My Studio Is a Dungeon Is the Studio
Writings and Interviews, 1983-2024
Published on 21. October 2025
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-4780-2908-3 (ISBN)
Description
For four decades, artist, writer, curator, and teacher Nayland Blake has been at the center of discussions of queer aesthetics and contemporary art. Their work has examined racial hybridity, the ins and outs of the BDSM world, and the importance of self-representation. From interviews, and critical essays to performance scripts and collage pieces, My Studio Is a Dungeon Is the Studio gathers forty years of Blake's groundbreaking thought and writing on their personal explorations of kink and creativity as well as on the making, teaching, and curating art and queer culture. Whether delving into furry fandom or analyzing art, Blake bridges the art and queer kink communities. They also argue that queer artists must champion the work of their peers and elders. As Blake demonstrates throughout, sexual self-expression is an extension of artistic self-expression: they are the same. The volume includes an introduction by artist and critic Jarrett Earnest.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
North Carolina
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
41 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
726 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4780-2908-3 (9781478029083)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Nayland Blake is an artist, curator, and Codirector of the Studio Arts Program at Bard College. They are coeditor of In a Different Light: Visual Culture, Sexual Identity, Queer Practice.
Jarrett Earnest is an artist, writer, and author of What It Means to Write About Art: Interviews with Art Critics.
Jarrett Earnest is an artist, writer, and author of What It Means to Write About Art: Interviews with Art Critics.
Content
List of Acknowledgments xi
Acknowledgments xiii
A Fan Writes . . .: An Introduction by Jarrett Earnest 1
The Difficulties That Afflict Us in Art School 15
Assessing My Work 18
Tom of Finland: An Appreciation 21
The ABCs of Art Institutions 32
Performance Script 37
The Saddest Story I Know 49
Schreber, Roussel, Duchamp 58
Performance Script 64
The Secret Square 71
One Hand Clapping: Porn Reviews 85
Bay Area Conceptualism: Two Generations 102
Queer Mysteries 109
Interview by John Grange and Stephen Johnstone 114
City of Hares: A Proposal 133
Curating "In a Different Light" 136
The Story of H. (Excerpt) 165
Hare Follies 169
Jack Smith: The Message from Atlantis 190
Ray Johnson: Correspondences 205
Top Ten 210
James Gobel 214
Matthew Benedict: Shroud of Truro 219
Judie Bamber: Further Horizons 225
Seven Quick Notes on Writing an Artist's Statement 230
Kathy Acker: "Because I Want to Live Forever in Wonder" 233
Jim Hodges: Theme from Mantrip 245
Interview with Jesse Pearson 250
Nancy Grossman: Misrecognized 260
Free! Love! Tool! Box! Workbook 265
Anthony Friedkin: "And I'm Carmen Miranda"-What Liberation Looks Like 267
Queer at CAA 274
Samwise Gamgee Cries, with Padding 280
Interview with TIna Horn 284
100 Assignments: Toward a Curriculum 289
Shambling Monstrosity Seeks Mad Scientist 297
Embarrass, Humiliate, Degrade, Objectify: Basics of Psychological Status Play 300
In My Dream Body: For Jorge Zontal and General Idea 307
Yummy Slurp! The Pippa Garner Story 312
My Studio Is a Dungeon Is the Studio 319
Contributors 335
Index
Acknowledgments xiii
A Fan Writes . . .: An Introduction by Jarrett Earnest 1
The Difficulties That Afflict Us in Art School 15
Assessing My Work 18
Tom of Finland: An Appreciation 21
The ABCs of Art Institutions 32
Performance Script 37
The Saddest Story I Know 49
Schreber, Roussel, Duchamp 58
Performance Script 64
The Secret Square 71
One Hand Clapping: Porn Reviews 85
Bay Area Conceptualism: Two Generations 102
Queer Mysteries 109
Interview by John Grange and Stephen Johnstone 114
City of Hares: A Proposal 133
Curating "In a Different Light" 136
The Story of H. (Excerpt) 165
Hare Follies 169
Jack Smith: The Message from Atlantis 190
Ray Johnson: Correspondences 205
Top Ten 210
James Gobel 214
Matthew Benedict: Shroud of Truro 219
Judie Bamber: Further Horizons 225
Seven Quick Notes on Writing an Artist's Statement 230
Kathy Acker: "Because I Want to Live Forever in Wonder" 233
Jim Hodges: Theme from Mantrip 245
Interview with Jesse Pearson 250
Nancy Grossman: Misrecognized 260
Free! Love! Tool! Box! Workbook 265
Anthony Friedkin: "And I'm Carmen Miranda"-What Liberation Looks Like 267
Queer at CAA 274
Samwise Gamgee Cries, with Padding 280
Interview with TIna Horn 284
100 Assignments: Toward a Curriculum 289
Shambling Monstrosity Seeks Mad Scientist 297
Embarrass, Humiliate, Degrade, Objectify: Basics of Psychological Status Play 300
In My Dream Body: For Jorge Zontal and General Idea 307
Yummy Slurp! The Pippa Garner Story 312
My Studio Is a Dungeon Is the Studio 319
Contributors 335
Index