Malcolm McKesson
Encyclopedia
Malcolm McKesson was an American outsider art
ist known for his ballpoint pen drawings and his erotic fiction.
at the summerhouse of his wealthy New York City
family. He completed the Grand Tour
of Europe twice before turning eighteen, and these trips piqued his interest in art history
, which he later studied at Harvard University
. His grandfather died in 1924 and his eldest brother in 1927.
McKesson graduated from Harvard University in 1933 and experienced another death in 1936, this time that of his beloved sister Mary. He served as a second lieutenant during World War II
, marrying poet Madeline Mason at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1942. Upon returning to New York, he began working in the family chemical company. This he would do until 1961, when with Mason’s support he was able to retire from the business world and devote his life to his secret creation. Other than his early retirement, the couple led a conventional middle-class life in New York City, summering in the Catskills and serving on the boards of a variety of community organizations; none of their friends could ever have guessed at McKesson’s other life.
Madeline Mason died in 1990. Three years later, McKesson approached dealers at the New York Outsider Art Fair. Although he did not necessarily think of himself as an outsider, based on the other work he had seen there, he felt that here was an audience that might appreciate him.
, transvestism
, and sado-masochism. All of these are developed in his magnum opus, Matriarchy: Freedom in Bondage, a semi-autobiographical erotic novella that has been compared to such classics as Venus in Furs
and Story of O
.
Matriarchy follows the sexual transformation of Harvard undergraduate Gerald Graham, who willingly subjects himself to the authority of the stern Lady Gladys. She teaches him to "curb his manly nature" by forcing him to take on the role and costume of a lady's maid named Rose. The house is a matriarchy because, as Lady Gladys explains, "in this house all things feminine are blessed, all things masculine are bound in slavery" (McKesson 1997, p. 46).
Gerald's first transformation into Rose is described thus:
"From a closet she removed some padded silken forms. These were strapped tightly to his shoulders and waist, adding a more feminine shape to his thighs, breasts and buttocks. In this upholstery Rose was indeed a proper woman prepared to assume the black dress, the slip and the elegant apron of a serving maid" (McKesson 1997, p. 34).
Much of Gerald's training also involves elaborate sexual bondage
devices such as the "Walking Machine." This consists of two horizontal bars, the lower padded and at crotch-height and the upper with a collar in the middle of it. Gerald is fitted in high heels and fixed into the device, which "rolls with greatest ease and steadies my body at the neck and at the crotch. If I miss my footing, it is painfully disciplinary" (McKesson 1997, p. 32).
Interestingly, the narrative voice
shifts from first person into third person as Gerald subjects himself more and more to his lady's authority.
He is also given a bondage device to wear while away at Harvard, so that he can never truly forget his mistress. She straps him into "a tight belt strapped around his waist... attached [to] a kind of suspender which passed over each shoulder and through the belt at his pelvis
. This done, she moved the cord down to his thighs, looped it around his legs and tied them into a tight knot high up his thighs near his crotch. She felt the scrotum
and was satisfied that all was smugly bound" (McKesson 1997, p. 73).
At the conclusion of the work, and the conclusion of Gerald's training, Lady Gladys and Gerald are united in a symbolic marriage
. He repeats the pledge: "I, Gerald Graham, surnamed Rose, do hereby submit myself, body, soul, and spirit, to the will and pleasure of my great mistress Gladys, to serve her all the days of her life. In token of this pledge, I herewith place my hands in hers in total submission" (McKesson 1997, p. 170). She replies, "Now you are a man because you have your mistress... Together we shall do great things in the world" (McKesson 1997, p. 171).
Matriarchy is illustrated by hundreds of intensely worked ballpoint drawings. While McKesson was presumably in a state of great sexual excitement while crafting them, they are not pornographic in the least. Figures are defined vaguely, modeled by voluptuous and androgynous masses. The scribbles and hatch marks that make up the figures are also reminiscent of the chiaroscuro
technique, and all of the scenes appear to take place in dim lighting.
Outsider Art
The term outsider art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for art brut , a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane-asylum inmates.While...
ist known for his ballpoint pen drawings and his erotic fiction.
Biography
Malcolm McKesson was born in Monmouth Beach, New JerseyMonmouth Beach, New Jersey
Monmouth Beach is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 3,279....
at the summerhouse of his wealthy 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...
family. He completed the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
of Europe twice before turning eighteen, and these trips piqued his interest in art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
, which he later studied at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. His grandfather died in 1924 and his eldest brother in 1927.
McKesson graduated from Harvard University in 1933 and experienced another death in 1936, this time that of his beloved sister Mary. He served as a second lieutenant during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, marrying poet Madeline Mason at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1942. Upon returning to New York, he began working in the family chemical company. This he would do until 1961, when with Mason’s support he was able to retire from the business world and devote his life to his secret creation. Other than his early retirement, the couple led a conventional middle-class life in New York City, summering in the Catskills and serving on the boards of a variety of community organizations; none of their friends could ever have guessed at McKesson’s other life.
Madeline Mason died in 1990. Three years later, McKesson approached dealers at the New York Outsider Art Fair. Although he did not necessarily think of himself as an outsider, based on the other work he had seen there, he felt that here was an audience that might appreciate him.
Writings
His writing explores themes of gender identityGender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
, transvestism
Transvestism
Transvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
, and sado-masochism. All of these are developed in his magnum opus, Matriarchy: Freedom in Bondage, a semi-autobiographical erotic novella that has been compared to such classics as Venus in Furs
Venus in Furs
Venus in Furs is a novella by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the best known of his works. The novel was part of an epic series that Sacher-Masoch envisioned called Legacy of Cain. Venus in Furs was part of Love, the first volume of the series...
and Story of O
Story of O
Story of O is an erotic novel published in 1954 about love, dominance and submission by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage.Desclos did not reveal herself as the author for forty years after the initial publication...
.
Matriarchy follows the sexual transformation of Harvard undergraduate Gerald Graham, who willingly subjects himself to the authority of the stern Lady Gladys. She teaches him to "curb his manly nature" by forcing him to take on the role and costume of a lady's maid named Rose. The house is a matriarchy because, as Lady Gladys explains, "in this house all things feminine are blessed, all things masculine are bound in slavery" (McKesson 1997, p. 46).
Gerald's first transformation into Rose is described thus:
"From a closet she removed some padded silken forms. These were strapped tightly to his shoulders and waist, adding a more feminine shape to his thighs, breasts and buttocks. In this upholstery Rose was indeed a proper woman prepared to assume the black dress, the slip and the elegant apron of a serving maid" (McKesson 1997, p. 34).
Much of Gerald's training also involves elaborate sexual bondage
Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
devices such as the "Walking Machine." This consists of two horizontal bars, the lower padded and at crotch-height and the upper with a collar in the middle of it. Gerald is fitted in high heels and fixed into the device, which "rolls with greatest ease and steadies my body at the neck and at the crotch. If I miss my footing, it is painfully disciplinary" (McKesson 1997, p. 32).
Interestingly, the narrative voice
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
shifts from first person into third person as Gerald subjects himself more and more to his lady's authority.
He is also given a bondage device to wear while away at Harvard, so that he can never truly forget his mistress. She straps him into "a tight belt strapped around his waist... attached [to] a kind of suspender which passed over each shoulder and through the belt at his pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
. This done, she moved the cord down to his thighs, looped it around his legs and tied them into a tight knot high up his thighs near his crotch. She felt the scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...
and was satisfied that all was smugly bound" (McKesson 1997, p. 73).
At the conclusion of the work, and the conclusion of Gerald's training, Lady Gladys and Gerald are united in a symbolic marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
. He repeats the pledge: "I, Gerald Graham, surnamed Rose, do hereby submit myself, body, soul, and spirit, to the will and pleasure of my great mistress Gladys, to serve her all the days of her life. In token of this pledge, I herewith place my hands in hers in total submission" (McKesson 1997, p. 170). She replies, "Now you are a man because you have your mistress... Together we shall do great things in the world" (McKesson 1997, p. 171).
Matriarchy is illustrated by hundreds of intensely worked ballpoint drawings. While McKesson was presumably in a state of great sexual excitement while crafting them, they are not pornographic in the least. Figures are defined vaguely, modeled by voluptuous and androgynous masses. The scribbles and hatch marks that make up the figures are also reminiscent of the chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
technique, and all of the scenes appear to take place in dim lighting.
Resources
- McKesson, Malcolm. (1997). Matriarchy: Freedom in Bondage. Heck Editions. ISBN 0-9638129-7-1.
- Rhodes, Colin. (2002). "Fulfillments of desire in the work of a self-taught artist: the intimate existence of Malcolm McKesson." Journal of the Association of Art Historians. 25 (5), 649-675.