Robin Deacon: Spectacle: A Portrait of Stuart Sherman

Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street

In conjunction with Rituals of Rented Island: Object Theater, Loft Performance, and the New Psychodrama—Manhattan, 1970–1980, Robin Deacon's film Spectacle: A Portrait of Stuart Sherman will premiere at the Abrons Arts Center. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and Whitney curator Jay Sanders.

Robin Deacon describes the film in this introduction: “The late American artist Stuart Sherman (1945–2001) was a strange and underexposed figure in the history of performance art and experimental film. Using interviews with friends and colleagues, and original and re-enacted footage of Sherman's performances, this film explores the life, death, disappearance and rediscovery of this unique artist. Described by one writer as 'the Buster Keaton of linguistics,' Sherman's art defied neat categories and simple explanation. The same could be said of Sherman himself, who as a person was a notoriously secretive individual. From this perspective, the film asks viewers to question their understanding of how a life story can be told relative to the private nature of its subject.”

Please note: the event takes place at the Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002, and is presented in collaboration with Performa. 

This event is free; no registration is required.