov . en.
21. Web site: Quraysh Ali Lansana. January 2022.
22. Web site: Nancy Andrews – Great Women Animators .
23. Web site:

    Ron Athey::::

    .
24. Web site: Martyrs and Saints. Achy. Obejas. 10 June 1993.
25. Web site: Stromberg . Matt . Ron Athey, Transgressive Performance Artist . Hyperallergic . 2 September 2021.
26. Web site: Sadie Benning MoMA . The Museum of Modern Art . en.
27. Web site: Jaap Blonk . Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice . 7 April 2016.
28. Web site: Jaap Blonk. John. Corbett. 14 November 1996.
29. Web site: Lynn Book.
30. Web site: 'Gorgeous Fever' Lets Book Plant Ideas. 16 September 1994 .
31. Web site: Mwata Bowden - Department of Music - The University of Chicago.
32. Web site: Mwata Bowden . Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry - The University of Chicago . en.
33. Web site: Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller.
34. Web site: On Exhibit: hearing is believing. Michelle. Litvin. 15 December 1994.
35. Web site: Mass Ensemble - A New Design in Music. Twelve Twenty Four Design. Group.
36. Web site: Artery: The AIDS - Arts Forum . 2014-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130726012614/http://www.artistswithaids.org/artery/symposium/symposium_elovich.html . 2013-07-26 . dead .
37. Web site: Someone Else From Queens Is Queer. Albert. Williams. 12 November 1992.
38. Web site: Coco Fusco.
39. Web site: Specimens From the New World. Carmela. Rago. 28 January 1993.
40. Web site: Goat Island Performance Group.
41. Web site: Essex Hemphill. January 2022.
42. Web site: Featured Articles about Randolph Street - Page 5 - tribunedigital-chicagotribune.
43. Web site: Randolph Street Takes 'In The Flesh' Literally. 24 May 1996 .
44. Web site: Los Angeles Poverty Department - John Malpede, Founding Artistic Director, LAPD . 2014-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141220230853/http://www.lapovertydept.org/company-members/john-malpede-artistic-director.html . 2014-12-20 . dead .
45. Web site: Foundation . Poetry . Eileen Myles . Poetry Foundation . en . 4 May 2023.
46. Web site: The First Butoh. Effie. Mihopoulos. 19 August 1993.
47. Web site: The Way Of Butoh. 8 July 1993 .
48. Web site: Natsu Nakajima – Butoh Performance .
49. Web site: Foundation . Poetry . Achy Obejas . Poetry Foundation . en . 4 May 2023.
50. Web site: Matthew Owns: Extreme Pet Portraits.
51. Web site: top.
52. Web site: Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Coco Fusco. Carmela. Rago. 14 January 1993.
53. Web site: Owen Keehnen: Interviews.
54. Web site: Living 'Color'. 3 April 1992 .
55. Web site: The root wy'mn Theatre Company. Sharon Bridgforth. 3 December 2008. YouTube.
56. Web site: Sisters in the House. Achy. Obejas. 16 June 1994.
57. Web site: Sacred Naked Nature Girls! . 2014-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080907152454/http://www.boulder.net/~mondo/naked.html . 2008-09-07 . dead .
58. Web site: Art Facts: Carol Schneemann drives men crazy. Bill. Stamets. 5 November 1992.
59. Web site: LAETITIA SONAMI.
60. Web site: Review_Chicago.
61. Web site: Foundation . Poetry . Patricia Smith . Poetry Foundation . en . 3 May 2023.
62. Web site: Spiderwoman Theater.
63. Web site: Theater Notes: the cause of the Spiderwoman. Sue. Telingator. 24 October 1991.
64. Web site: In Performance: the mortal passions of Lawrence Steger. Justin. Hayford. 5 December 1996.
65. Web site: Brilliant Demise. Justin. Hayford. 29 June 1995.
66. Web site: That Time of the Months . . .. Carmela. Rago. 29 October 1992.
67. Web site: An interview with Rose Troche - AfterEllen. 7 March 2012.
68. News: The Visualist . Goat Island Archive . 29 March 2019.
69. Web site: May . Mary . goat island archive – we have discovered the performance by making it . City of Chicago . 24 January 2019.
70. Web site: Lowe . Nick . From the archives . SAIC . 1 February 2019.
71. Climenhaga . Royd . Goat Island . Routledge Performance Archive . 2020 .
72. Web site: Island . Goat . Goat island Archive . Youtube . 24 June 2019.
73. Web site: Joan Dickinson . PlatteForum.
74. Web site: TOP V. WEEKEND PICKS (9/29-10/5) | Bad at Sports.
75. Web site: The Dream of the Owl Sisters - A ceremonial performance for listening at the river..
76. Web site: Rocky Mountain Land Series with Todd Simmons - A Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park . Tattered Cover Book Store . en . 22 August 2013.
77. Web site: The Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park – Wolverine Farm . www.wolverinefarm.org.
78. Web site: 12 days of projects from Fatboy Review. 5 January 2011.
79. Web site: Review: "The Grammar of Landscape"/Illinois State Museum Newcity Art . 11 October 2007.
80. Web site: Gapers Block: Slowdown - November 16, 2005.
81. Web site: Joan Dickinson, artist - Invisible Channels of Commonality.
82. Web site: Millennium Park . www.chicago.gov . en.
83. Web site: Dancer Jennifer Monson goes where birds take her. 23 April 2004 .
84. 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.
85. Web site: Isaacs . Deanna . Performance Arts: Joan Dickinson's theater without walls . Chicago Reader . 28 September 2000.
86. Web site: A World Apart. Carol. Burbank. 21 May 1998.
87. Hunter's Moon and Flower: Two Performances by Joan Dickinson. Joan. Dickinson. Dawn. Mallozzi. Iris. Moore. 1 December 1998. TDR/The Drama Review. 42. 4. 14–36. 10.1162/105420498760308337. 57572188.
88. Web site: Hula, Part I. Achy. Obejas. 30 June 1994.
89. Web site: Big Goddess Pow Wow III: the Empress Provoked. Achy. Obejas. 13 May 1993.
90. Web site: Celebrating the Spoken Word. Carmela. Rago. 2 June 1994.
91. Web site: Performance Artist Wilke Heads For L.a.. 12 August 1994 .
92. Web site: Wordsmyths Offer A Cultural Explosion. 30 April 1993 .
93. Web site: Girls' Night Out. 14 May 1995 .
94. Web site: Bizarre and Logical. Achy. Obejas. 4 February 1993.
95. Web site: FLUXUS FEST SERVES UP SOME FUN – Chicago Tribune . www.chicagotribune.com. 7 November 1993 .
96. News: Next Step. Achy. Obejas. Chicago Reader. 21 May 1992.
97. Web site: Goat Island Performance Group - Performances.
98. Web site: Project MUSE . 2022-07-10 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130319/http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=%2Fjournals%2Ftheatre_journal%2Fv048%2F48.2bottoms_fig02.html . dead .
99. News: Intimate Details. Justin. Hayford. Chicago Reader. 2 November 1989.
100. Web site: Goat Island Performance Group - Performances.
101. 1146163. Talking with Goat Island: An Interview with Joan Dickinson, Karen Christopher, Matthew Goulish, Greg McCain, and Tim McCain. Irene. Tsatsos. Joan. Dickinson. Karen. Christopher. Matthew. Goulish. Greg. McCain. Tim. McCain. 1 January 1991. TDR. 35. 4. 66–74. 10.2307/1146163.
102. Web site: The Last Performance.
103. Web site: The politics of becoming(-woman): Deleuze, sex and gender. Maoilearca . Laura Cull Ó. .