Jacqueline Livingston
Encyclopedia
Jacqueline Louise Livingston (born 1943) is an American photographer known for her work exploring woman's role as artist and person and investigating the boundaries of intimacy and propriety.
in August 1943, raised in Chandler, Arizona
and schooled at Arizona State University
, she and her then husband, John Livingston, organized Students for a Democratic Society
on the ASU campus in the mid-1960s, spearheading the major SDS activities of civil rights
demonstrations, education about corrupt government practices, and protests against the war in Vietnam. (reference Jacqueline Livingston, March 22, 2009)
In the mid-1970s, Livingston began exploring male sexuality
in her work as "a way to overcome the distance she felt from the male body." She was a photography
and art professor at Cornell University
until she was fired by the university in the summer of 1978 because of publicity over a series of photographs of her son in nude and masturbatory poses. Upon inquiring as to the cause of her (illegal) firing, Livingston reported she was supposedly told by the chair of the art faculty, "You can't be a feminist and expect to be on this campus - furthermore, you can't photograph male genitalia."
Connie Samaras, a feminist writer and artist who is a professor of art at UC Irvine
, writes:
Discussing child rearing, Livingston states that:
Although never formally charged, Livingston became one of the first targets of the newly created child pornography
legislation that took effect in the late seventies. She was threatened with prosecution under child pornography laws, and was investigated by the U.S. Department of Social Services for alleged child abuse
, after the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children charged her with producing child pornography. By 1980, however, the charges were dropped.
In 1982 Livingston opened a gallery in SoHo
in New York City
, which was kept under surveillance by the FBI.
Between 1980 and 1985 she was part of a lengthy class-action lawsuit (Zahorik vs. Cornell University
) against Cornell, alleging sex-based employment discrimination. In 1985, Livingston, writing in the Cornell Daily Sun, claimed that the dean had warned the chief plaintiff, Donna Zahorik, not to pursue litigation because the university would "destroy her emotionally and financially." After five years of litigation and the expense of 2.5 million dollars in legal fees by the university, the suit was settled out of court for a derisory sum. Livingston later stated that the members of the class action suit were embarrassed to have her as one of the litigants and told her to "stop photographing nudes."
Livingston was diagnosed with breast cancer
in 1992 and was subsequently involved with organizing a breast cancer support group called the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance.
Her work is in the collections of major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York
, and the Museums of Modern Art in New York and San Francisco.
Life and career
Born Jaqueline Louise Barrett in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in August 1943, raised in Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
and schooled at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, she and her then husband, John Livingston, organized Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
on the ASU campus in the mid-1960s, spearheading the major SDS activities of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
demonstrations, education about corrupt government practices, and protests against the war in Vietnam. (reference Jacqueline Livingston, March 22, 2009)
In the mid-1970s, Livingston began exploring male sexuality
Human male sexuality
Human male sexuality covers physiological, psychological, social, cultural, and political aspects of the human male sexual response and related phenomenon...
in her work as "a way to overcome the distance she felt from the male body." She was a photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and art professor at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
until she was fired by the university in the summer of 1978 because of publicity over a series of photographs of her son in nude and masturbatory poses. Upon inquiring as to the cause of her (illegal) firing, Livingston reported she was supposedly told by the chair of the art faculty, "You can't be a feminist and expect to be on this campus - furthermore, you can't photograph male genitalia."
Connie Samaras, a feminist writer and artist who is a professor of art at UC Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, writes:
Of all her images, though, it was this series of her then six year old son masturbating which caused her the most trouble. Like many photographers, Livingston was in the habit of photographing her child since birth. Thus, by the time he reached six, he was completely comfortable with the camera. Moreover, Livingston and his father tried to provide a climate for their son in which nudityNudityNudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
was nothing to be ashamed of. The images you're looking at are a grid of nine photographs of her young son sitting cross-legged. His head has been cropped and the focal point is his torso. As Livingston was taking these her son began to masturbate spontaneously, a sight, I'm sure, not unfamiliar to any parent. Rather than shaming her son into stopping or shaming herself into not taking pictures, Livingston continued to photograph.
Livingston viewed her work as a means to change prescriptive notions about women's sexuality and women's artistic production, not as a vehicle to transcend an unalterable material world.
Discussing child rearing, Livingston states that:
Wilhelm ReichWilhelm ReichWilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry...
's book The Mass Psychology of Fascism influenced my thinking about child rearing. According to Reich, being raised in sexual freedom (i.e. masturbation is healthy, premarital sex and sex education are a person's human right) is the first step in structuring personalities who will not follow authority.
Although never formally charged, Livingston became one of the first targets of the newly created child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
legislation that took effect in the late seventies. She was threatened with prosecution under child pornography laws, and was investigated by the U.S. Department of Social Services for alleged child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, after the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children charged her with producing child pornography. By 1980, however, the charges were dropped.
In 1982 Livingston opened a gallery in SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which was kept under surveillance by the FBI.
Between 1980 and 1985 she was part of a lengthy class-action lawsuit (Zahorik vs. Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
) against Cornell, alleging sex-based employment discrimination. In 1985, Livingston, writing in the Cornell Daily Sun, claimed that the dean had warned the chief plaintiff, Donna Zahorik, not to pursue litigation because the university would "destroy her emotionally and financially." After five years of litigation and the expense of 2.5 million dollars in legal fees by the university, the suit was settled out of court for a derisory sum. Livingston later stated that the members of the class action suit were embarrassed to have her as one of the litigants and told her to "stop photographing nudes."
Livingston was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 1992 and was subsequently involved with organizing a breast cancer support group called the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance.
Work
Of her work, critic Jonathan Green writes:Livingston's photographs reverse, or at least equalize, the usual relationship of male dominance and female submission; they also invert the method of traditional extended portrait, in which the male photographer focuses on the nude female.
Her work is in the collections of major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and the Museums of Modern Art in New York and San Francisco.