“A Space Where You Can Imagine In”: Queer World Building with Wynne Greenwood’s Tracy + the Plastics

Author

Colleen M. O'Shea, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

2-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Liberal Studies

Advisor

Amy Herzog

Subject Categories

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Music Performance | Other Film and Media Studies | Women's Studies

Keywords

Queercore, Carnivalesque, Mikhail Bakhtin, Feminist video art

Abstract

Tracy and the Plastics was a video and music project conceived and performed by artist Wynne Greenwood from 1999 - 2006. In it, Greenwood played lead singer Tracy alongside keyboard player, Nikki and drummer, Cola (both also played by Greenwood) where Tracy performed live alongside prerecorded images of Nikki and Cola. For Greenwood, the interaction between Tracy, the Plastics, and the audience provided an opportunity to create new, intentional worlds together. In this paper, I will demonstrate that Greenwood relies on collisions and alternative temporalities to instigate the creation of these worlds with her audience. I will incorporate the principles of the queercore movement as well as Mikhail Bakhtin’s “carnivalesque” to support this claim. Finally, I will provide detailed analysis of several video documents of Tracy and the Plastics live performances as well as an account of the “revival” of the group in Greenwood’s 2015 exhibit, Kelly, at the New Museum in New York. When describing why she is doing this work, Greenwood posits the questions, “What is happening here? What can happen here? With all of us together.” This paper will explore the answers to those questions.

Recommended Citation

O'Shea, Colleen M., "“A Space Where You Can Imagine In”: Queer World Building with Wynne Greenwood’s Tracy + the Plastics" (2021). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4193