The New York performance art movement of the 1970s occurred during a vivid time when artistic definitions were expanding. Recently on display at the Whitney Museum was an exhibition of groundbreaking works is entitled Rituals of Rented Island: Object Theater, Loft Performance, and the New Psychodrama.
The original photographs documenting the performance art pieces are equally as intriguing as the performances themselves. In the images below, we see snapshots of these happenings. Each event was captured and preserved in a photographic time capsule.
(image above) Sylvia Palacios Whitman (b. 1941), Passing Through, performance at Sonnabend Gallery, New York, May 20, 1977. Courtesy the artist. Photograph by Babette Mangolte; © 1977 All reproduction rights reserved.

Jared Bark (b. 1944), LIGHTS: on/off, performance at The Clocktower, June 21, 1974. Photograph by Babette Mangolte; © 1974. All reproduction rights reserved

Robert Wilson, Overture for KA MOUNTAIN AND GUARDenia TERRACE: a story about a family and some people changing, performance at Byrd Hoffman Studio, April 24—30, 1972. Courtesy The Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, New York. Photograph by Kazuko Oshima.

Kipper Kids, performance at Forum Theater, Berlin, 1973. © Kipper Kids, courtesy the artist.
Kipper Kids, performance at Forum Theater, Berlin, 1973. © Kipper Kids, courtesy the artist.

Robert Wilson, Overture for KA MOUNTAIN AND GUARDenia TERRACE: a story about a family and some people changing, performance at Byrd Hoffman Studio, April 24—30, 1972. Courtesy The Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, New York. Photograph by Kazuko Oshima.
Reblogged this on Practice-Led Research and commented:
To move forward – sometimes it is good to look at the past.