For almost fifty years, Senga Nengudi has shaped an œuvre that inhabits a specific and unique place between sculpture, dance, and performance. And that work has been widely recognized as Her iconic R.S.V.P. sculptures—performative objects made from pantyhose and materials such as sand and stone—are now part of the collections of important American museums. Thanks to newly researched material that lay fallow until now, this book brings to light astonishing early works by an artist who has consistently attempted to expand the definition of what sculpture can be. Among the bodies of work presented in the book are the Water Compositions (1969–70), interactive vinyl and water sculptures that Nengudi understood as an organic rebuttal to the reign of minimalism; early fabric works that Nengudi strung up in the back alleys of Harlem; and the suggestive R.S.V.P. sculptures (1976–today), some of which were activated in choreographed performances. Featuring newly commissioned essays by Kellie Jones, Catherine Wood, and Malik Gaines, the book offers an unprecedented view of Nengudi’s career and development.
