Barbara Jean Hammer (May 15, 1939 – March 16, 2019) was an American

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

film director, producer, writer, and cinematographer. She is known for being one of the pioneers of the

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

film genre A film genre is a Genre, stylistic or thematic category for Film, motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative , narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film. Drawing heavily from the theories ...

, and her career spanned over 50 years. Hammer is known for having created experimental films dealing with women's issues such as

gender roles A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gende ...

, lesbian relationships, coping with aging, and family life. She resided in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and Kerhonkson, New York, and taught each summer at the European Graduate School.

Life

Hammer was born on May 15, 1939, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, to Marian (Kusz) and John Wilber Hammer, and grew up in Inglewood. She became familiar with the film industry from a young age, as her mother hoped she would become a child star like

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

, and her grandmother worked as a live-in cook for American film director

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

. Her maternal grandparents were Ukrainian; her grandfather was from

Zbarazh Zbarazh (, ; ; ) is a small city in Ternopil Raion, Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It is located in the historic region of Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia. Zbarazh hosts the administration of Zbarazh urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukr ...

. Hammer was raised without religion, but her grandmother was

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. In 1961, Hammer graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

and married Clayton Henry Ward, on the condition that he take her traveling around the world. She received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

in 1963. In the early 1970s, she studied film at

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is ...

, where she first encountered Maya Deren's experimental short film '' Meshes of the Afternoon'' (1943), which inspired her to make her own experimental films about her personal life. In 1974, Hammer was married and teaching at a community college in Santa Rosa. Around this time, she came out as a lesbian, after talking with another student in a feminist group. After leaving her marriage, she "took off on a motorcycle with a

Super-8 Super 8 mm film is a motion-picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement over the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format. The formal name for Super 8 is 8-mm Type S, distinguishing it from the ...

camera." That year she filmed ''Dyketactics'', widely considered one of the first lesbian films. She graduated with a master's degree in film from San Francisco State University. In 1992, she released her first feature film, '' Nitrate Kisses'', an experimental documentary about the marginalization of

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

people in the 20th century. It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

. It won the Polar Bear Award at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

and the Best Documentary Award at the Internacional de Cine Realizado por Mujeres in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. Conversely, right-wing organizations labeled the film a "

homoerotic Homoeroticism is sexual attraction between members of the same sex, including both male–male and female–female attraction. The concept differs from the concept of homosexuality: it refers specifically to the desire itself, which can be tempor ...

film abomination." She earned a post-master's in

multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms, such as Text (literary theory), writing, Sound, audio, images, animations, or video, into a single presentation. T ...

digital studies at the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

in 1997. In 2000, she received the Moving Image award from

Creative Capital Creative Capital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in New York City that supports artists across the United States through funding, counsel, gatherings, and career development services. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has co ...

, and in 2013, she was a

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated d ...

. She received the first

Shirley Clarke Shirley Clarke (née Brimberg; October 2, 1919 – September 23, 1997) was an American filmmaker. Life Born Shirley Brimberg in New York City, she was the daughter of a Polish-immigrant father who made his fortune in manufacturing. Her mother w ...

Avant-Garde Filmmaker Award in October 2006, the Women In Film Award from the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2006, and in 2009, she received the Teddy Award for best short film for her film ''A Horse Is Not a Metaphor'' at the

. In 2010, Hammer published her autobiography, ''HAMMER! Making Movies Out of Sex and Life'', which addresses her personal history and her philosophies on art. She taught film at The European Graduate School in

Saas-Fee Saas-Fee () is the main village in the Saastal, or the Saas Valley, and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The village is situated on a high mountain plateau at 1,800 meters (5,900 feet), surrounded ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. In 2017, the

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts and ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

acquired her archives. Hammer's film collection, comprising her originals, prints, outtakes, and other material resides at the

Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of mot ...

in Los Angeles, where a project is in progress to restore her complete film output. As of 2020, the archive has preserved nearly twenty of her films, including ''Multiple Orgasm'', ''Sanctus'', ''Menses'', and ''No No Nooky T.V.'' After years of short-term relationships, she married human rights advocate Florrie R. Burke; in 1995, she made ''Tender Fictions'', a film featuring images of Burke. They were partners for thirty-one years, until Hammer's death in 2019.

Career

Hammer's career worked within experimental 16 mm film and

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

, spanning five decades. Hammer was both innovative and productive. Her topics of work were wide-ranging, from the beauty of the body and love to the discussion of politics and society, and her body of work includes almost 100 films. Throughout her career, Hammer kept challenging herself and exploring new and unfamiliar topics. Her career could be divided into three stages according to her developing focus of work: early career stage (1960s–1970s), mid-career stage (1980s–mid-1990s), and late-career stage (mid-1990s–2018).

1960s–1970s: Early career and cultural feminism

Her early films, made during her time at San Francisco State University, focused on female and homosexual topics and embodied the 1970s notion of

cultural feminism Cultural feminism is a term used to describe a variety of feminism that attempts to revalue and redefine attributes culturally ascribed to femaleness. It is also used to describe theories that commend innate differences between women and men. C ...

. During this early stage of Hammer's career, especially in the mid-1970s, her role as the only women filmmaker who openly claimed as a lesbian was widely indicated in her works. Her works during this period were later critiqued as

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

and

essentialism Essentialism is the view that objects have a set of attributes that are necessary to their Identity (philosophy), identity. In early Western thought, Platonic idealism held that all things have such an "essence"—an Theory of forms, "idea" or "f ...

. There are many physical and sexual representations of the female body, emphasizing the idea of expressing love, desire, and erotic pleasure between lesbians openly. Those films aim to illustrate personal and private ideas and beliefs and hope the audience can get physically involved. Hammer was actively involved in media making industry during this period, including learning new skills and techniques, organizing premieres of her own works, opening film workshops and lessons that are related to women filmmaking, etc. Notable works from this period: ''Dyketactics'' (1974): ''Dyketactics'' is one of the most prominent works in the history of lesbian cinema. It was made during Hammer's time at San Francisco State University. As Hammer talked about in a later interview, one of the reasons for making this film was that there were no lesbian films existing during that time. There are many intimate shots in ''Dyketactics'': women take off their clothes and dance with each other, embrace with nature and touch each other, and there is a love-making sequence, which Hammer is personally involved in. The slow and gentle actions of the women onscreen and the use of superimpositions and careful framing make those erotic scenes romantic and sensual, differentiating this film from pornography in both narrative and visual forms. Through ''Dyketactics'', Hammer presented lesbian love-making which had not been shown in earlier films, and set a milestone in lesbian cinema. ''Superdyke'' (1975): ''Superdyke'' is made in the early stage of gay liberation. The film includes many illustrations of the female body, including nudity, self-touching, and masturbating. Hammer's choice of cinematography in ''Superdyke'' was noticeable; for example, she used close-up to capture female bodies on the beach in order to emphasize the tactile sensation of the bodies and the surrounding; she panned the camera together with female characters' movements in a dancing scene to create the motive sensation. By doing so, Hammer explores the sensual potential of filmmaking. ''Double Strength'' (1978): ''Double Strength'' focuses on Hammer's relationship with trapeze artist Terry Sendgraff. Though this is a film about this couple's relationship, Hammer does not appear much in the camera. Most of the shots record the body of Sendgraff while she is on the trapezes. There are many superimpositions of Sendgraff's body and shadow and interactions between Sendgraff's body and daily items. The visual style and technics of ''Double Strength'' are consistent with Hammer's other works during this period.

1980s–mid-1990s: Mid-career and deepened focus

Hammer's mid-career films danced between short film and feature-length. This part of her career was staged by her decision to move from California to New York, provoked in part by her desire to remove herself from the social and political environment that had directed her towards the cultural feminism of her early films, which were later so harshly critiqued. Moving from simple representations of bodies which was not recognized as fine art, Hammer's focus shifted to more formal works. She started to explore the relationship between the self and the outside world, including light, life, nature, society, government, etc. With the deepened theme and more elaborate production of her works due to her early efforts, many of her works during this period gained attention from the public. Notable works from this period: ''Bent Time'' (1984): ''Bent Time'' is a travel film recording places from California to Mexico. The abundant uses of wide-angle lenses and stop-motions bend light within the frame to simulate the theoretical bending of time. This film is also Hammer's way of exploring her decision to relocate to New York City, where she remained until her death. '' Nitrate Kisses'' (1992): ''Nitrate Kisses'' is produced under the shadow of the AIDS crisis and unveils the marginalization that homosexual people in America have been subjected to since

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. This film reflects on the neglected or even forgotten past of the lesbian community and other minority groups. Hammer's voice-over commentary and various older lesbians' testimonies are accompanied by shots of desolate scenery and depressed city views, creating a strong sense of incompleteness and precariousness.

mid-1990s–2018: Late career and self reflection

Hammer's late career coincides with her rise to public prominence with museum retrospectives and her acquisition of a Guggenheim Fellowship. She focused more on identity politics during this period. The theme of wars, health issues, and liberties came to Hammer's attention. She explored the relationship between art and social issues in her works. Her interest in the body was still an essential part of her works. However, instead of the beauty of bodies, her camera shot more about the body when it is aged, hurt, and moved. This was directly connected to her arduous cancer battle, which began with her diagnosis in 2006. Notable works from this period: '' Tender Fictions'' (1995): ''Tender Fictions'' is an autobiographical film that reflects Hammer's early life experiences and is also a sequel to her well-known documentary film ''Nitrate Kisses''. ''History Lessons'' (2000): ''History Lessons'' focuses on the erased lesbian past. With the suppressing history, the historical materials of the lesbian community were hard to find. To solve this problem, Hammer uses many commercial materials, including pornography, pulp fiction, etc. Those footages are juxtaposed with comic intent, making the style of the film relatively light and comedic. ''My Babushka: Searching Ukrainian Identities'' (2001): ''In My Babushka: Searching Ukrainian Identities'', Hammer explores her Ukrainian Identity and focuses on the geography, culture, and history of Ukraine. ''A Horse is Not a Metaphor'' (2009): ''A Horse is Not a Metaphor'' is an autobiographical depiction of Hammer's fight with and the remission of her third-stage ovarian cancer. ''Evidentiary Bodies'' (2018): ''Evidentiary Bodies'' is Hammer's final piece. It includes a melding of performance, artistic installation, and film, acting as a culmination of her involvement with the right-to-die movement.

Awards

Hammer created more than 80 moving image works throughout her life, and also received a great number of honors. In 2007, Hammer was honored with an exhibition and tribute at the Chinese Cultural University Digital Imaging Center in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

. In 2010, Hammer had a one-month exhibition at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

in New York City. Additionally, in 2013, she was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship for her film ''Waking Up Together''. She also had exhibitions at the

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international Modern art, modern and contemporary art (created from or after 1900). It forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Live ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and at the

Jeu de Paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, ...

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in 2012; for the 2013

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

; and at the Koch Oberhuber Woolfe in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

in both 2011 and 2014. Hammer received numerous awards during the span of her career. She was chosen by the

Whitney Biennial The Whitney Biennial is a biennial exhibition of contemporary American art organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932; the first biennial was held in 1973. It is considered ...

in 1985, 1989, and 1993, for her films ''Optic Nerve'', ''Endangered'', and ''Nitrate Kisses'', respectively. In 2006, she won both the first ever Shirley Clarke Avant-Garde Filmmaker Award from

New York Women in Film and Television New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is a non-profit membership organization for women in film, television, and digital media. The organization is an educational forum for media professionals and a network for the exchange of information a ...

and the Women in Film Award from the St. Louis International Film Festival. In 2008, Hammer received The Leo Award from the Flaherty Film Seminar. Her films ''Generations'' and ''Maya Deren's Sink'' both won the Teddy Award in 2011 for Best Short Film. Her film ''A Horse Is Not a Metaphor'' won the Teddy Award for Best Short Film in 2009; it also won Second Prize at the Black Maria Film Festival. It was also selected for several film festivals: the Torino Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Punta de Vista Film Festival, the Festival de Films des Femmes Creteil, and the International Women's Film Festival Dortmund/Koln. A cumulative list of her acquired awards is available below: *

Stan Brakhage James Stanley Brakhage ( ; January 14, 1933 – March 9, 2003) was an American experimental filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film. Over the course of five decades, Brakhage cr ...

Vision Award, Denver Film Society (2018) *

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

Films and Media Arts Tribute Award, Philadelphia, PA (2018) * Selected Master Filmmaker, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, Claremont, CA (2018) * ''Resisting Paradise'', Best Documentary, Memphis Film and Video Festival, Memphis, TN (2018) * ''Resisting Paradise'', Aesthetic Art Award, Asolo Art Film Festival, Asolo, Italy (2018) * ''Resisting Paradise'', Southern Circuit Tour (screenings in 7 southern cities) (2018) * Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts, Trinity College (2012) * The Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction (2011) * The Publishing Triangle Lambda Award for Best Lesbian Memoir Writing (2011) * LEO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film, Flaherty Seminars, Leo Dratfield Endowment and International Film Seminars (2008) * Platinum Tribute,

Outfest Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...

(2007) * Shirley Clarke Avant-Garde Film Award, St. Louis International Film Festival, NYWFT (2006) * Fulbright Senior Specialist, Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava, Slovakia (2005) * Selected Master Filmmaker, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, Claremont, CA (2005) * ''Resisting Paradise'', Southern Circuit Travel Award (2004) * ''History Lessons'', Documentary Award, Athens International Film/Video Festival (2003) * ''Resisting Paradise'', Close-up: Visionaries of Modern Cinema Award, Frameline (2003) * Peace Prize, 1st Global Peace Film Festival (2003) * Tribute, U.S.A. Film Festival (2003) * Career Honor from Mayor of Philadelphia, International Gay-Lesbian Film Festival (2001) * Frameline Award, Career Honor, Frameline International Film Festival (2000) * ''Devotion'', Jurors' Merit Award, Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival (2000) * ''Tender Fictions'', Awarded Best Documentary Cash Prize, Immaginaria Festival (1998) * ''Tender Fictions'', Documentary Competition, Yamagata International Doc Film Festival (1997) * ''Tender Fictions'', Director's Choice, Charlotte Film Festival (1996) * Documentary Competition,

(1996) * The Forum,

(1996) * Isabel Liddell Art Award,

Ann Arbor Film Festival The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the fourth-oldest film festival in North America (after the Yorkton Film Festival, 1947; Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 19 ...

(1996) * Cineprobe,

, NYC (1995) * ''Nitrate Kisses'', Audience Award for Best Documentary, International Festival of Women Directors (1994) * Polar Bear Award for Lifetime Contribution to Lesbian/Gay Cinema, Berlin International Film Festival (1993) * Cineprobe, Museum of Modern Art, NYC (1993) * ''Vital Signs'', Excellence Award,

California State Fair The California State Fair (CSF) is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. The Fair is a 17-day event showcasing California's industries, agriculture, and diversity of people. Th ...

(1992) * Best Experimental Film, Utah Film Festival (1992) * Juror's Award, Black Maria Film Festival (1992) * Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art Video Award (1992) * The John D. Phelan Award in Video (1991) * ''Sanctus'', Special Award, Ann Arbor Film Festival (1991) * Second Prize, Experimental Film, Baltimore Film Festival (1991) * ''Endangered'', First Prize,

Atlanta Film Festival The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is an international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia and operated by the Atlanta Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Started in 1976 and occurring every spring, the festival shows a diverse r ...

(1991) * First Prize, Black Maria Film Festival (1991) * First Prize, Buck's County Film Festival (1991) * The Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial (1991) * Cineprobe, Museum of Modern Art, NYC (1991) * The Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial (1989) * ''Endangered'' and ''Optic Nerve'' (1988) * The John D. Phelan Award in Film (1988) * ''Place Mattes'', First Prize Animation, Marin Country Film Festival (1988) * ''No No Nooky T.V.'', Second Prize, Ann Arbor Film Festival (1987) * First Prize, Humboldt Film Festival (1987) * ''Optic Nerve'', First Prize, Ann Arbor Film Festival (1986) * First Prize, Onion City Film Festival (1986) * ''Optic Nerve'', Cineprobe, Museum of Modern Art, NYC (1985) * The Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial (1985)

Style and reception

Hammer was an

avant-garde film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that does not apply standard cinematic conventions, instead adopting non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, ...

maker and focused a large sum of her films on feminist or lesbian topics. Through the use of experimental cinema, Hammer exposed her audiences to

feminist theory Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, fictional, or Philosophy, philosophical discourse. It aims to understand the nature of gender inequality. It examines women's and men's Gender role, social roles, experiences, intere ...

. Her films, she said, are meant to promote "independence and freedom from social restriction." Her films were regarded as being controversial because they focused on taboo, feminine topics such as

menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and Mucous membrane, mucosal tissue from the endometrium, inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized ...

, the

female orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling"), sexual climax, or simply climax, is the sudden release of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, characterized by intense sexual pleasure resulting in rhythmic, involun ...

, and lesbianism. Hammer experimented with different

film gauge Film gauge is a physical property of photographic film, photographic or Film stock, motion picture film stock which defines its width. Traditionally, the major movie film gauges are 8 mm film, 8 mm, 16 mm film, 16 mm, 35 mm movie film, 35 mm, an ...

s in the 1980s, especially with 16mm film, in order to show just how fragile film itself is. One of her most well-known films, ''Nitrate Kisses'', "explores three deviant sexualities – S/M lesbianism,

mixed-race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...

gay male lovemaking, and the passions and sexual practices of older lesbians." Hammer's film ''Dyketactics'' (1974) illustrates the importance of the female body to her work, and is shot in two sequences: the first sequence depicts a group of nude women gathering in the countryside to dance, bathe, touch one another, and interact with the environment; in the second sequence, Hammer herself is filmed sharing an intimate moment with another woman within a Bay Area house. Between the two sequences, Hammer aimed to create an erotic film that used different film language than the mainstream, heterosexual erotic films of the time. She called it a "lesbian commercial". Hammer's early films utilized natural imagery, such as trees and fruit, associating them with the female body. ''Nitrate Kisses'' (1992), her longest film to date upon its completion, functions as a commentary on how members of the LGBT community are often left out of history; it simultaneously works to remedy the problem by offering some of this lost history to its viewers. This style of filmmaking was met with mixed reactions. In a review of Hammer's films ''Women I Love'' (1976) and ''Double Strength'' (1978), critic Andrea Weiss noted, "It's become fashionable for women's bodies to be represented by pieces of fruit," and criticized Hammer for "adopting the masculine romanticized view of women." According to Michael Schell, "her relentless pursuit of an artistic vision, informed by the American tradition of experimental cinema, whose integrity was ''personal'', not simply political, can pose a challenge to the assumptions of both sub- and mainstream cultures".

Grants

In 2017, the first Barbara Hammer Lesbian Experimental Filmmaking Grant was awarded to Fair Brane. The San Francisco State University Queer Cinema Project supports queer filmmakers through the annual Barbara Hammer Awards, which grants two SFSU students funding towards the completion of a queer-focused project. In 2020, filmmaker Lynne Sachs created the Ann Arbor Festival Award, for the creation of a film that best conveys Hammer's celebration of the female experience.

Feminist and lesbian works impact

Through her controversial work, Hammer is considered as a pioneer of

queer cinema "New queer cinema" is a term first coined by the academic B. Ruby Rich in '' Sight & Sound'' magazine in 1992 to define and describe a movement in queer-themed independent filmmaking in the early 1990s. It is also referred to as the "queer new ...

. Her goal through her film work was to provoke discourse on the marginalized, more specifically, marginalized lesbians. She felt that making films that showed her personal experience around renaming herself as a lesbian would help start the conversation on lesbianism and get people to stop ignoring its existence.

Illness, right to die activism, and death

In 2006, Hammer was diagnosed with stage-three ovarian cancer. After twelve years of

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...

, she fought for the right of self-

euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...

. She referenced this in her works, such as her 2009 film ''A Horse Is Not a Metaphor'', in which she expressed the ups and downs of a cancer patient. Through her experience, she became an advocate for the right to die movement and fought for the New York Medical Aid in Dying Act. On October 10, 2018, Hammer presented "The Art of Dying," a performative lecture at the Whitney Museum of Art. Hammer died from endometrioid ovarian cancer on March 16, 2019, at the age of 79. She had been receiving

palliative Palliative care (from Latin root "to cloak") is an interdisciplinary medical care-giving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating or reducing suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Man ...

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

care at the time of her death.

Filmography

*''Contribution to Light'' (1968) *''The Baptism'' (1968) *''White Cassandra'' (1968) *''Schizy'' (1968) *''Clay I Love You II'' (1968–69) *''Aldebaran Sees'' (1969) *''Barbara Ward Will Never Die'' (1969) *''Cleansed II'' (1969) *''Death of a Marriage'' (1969) *''Elegy'' (1970) *''Play or 'Yes', 'Yes', 'Yes'' (1970) *''Traveling: Marie and Me'' (1970) *''The Song of the Clinking Cup'' (1972) *''I Was/I Am'' (1973) *''Sisters!'' (1974) *''A Gay Day'' (1973) *Yellow Hammer (1973) *''Dyketactics'' (1974) *''X'' (1974) *''Women's Rites, or Truth is the Daughter of Time'' (1974) *''Menses'' (1974) *''Jane Brakhage'' (1975) *''Superdyke'' (1975) *''Psychosynthesis'' (1975) *''Superdyke Meets Madame X'' (1975) *''San Diego Women's Music Festival'' (1975) *''Guatemala Weave'' (1975) *''Moon Goddess'' (1975) – with G. Churchman *''Eggs'' (1972) *''Multiple Orgasm'' (1976) *''Women I Love'' (1976) *''Stress Scars and Pleasure Wrinkles'' (1976) *''The Great Goddess'' (1977) *''Double Strength'' (1978) *''Home'' (1978) *''Haircut'' (1978) *''Available Space'' (1978) *''Sappho'' (1978) *''Dream Age'' (1979) *''Take Back the Night March on Broadway, 1979'' (1979) *''Our Trip'' (1980) *''Lesbian Humor: A Collection of Short Films'' (1980–1987) *''Pictures for Barbara'' (1980) *''Machu Picchu'' (1980) *''Natura Erotica'' (1980) *''See What You Hear What You See'' (1980) *''Our Trip'' (1981) *''Arequipa'' (1981) *''Pools'' (1981) – with B. Klutinis *''Synch-Touch'' (1981) *''The Lesbos Film'' (1981) *''Pond and Waterfall'' (1982) *''Audience'' (1983) *''See What You Hear What You See'' (1983) *''Stone Circles'' (1983) *''New York Loft'' (1983) *''Bamboo Xerox'' (1984) *''Pearl Diver'' (1984) *''Bent Time'' (1984) *''Doll House'' (1984) *''Parisian Blinds'' (1984) *''Tourist'' (1984–85) *''Optic Nerve'' (1985) *''Hot Flash'' (1985) *''Would You Like to Meet Your Neighbor? A New York Subway Tape'' (1985) *''Bedtime Stories'' (1986) *''The History of the World According to a Lesbian'' (1986) *''Snow Job: The Media Hysteria of AIDS'' (1986) *''No No Nooky T.V.'' (1987) *''Place Mattes'' (1987) *''Endangered'' (1988) *''Drive, She Said'' (1988) *''Two Bad Daughters'' (1988) *''Still Point'' (1989) *''T.V. Tart'' (1989) *''Sanctus'' (1990) *''Vital Signs'' (1991) *''Dr. Watson's X-Rays'' (1991) *''Nitrate Kisses'' (1992) *''Save Sex'' (1993) *''Shirley Temple and Me'' (1993) *''Out in South Africa'' (1994) *''Tender Fictions'' (1996) *''The Female Closet'' (1997) *''Blue Film No. 6: Love Is Where You Find It'' (1998) *''Devotion: A Film About Ogawa Productions'' (2000) *''History Lessons'' (2000) *''My Babushka: Searching Ukrainian Identities'' (2001) *''Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War'' (2001) *''Resisting Paradise'' (2003) *''Love/Other'' (2005) *''Dying Women of Jeju-Do'' (2007) *''Fucking Different New York'' (2007) (segment: "Villa Serbolloni") *''A Horse Is Not a Metaphor'' (2009) (Teddy Award-winner) *''Generations'' (2010) *''Maya Deren's Sink'' (2011) *''Welcome to This House'' (2015) *''Lesbian Whale'' (2015) *''Evidentiary Bodies'' (2018)

Retrospectives

* La Virreina Centre de la Imatge,

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(9 June 2020 – October 18, 2020) * "Barbara Hammer: In This Body",

Wexner Center for the Arts The Wexner Center for the Arts is the Ohio State University's "multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art." The Wexner Center is a lab and public gallery, but not an art museum, as it doe ...

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, Columbus,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

(2019) * "Color Me Barbara", Retrospective at NewsFest, New York City, New York (2019) *

Museum of the Moving Image The Museum of the Moving Image is a media museum located in a former building of the historic Astoria Studios (now Kaufman Astoria Studios), in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens in New York City. The museum originally opened in 1988 as the Am ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York (2019) *

Austrian Film Museum The Austrian Film Museum (German: Österreichisches Filmmuseum) is a film archive and museum located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by and Peter Kubelka in 1964 as a non-profit organization. History In February 1964, independent filmmaker ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

(2018) * Whitney Museum of Art, New York City, New York (October 10, 2018) * Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York City, New York (2017) *

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

(2015) * Kunsthall Oslo,

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

(2013) *

Cinematheque Free Screen,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

(Winter 2013) *

Jeu de paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, ...

, Paris,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(June 12 – July 1, 2012) *

, London,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

(February 3 – 26, 2012) *

, New York City, New York (September 15 – October 13, 2010) * XII Muestra Internacional de Cine Realizado por Mujeres,

Zaragosa Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the Huerva and the Gállego, roughl ...

, Spain (2009) *

Universidad Complutense The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...

, Madrid, Spain (2008) *

Chinese Culture University The Chinese Culture University (CCU; ) is a private Taiwanese university located in Yangmingshan in Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan. Established in 1962, CCU is one of the largest universities in Taiwan with an enrollment of about 32,000 student ...

, Taipei,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

(2007) * Turin International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival,

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(2006) *

Mar del Plata International Film Festival The Mar del Plata International Film Festival () is an List of film festivals, international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It is the only competitive feature festival recognized by the FIAPF ...

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

(2005) * Irish Film Centre,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

(2004) * Australia Centre for the Moving Image,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

(2003) * Seoul Art Cinema,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

(2002) * Women Make Waves Film/Video Festival, Taipei, Taiwan (2002) * Women Make Waves Film/Video Festival, Taipei, Taiwan (2000) * Immaginaria, 6th Women's Film Festival,

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, Italy (1998) * yyz Gallery, Toronto, Canada (1997) * Out in South Africa Film Festival,

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

(1994) * Film Forum,

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of Film director, film and Television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dir ...

, Los Angeles, California (1993) *

Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery The Sheldon Museum of Art is an art museum in the city of Lincoln, in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. Previously called the University of Nebraska Art Galleries and later the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, the institution ...

, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska (1993) * Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska (1992) * Retrospective: Film Forum,

, Los Angeles (1991) * Panorama, Berlin International Film Festival, The Berlin International Film Festival, Berlin, Germany (1986) * Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France (1985)