Date of Award
Summer 8-4-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art & Art History
First Advisor
Emily Braun
Second Advisor
Lynda Klich
Academic Program Adviser
Lynda Klich
Abstract
This thesis examines the exhibition, historical reconstruction, and museum acquisition and conservation of postmodern dance, with the 2018 MoMA exhibition Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done as a case study. This exhibition considered the history and legacy of 1960s postmodern dance through a presentation of artifacts and archives alongside a continuous program of live, in-gallery performances. The Work Is Never Done catalyzed questions in the three areas of dance exhibition, reconstruction, and conservation and, as this thesis argues, represents a unique example of preserving canonical dance history while creating a generative context for spontaneity, experimentation, and reinvention.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Beatrice M., "Keeping Both History and Magic Alive: Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done (2018) at The Museum of Modern Art" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1083
Included in
Contemporary Art Commons, Dance Commons, Performance Studies Commons