Senga Nengudi

A.C.Q. - Cross Eyed; A.C.Q. - Cross Ban; A.C.Q. - Cross Waves

Senga Nengudi’s multi-part A.C.Q. (Air Conditioning Queen) sculpture is constructed from found metal refrigerator parts and nylon pantyhose. The work’s contrasting materials explore themes of gender; the industrial objects exude masculinity while the delicate fabric of hosiery is intimately linked to the female body.

Nengudi uses nylons that have been donated second hand because, as she states, they have a “residual energy of what it means for a woman to wear these objects.” The work’s rigid and inflexible metal components symbolize the harsh trials and monumental milestones of a woman’s life in a male-dominated world. The resilient flexibility of the pantyhose illustrates the ability of women to endure hardships and be shaped by triumphs.

Nengudi is also a dancer, and these sculptures are constructed with an exquisite tension that simultaneously suggests the physicality of a string instrument and the endurance of her own body.