Group Works

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An exciting reflection on artistic collaboration, collectivism, and group formation in the neoliberal era, Ethan Philbrick’s work re-imagines the group through a historiographic archaeology of aesthetics and politics. Challenging both phobic and romantic views of collectivity, it argues that the group becomes a medium for artists when traditional forms of collective life collapse. Philbrick pairs group pieces from the 1960s and 1970s downtown Manhattan scene with contemporary re-performances, such as Simone Forti’s Huddle (1961) and its feminist reinterpretations, alongside Samuel Delany’s memoir of communal living and Morgan Bassichis’s musical adaptation of Larry Mitchell’s text. Lizzie Borden’s documentary Regrouping (1976) is juxtaposed with Sharon Hayes’s 2014 piece on Pier 54, while Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerrilla (1979) resonates with contemporary artists like Tiona Nekkia McClodden who engage with Eastman’s legacy. By analyzing works that address race, gender, and sexuality within group dynamics, Philbrick presents the group not as an ideal but as a complex means to navigate and challenge evolving associational life. This exploration reveals how small groups can serve as both a material and medium for artistic and political experimentation.