Matuschka
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Joanne Motichka (born 19 March 1954), known professionally as Matuschka, is an American photographer, artist, author, activist, and model. Her self-portrait on the Sunday cover of ''New York Times magazine'' in 1993 was chosen by
LIFE Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
for a special edition entitled ''
100 Photographs that Changed the World ''Life: 100 Photographs that Changed The World'' is a book of photographs, that are believed to have pushed towards a change, accumulated by the editors of ''Life'' magazine in 2003. History The project began with an online question posted on ' ...
''100 Photographs that Changed the World. New York, Life Books, 2011. p.90-91 published in 2003 and again in 2011. The artist has been nominated for many awards, including a
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
, and has received dozens of citations, honors, and distinctions for her photographic works, and activism since the early 1990s. In 2012 Matuschka appeared in Rose Hartman's book ''Incomparable Women of Style'', and in 2011
John Loengard John Borg Loengard (September 5, 1934 – May 24, 2020) was an American photographer who worked at ''Life'' magazine from 1961, and was its picture editor from 1973 to 1987. He taught at the International Center of Photography, New York, The New ...
included her in his monograph: ''The Age of Silver: Encounters with Great Photographers''.


Early life

Matuschka was born in
Newton, New Jersey Newton, officially the ''Town of Newton'', is an Local government in the United States, incorporated municipality in and the county seat of Sussex County, New Jersey, Sussex CountyGeorge Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey, with the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named after George W ...
and a mother, who was a
farm hand A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including har ...
from Allamuchy, New Jersey. In 1968, when Matuschka was 13, her mother died of breast cancer. Six months after her Mother's death, Matuschka ran away from home, changed her name to “Lisa Cross” and began working as a
cocktail waitress A cocktail waitress, colloquially known as a bottle girl, is a female server who brings alcoholic drinks to patrons of drinking establishments such as bars, cocktail lounges, casinos, comedy clubs, jazz clubs, cabarets, and other live music ven ...
in
Far Rockaway, New York Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County li ...
. A year later "Lisa Cross" returned to New Jersey, became a
ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of the
State of New Jersey New Jersey is a state located in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the heavily urbanized Northeast megalopolis, it is bordered to the northwest, north, and northeast ...
and was placed in
foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family mem ...
. In 1970, Matuschka, 15, was adopted by the Marco family of
Paramus, New Jersey Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H, ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...
. Anton Marco was an
opera singer Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a lib ...
who toured Europe with
Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
during the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, appeared in
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
's film
Zelig ''Zelig'' is a 1983 American satirical mockumentary comedy film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen as Leonard Zelig, a nondescript enigma, who, apparently out of his desire to fit in and be liked, unwittingly takes on the characteris ...
. and later gave Matuschka singing lessons in his music salon. His wife, Mourine Marco—a
Special Ed Edward K. Archer (born May 16, 1972), known professionally as Special Ed, is an American rapper and producer. Ed is perhaps best known for the songs "I Got It Made", "Think About It" and "I'm the Magnificent" from his debut album '' Youngest in ...
teacher—recognized Matuschka's raw talent and enrolled her in art classes, provided books from the local library, and suggested she become a life-sketching model. Mrs. Marco also urged her to visit museums and galleries in New York City, encouraged her to keep a journal, write poetry, document her dreams, and scribe her memoirs. That same summer, Matuschka and her foster sister went
skinny dipping Nude swimming is the practice of swimming without clothing, whether in natural bodies of water or in swimming pools. A colloquial term for nude swimming is " skinny dipping". In both British and American English, to swim means "to move throug ...
in
Mahwah, New Jersey Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area () in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 25,487, a decrease of 403 ...
where they had a chance encounter with a photographer. An unexpected shoot followed and the pictures taken that day of Matuschka, began her modeling and photography career simultaneously at age 16. Although Mrs. Marco and Matuschka would share a special relationship until the elder's death in 2005, Matuschka would go on to live in three more
foster homes Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family member ...
before the Bureau of Children's Services made a decision to send her to
Windsor Mountain School The Windsor Mountain School was a private, co-ed boarding school for grades 9 through 12 located in Lenox, Massachusetts. History The school was established in Lenox in 1944 by German Jewish educational reformer Max Bondy and his wife Gertrud B ...
, a boarding school located in Lenox Massachusetts in 1971.


Education


Windsor Mountain Prep School

Windsor Mountain School The Windsor Mountain School was a private, co-ed boarding school for grades 9 through 12 located in Lenox, Massachusetts. History The school was established in Lenox in 1944 by German Jewish educational reformer Max Bondy and his wife Gertrud B ...
was a private Prep School in
the Berkshires The Berkshires () are highlands located in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut in the United States. Generally, "Berkshires" may refer to the range of hills in Massachusetts that lie between the Housatonic and Connecticut River ...
and was known for its progressive,
experiential learning Experiential learning (ExL) is the process of learning through experience, and is more narrowly defined as "learning through reflection on doing". Hands-on learning can be a form of experiential learning, but does not necessarily involve students ...
, and multi-cultural student body. It is at
Windsor Mountain School The Windsor Mountain School was a private, co-ed boarding school for grades 9 through 12 located in Lenox, Massachusetts. History The school was established in Lenox in 1944 by German Jewish educational reformer Max Bondy and his wife Gertrud B ...
that Jan Wiener, a
European History The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD 500), the Middle Ages (AD 500–1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500). The first early Eu ...
teacher, gave the aspiring artist and model the nickname "Matuschka"—a version of Motichka—which sounded much like her idol, the model "Veruschka". At Windsor Mountain Matuschka excelled in the arts, winning the Art Prize at graduation and showed interest in photography as an art form. In 1973 she had her first solo
art exhibition An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is occasionally true, it is stated to be a "permanen ...
of figurative works at the Lenox Library, which was reviewed in
The Berkshire Eagle ''The Berkshire Eagle'' is an American daily newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and covering all of Berkshire County, as well as four New York communities near Pittsfield. It is considered a newspaper of record for Berkshire Coun ...
. As a teenager, Matuschka worked as a waitress, maid, house painter, wood splitter, electrician, fully attired
Go-Go dancer Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo, located in the town of Juan-les-Pins. The bar's ...
, nude model, art assistant, and photo retoucher.


The Berkshires

Matuschka lived in Lenox next to
Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue and Music festival, festival in the towns of Lenox, Massachusetts, Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony ...
and close to
Alice's Restaurant "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", commonly known as "Alice's Restaurant", is a satirical talking blues song by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie, released as the title track to his 1967 debut album Alice's Restaurant (album), ''Alice's Restaurant''. ...
where she met Ray and
Alice Brock Alice May Brock (February 28, 1941 – November 21, 2024) was an American artist, author and restaurateur. A resident of Massachusetts for her entire adult life, Brock owned and operated three restaurants in the Berkshires—The Back Room, Tak ...
, attending several of their classic Thanksgiving dinners, and was introduced to photographers
Gerard Malanga Gerard Joseph Malanga (born March 20, 1943) is an American poet, photographer, filmmaker, actor, curator and archivist. Malanga worked with pop artist Andy Warhol from 1963 to 1970. The New York Times referred to him as "Andy Warhol's most import ...
and Don Snyder. Don Snyder would go on to become Matuschka's mentor as she became his
muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
and mentee for the next 30 years. During the two years she lived in the
Berkshires The Berkshires () are highlands located in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut in the United States. Generally, "Berkshires" may refer to the range of hills in Massachusetts that lie between the Housatonic and Connecticut River ...
, Matuschka worked as a photography/gallery assistant and apprentice to
photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (suc ...
Clemens Kalischer of The Image Gallery in
Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridg ...
. She also posed for life sketching classes, regional artists, and taught life sketching classes at Windsor Mountain. Matuschka's work as both a model and photographic assistant was essential to her development both behind the camera and in front of one. In the mid 70s Snyder introduced her to William Silano in NYC and working alongside these two photographers, she learned the art of chemically toning and manipulating prints in the
darkroom A darkroom is used to process photographic film, make Photographic printing, prints and carry out other associated tasks. It is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light-sensitive photographic materials, including ...
. It is during this time that Matuschka began photographing herself in black and white on 35mm film.


College

Matuschka was enrolled for the 1973 fall semester at
Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...
,
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, but at the last minute decided to
matriculate Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used now ...
at
Prescott College Prescott College is a private college in Prescott, Arizona, United States. History Prescott College was founded in 1966 after a conference titled "Emergence of a Concept". Conveners Charles Parker and the Ford Foundation brought together leade ...
—a small,
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
,
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
, school in
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
founded by
the Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
. At Prescott, she designed an independent curriculum with a variety of regional artists specializing in
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
. Her field studies brought her to the works and sites of
Paolo Soleri Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013) was an American architect and urban planner. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a Nati ...
,
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
, and
Antoni Gaudi Antoni is a Catalan, Polish, and Slovene given name and a surname used in the eastern part of Spain, Poland and Slovenia. As a Catalan given name it is a variant of the male names Anton and Antonio. As a Polish given name it is a variant of the ...
. Matuschka frequented Native American ruins in addition to
Arcosanti Arcosanti is a projected experimental town with a molten bronze bell casting business in Yavapai County, central Arizona, United States, north of Phoenix, at an elevation of . Its arcology concept was proposed by the Italian-American arch ...
,
Cosanti Cosanti is the gallery and studio of Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri, serving as his residence until his death in 2013. Located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S., it is open to the public. Cosanti is marked by terraced landscaping, exper ...
, and
Taliesin West Taliesin West ( ) is a studio and home developed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. Named after Wright's Taliesin studio in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Taliesin West was Wright's winter home and st ...
—all a short distance from campus. After taking the course of George Bruce at Prescott, she was invited by Bruce to publish her poetry in a Scottish Anthology called ''Arkos'', which he edited. He selected a suite of Matuschka's poems entitled ''Visions from a Locked Ward'' for the 1974 edition. Matuschka had her second solo show entitled ''The Tragedy of a Space Condemned'' at the Bofus Gallery at Prescott College which was reviewed in the ''Prescott Courier'' in 1974. This was the beginning of the artist's interest in combining text and imagery.
Prescott College Prescott College is a private college in Prescott, Arizona, United States. History Prescott College was founded in 1966 after a conference titled "Emergence of a Concept". Conveners Charles Parker and the Ford Foundation brought together leade ...
went bankrupt at that time, and Matuschka transferred to the
School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by Silas ...
(SVA) 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 ...
the following year. At SVA, Matuschka studied with painters Jennifer Bartlett and Frank Roth. At night she drove for an
illegal taxi operation Illegal taxicabs, sometimes known as pirate taxis, gypsy cabs, or jitney cabs, are taxis and other vehicles for hire that operate illegally because they do not have proper licenses, permits, registrations, and accreditations, safety inspections, ve ...
, becoming one of the first and most likely youngest females—or individuals—to drive for a commercial taxi
fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles * Fishing fleet *Naval fleet * Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles * Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Be ...
at night. She was hired by Chase Maintenance Cab Company on West 47th Street during New York's most turbulent crime ridden years.


Career


The New York years: 1974–1987


Modeling

In 1975, while driving a cab in NYC, a
fare A fare is the fee paid by a passenger for use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used. Fare structure is the system set up to determine how much is to be paid by various p ...
suggested Matuschka try fashion modeling and introduced her to his friend Wilhelmina of the
Wilhelmina Modeling Agency Wilhelmina International Inc. (NASDAQ: WHLM), formerly Wilhelmina Models, is a modeling and talent agency headquartered in New York City, New York. The company also has offices in Los Angeles, Miami and London. Founded in 1967 by Wilhelmina Coo ...
. Wilhelmina set her up with agents in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
and
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to expand her portfolio. At 21, Matuschka quit both college and taxi driving to pursue a fashion career abroad. While traveling, Matuschka often took out her make-up and magic markers and made caricatures and cartoons of the people she met, often photographing them first with her SX-70
Polaroid camera Polaroid may refer to: * Polaroid Corporation, an American company known for its instant film and cameras * Polaroid camera, a brand of instant camera formerly produced by Polaroid Corporation * Polaroid film, instant film, and photographs * Polaro ...
. In the 1970s she modeled for Fabrizio Gianni in Italy,
Christian Dior Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer and founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Dior, Christian Dior SE. His fashion house is known all around the world, having gained promi ...
in France and Scott Barrie in NYC among others. In the late 1970s, Matuschka was the house model for ''The House of Julio''. In 1978, the
courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...
designer
Charles James Charles James may refer to: * Charles James (British Army officer) (1757/8–1821), English army officer and writer * Charles James (attorney) (born 1954), former U.S. assistant attorney general * Charles James (American football) (born 1990), Amer ...
proclaimed Matuschka to be "The Model of the Future".Perich, Anton. "Charles James, Matuschka & R.Couri Hay at the Chelsea Hotel 1977." Youtube, 23 July 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAeTHyCSFuU. Accessed 2 Oct. 2017. "Matuschka is the Model of the Future," 1:58–2:04 Videographer
Anton Perich Anton Perich is a Croatian-American filmmaker, photographer and video artist, born in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 1945. He has lived and worked in New York City since 1970. Biography From 1965 to 1970, Perich lived in Paris, France and became close ...
frequently filmed Matuschka, and broadcasts featuring her interviews at
Bonwit Teller Bonwit Teller & Co. was an American luxury department store in New York City, founded by Paul Bonwit in 1895 at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street, and later a chain of department stores. In 1897, Edmund D. Teller was admitted to the partnership a ...
, catwalks and fittings at the
Chelsea Hotel The Hotel Chelsea (also known as the Chelsea Hotel and the Chelsea) is a hotel at 222 West 23rd Street (Manhattan), 23rd Street in the Chelsea, Manhattan, Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Built between 1883 and 1884, the hot ...
(with Couri Hay and
Charles James Charles James may refer to: * Charles James (British Army officer) (1757/8–1821), English army officer and writer * Charles James (attorney) (born 1954), former U.S. assistant attorney general * Charles James (American football) (born 1990), Amer ...
) and a 'couch cutting creation out of styrofoam' with John Chamberlain (for the artist John R. Hersey) at
the Dakota The Dakota, also known as the Dakota Apartments, is a Housing cooperative, cooperative apartment building at 1 West 72nd Street (Manhattan), 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The Dakota was constru ...
have been aired on Cable TV, Channel J, since the 1970s. Extensive video and still footage of Matuschka working with Charles James (by
Anton Perich Anton Perich is a Croatian-American filmmaker, photographer and video artist, born in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 1945. He has lived and worked in New York City since 1970. Biography From 1965 to 1970, Perich lived in Paris, France and became close ...
) was exhibited at the
National Arts Club The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'', to "stimulate, foster, and promote publi ...
(NYC) in a show entitled ''Beneath the Dress'' in 2014. In print, Matuschka has worked with some of the world's renowned photographers including Nick Knight for ''Dazed and Confused'', Robert Maxwell for ''More'' Magazine and
Nadav Kander Nadav Kander HonFRPS (; born 1961) is a London-based photographer, artist and director, known for his portraiture and landscapes. Kander has produced a number of books and had his work exhibited widely. He received an Honorary Fellowship from ...
for his book, ''Beauty's Nothing''. She posed for
Gerard Malanga Gerard Joseph Malanga (born March 20, 1943) is an American poet, photographer, filmmaker, actor, curator and archivist. Malanga worked with pop artist Andy Warhol from 1963 to 1970. The New York Times referred to him as "Andy Warhol's most import ...
(of Warhol's factory), Don Snyder,
Push Pin Studios Push Pin Studios is a graphic design and illustration studio founded by the influential graphic designers Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast in New York City in 1954. The firm's work, and distinctive illustration style, featuring "bulgy" three-dime ...
, Bill Cunningham (''The New York Times''), Jeff Dunas for ''Oui Magazine'' and was featured in Mr. Dunas' book, ''Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle!'' in 1983. In the 70s and 80s she apprenticed with ''Town & Country'' / ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'' photographer Bill Silano, perfecting her printing skills in the darkroom.


Authorship

In the mid-1970s, Matuschka began pursuing a writing career and spent many nights at
Elaine's Elaine's was a bar and restaurant in New York City that existed from 1963 to 2011. It was frequented by many celebrities, especially actors and authors. It was established, owned by and named after Elaine Kaufman, who was indelibly associated wi ...
, the
Carlyle Hotel The Carlyle Hotel is a luxury apartment hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1930, the Art Deco hotel was designed by Sylvan Bien and Harry M. Prince, with interiors by Dorothy Draper. It was named after the S ...
, the St. Regis and P.J. Clarke's where she met and worked with a variety of writers and artists including:
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...
,
Norman Wexler Norman Wexler (August 16, 1926 – August 23, 1999) was an American screenwriter whose work included films such as '' Saturday Night Fever'', '' Serpico'' and '' Joe''. A New Bedford, Massachusetts native and 1944 Central High School gra ...
(who wrote ''
Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...
'' in an apartment across the hall from her flat),
gonzo journalist Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story using a first-person narrative. The word "gonzo" is believed to have been first used in 1970 to describ ...
Anthony Haden-Guest Anthony Haden-Guest (born 2 February 1937) is an English-American writer, reporter, cartoonist, art critic, poet, and socialite who lives in New York City and London. He is a frequent contributor to major magazines and has had several books pu ...
, writer, sports publisher and socialite
George Plimpton George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 – September 25, 2003) was an American writer. He is known for his sports writing and for helping to found ''The Paris Review'', as well as his patrician demeanor and accent. He was known for " participat ...
,
Michael O'Donoghue Michael O'Donoghue (January 5, 1940 – November 8, 1994) was an American writer, actor, editor and comedian. He was known for his dark and destructive style of comedy and humor, and was a major contributor to ''National Lampoon'' maga ...
(''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''), producer
Bertrand Castelli Bertrand Castelli (December 3, 1929, Salon-de-Provence – August 1, 2008) was a French producer, director, lighting designer, choreographer, painter and writer best known as the executive producer of many productions of the rock musical ''Hair'' i ...
, socialites Ted Otis and the Van de Bovenkamps and bestselling author Joseph DiMona. Joe DiMona introduced her to Pine Associates Literary Agency in 1978 and the father/son duo represented her
intellectual properties Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
for a brief time. Excerpts of her unpublished memoir were reprinted in three issues of ''OUI'' Magazine, a subsidiary of ''Playboy'' Magazine, in 1981. One feature included an introduction by
Anthony Haden-Guest Anthony Haden-Guest (born 2 February 1937) is an English-American writer, reporter, cartoonist, art critic, poet, and socialite who lives in New York City and London. He is a frequent contributor to major magazines and has had several books pu ...
and a pictorial spread by Jeff Dunas. She received a
PEN PEN may refer to: * (National Ecological Party), former name of the Brazilian political party Patriota (PATRI) * PEN International, a worldwide association of writers ** English PEN, the founding centre of PEN International ** PEN America, located ...
Writing grant during this time. Since the 1980s Matuschka's writings and poetry have appeared in dozens of publications and books worldwide from ''Glamour'' magazine, to
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...
and
academic journals An academic journal (or scholarly journal or scientific journal) is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. They serve as permanent and transparent forums for the dissemination, scr ...
on a wide range of subjects.


Music

In the 1980s, Matuschka began combining her poetry and prose with music she wrote. As a performer she became known as "Jersey Jo Matuschka". Producer
Jay Rifkin Jay Rifkin is an American record and film producer. Rifkin co-founded the company Media Ventures with Hans Zimmer, a childhood friend. As CEO of the company from 1988,Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road comedy-Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive and selfish wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dea ...
'', ''
The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'') first of Miracle Express and later Clinton Studios in NYC and ''Media Ventures'' in Los Angeles recorded, produced and worked with "Jersey Jo" and her band in the mid-to-late 80s. "Jersey Jo" performed at Trax,
The Bitter End The Bitter End is a 230-person capacity nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually s ...
, Kenny's Castaways, The Pyramid Club and
Danceteria Danceteria was a nightclub that operated in New York City from May 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. The club operated in various locations over the years, a total of three in New York City and four in the Hamptons. The most famous l ...
. In 1987, she won first place in the "rock off" contest in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
, playing with
Hilly Michaels Hilly Michaels, also known as Hilly Boy Michaels, is an American drummer and musician who is best known for playing drums with Sparks in the 1970s. Then a New York-based session drummer, he performed on Sparks' 1976 album ''Big Beat'', which was ...
, former drummer of Sparks. During this period Matuschka created a series of works on paper entitled ''Whores Galore'' based on the
red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...
. The collection was sold out.


Photography


= ''The Ruins – Matuschka''

= In 1987, Matuschka's Record Company asked her to design the cover for her album jacket. Although the company went bankrupt, Matuschka proceeded making images to illustrate her music. In the late 1980s she chose photography as her main medium after taking pictures of herself in abandoned buildings based on a song she wrote called "The Ruins". Matuschka always works in series, typically photographing herself in a wide range of locations, different contexts and various guises. To create her photographs, Matuschka assumes numerous roles as she explores the shapes formulated by her body, the various aspects of her persona, the connection between beauty and damage, and the history of photography itself. The ''Ruins'' series was published in many fine art magazines internationally, including the cover of ''P/F'' (''Professional Photography'') while exhibits were mounted at the
Center for Photography at Woodstock The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) is a not-for-profit arts organization in Kingston, New York that was founded in 1977 with a two-fold mission: to support artists working in photography and related media; and to engage audiences throug ...
and the Photographic Museum of Helsinki. The ''Ruins'', based on Matuschka posing alongside
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
casts of her body in abandoned buildings, is considered her first major work known to the public. " Known for her chameleon-like performance before her own lens, Matuschka could also be considered a modern-day anthropologist as she scrutinizes society and raises questions about identity, power, and sexuality in an image driven society. In her androgyny works, she capitalizes on an ability to perform various roles of gender – trading on stereotypes, she's quite convincing, so by the time we have figured out the masquerade, we also realize we have been taken by it." Joanne Leonard . "Matuschka has been known to bring a critical eye, considered thought, contrivance, artifice, and farce into what have previously been exclusively within the domain of personal expression and is savvy enough to add humor and irony to the substance of her shots. The casual eroticism is at odds with the political content . Matuschka's work includes a nod to modern art: There is as much of Andy Warhol as there is of Dick Avedon in her photographs."- Rick Cusick, Whether working with others, alone, or with an assistant, Matuschka is the author, director, make-up artist, hairstylist, wardrobe stylist, and master printer of the pictures she creates. Covering decades of figurative, photographic, and abstract expressionism rich in iconic imagery, her conceptual photographs are self-portraits, sometimes chemically toned or skillfully manipulated. Her works are in the collections of the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facil ...
, New York;
Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ...
, Ohio; and the Musee de I'Elyee Lausanne, Switzerland among many others.


Grassroots

In 1991, while undergoing
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 ...
, Matuschka discovered her
mastectomy Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer choose to have ...
was unnecessary, that the doctor misread her pathology report and the
lumpectomy Lumpectomy (sometimes known as a tylectomy, partial mastectomy, breast segmental resection or breast wide local excision) is a surgical removal of a discrete portion or "lump" of breast tissue, usually in the treatment of a malignant tumor or bre ...
he already performed was all the surgery required. She immediately turned her dismay with the medical profession into a unique form of activism. She began making posters and taking pictures of herself in a variety of 'styles' to bring greater attention to what was then called "The Silent Epidemic". Matuschka is credited with helping launch the
breast cancer movement Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raising awareness, raise awareness and reduce the Social stigma, stigma of breast cancer through education about Breast cancer screening, screening, Cancer signs and symptoms, symptoms, and Breast cancer ...
with her iconic self-portraits which attracted global attention beginning in 1991. Matuschka joined many breast cancer groups including SHARE cancer support, 1 in 9, National Organization for Women (N.O.W)., National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO) and Women's Health Action and Mobilization (W.H.A.M.!). Her alliance with W.H.A.M.! proved to be the most significant.


W.H.A.M.!

Established in 1989, Women's Health Action and Mobilization (W.H.A.M.!) was an American activist organization based in New York City that employed
direct action Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...
s to protest 'anti abortion sentiment', and endorsed
pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...
healthcare for both men and women. The group worked closely with the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) during the
AIDS crisis The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS ...
. W.H.A.M.! become most famous in 1991 for draping the
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
with a "
pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...
banner" (with the help of a loaned helicopter) the same year Matuschka joined the group. Matuschka spearheaded the Breast Cancer Action Movement (B.A.M.!) at W.H.A.M.!, and worked closely with Dr. Susan Shaw in designing a series of
breast cancer awareness Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raising awareness, raise awareness and reduce the Social stigma, stigma of breast cancer through education about Breast cancer screening, screening, Cancer signs and symptoms, symptoms, and Breast cancer ...
posters A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. ...
that would be distributed and wheat pasted on buildings, trucks and barricades in the greater New York Area. Matuschka's first poster for the group was an illustration of the
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
with the ' no' symbol painted over Lady Liberty's right breast. In 1992, W.H.A.M.! sponsored Matuschka's image ''Vote for Yourself'' as a glossy, eye-catching mass media poster. ''WHAMMERS'', as they were known, wheat pasted this political poster at dozens of breast cancer rallies and demonstrations throughout the greater New York region. Fox Five News was the first mainstream media platform to air W.H.A.M.!'s breast cancer actions—using artwork created by Matuschka over a three-year period before pink ribbons became the symbol for the disease. A year later ''Vote for Yourself'' caught the attention of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' photo editors.


The New York Demonstrations: 1991–1994

In 1991, the artist attended many rallies and demonstrations throughout the New York Area including: 1) The first
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
Walk sponsored by SHARE (1991), 2) Central Park Run Sponsored by "Race for the Cure" (Susan G. Komen Foundation) (1991), 3) Central Park Demonstration sponsored by various
grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...
groups (1992), 4) Riverside Rally sponsored by SHARE (1992) and 5) the Long Island Breast Cancer Coalition sponsored by 1 in 9 (1992) Great Neck Court House. In 1992, Matuschka, along with W.H.A.M! were extensively filmed for a move entitled ''Part Time God'' by Dutch documentary film maker Paul Cohen. ''Part Time God'' is a visual essay about the seeming paradox between chance and
free will Free will is generally understood as the capacity or ability of people to (a) choice, choose between different possible courses of Action (philosophy), action, (b) exercise control over their actions in a way that is necessary for moral respon ...
in human life. The film, featuring Matuschka opened at the Dutch Documentary Film Festival in the Netherlands in 1992. In May 1993, W.H.A.M.! sent Matuschka with a suitcase of political posters to the National Breast Cancer Coalition
conference A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...
held in Washington D.C. to represent the group. Susan Ferrara, a writer from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', was covering the three-day event. On the last day of the convention, she spotted Matuschka wearing the ''Vote for Yourself'' on her body much like a
sandwich board A sandwich board is a type of advertisement tool composed of two boards with a message or graphic on it and being either carried by a person, with one board in front and one behind in a triangle shape, hinged along the top, creating a " sandwic ...
at a strike. Ms. Ferrara interviewed the artist for the article she would title: "The Politics of Breast Cancer". That August, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' decided to run Ms. Ferrara's article as a feature in their ''Sunday Times'' Magazine and needed an illustration for their cover.
Art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
Janet Froelich Janet Froelich (born 1946, New York, NY) is an American graphic designer and creative director. Biography Janet Froelich received her undergraduate degree from Cooper Union and an MFA from Yale University. She was a designer of ''Heresies'', ...
selected Matuschka's photo, ''Beauty out of Damage'', showing her
mastectomy Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer choose to have ...
and face—a decision that turned out to be controversial—and sparked debate about the treatment, awareness and depiction of breast cancer throughout the world.
"Activists like Matuschka—a tall, striking artist in New York—set out to shock. As a member of a small group called W.H.A.M! (Women's Health Action and Mobilization), Matuschka makes art of her mastectomy with poster-size, one breasted self-portraits that force people to see what cancer does. Though some of her mainstream sisters are discomforted by the graphic images, they admire her determination. As she says, 'You can't look away anymore." — ''Susan Ferrara''
This historical publishing decision made headline news for showing a "
topless Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is known as barechestedness. Social norms around toplessness ...
"
cover girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph is used for the front cover of magazines. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a person making a single, casual appearance on the cover of a magaz ...
on a mainstream magazine, and was viewed by many as ending the silence, shame and concealment for millions of women regarding their bodies and how they are portrayed by the media. Breast Cancer advocates and activists were here to stay, and the breast cancer movement had been officially launched. After ''The New York Times Sunday Magazine'' was published, Matuschka participated in many demonstrations throughout the country, including one sponsored by The Harley Davidson Motorcycle Club of Manhattan in conjunction with the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. The ACS publishes the journals ''Cancer'', '' CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians'' and '' Cancer Cytopathology''. History The society w ...
, and another one organized by
GreenPeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
on the Rainbow Warrior Ship in 1995.
"It wasn't just her damaged chest but her resilient dignity which was so powerful." — ''
Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930 – December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, O' ...
, Supreme Court Justice, Breast Cancer Survivor'' "Her cover did more for Breast Cancer than anyone else in the last 25 years." — ''Carol Spiro, President Breast Cancer Action, Ottawa Ontario, Canada''


Greenpeace

In 1995,
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
commissioned Matuschka to create a poster directed at
Time Life Time Life, Inc. (also habitually represented with a hyphen as Time-Life, Inc., even by the company itself) was an American multi-media conglomerate company formerly known as a prolific production/publishing company and direct marketeer seller ...
to cease using chlorinated paper. Matuschka designed a poster similar to ''Vote For Yourself'', which incorporated a
cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...
of the artist's torso. The artist replaced her missing breast with a clock on the
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
cast, labeled the image ''Time For Prevention'' and created a facsimile of ''
Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...
'' for the poster. Greenpeace sent Matuschka to the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
Region, where the Rainbow Warrior ship was docked to speak with civilians, to hand out these informative political posters. Greenpeace's effort to bring greater awareness to the link between chlorinated paper,
dioxin Dioxin may refer to a number of different substances. Most notably: * 1,2-Dioxin or 1,4-dioxin, two unsaturated heterocyclic 6-membered rings in which two carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen atoms, which gives the molecular formula C4H4O2 ...
and cancer was a huge success. Their crusade ended in NYC when members of Greenpeace scaled the Time Life building and were arrested. Massive media coverage included Matuschka's iconic poster, and the artist received numerous awards and citations. Additionally, these posters were wheat pasted throughout the country and used extensively in the "Chlorine Free" campaign initiated in the Great Lakes area. ''Time For Prevention'' is in the permanent collection of the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facil ...
located in New York City, and won best environmental poster of 1996 by
Graphis Inc. Graphis Inc. is an international publisher of books and awards for the Visual communications industry. Based in New York City, Graphis presents and promotes the best-submitted work in graphic design, advertising, photography, poster design, b ...
Following Matuschka's breast reconstruction, ''
CBS News Sunday Morning ''CBS News Sunday Morning'' (frequently shortened to ''Sunday Morning'') is an American television newsmagazine that has aired on CBS since January 28, 1979. Created by Robert Northshield and E.S. "Bud" Lamoreaux III, and originally hosted by ...
'' (with Martha Teichner) aired a special program with her on September 23, 2013, titled ''The Model and the Mastectomy''.


Painting (1970–2023)

Although known mostly as a photographer, model, and activist, Matuschka's abstract works on paper and large canvas remain a constant and essential element of her art. Since the turn of the century, she has returned to abstraction, her primary art form.


''Bagit!''

A book entitled ''Bagit!'', with an introduction by
Anthony Haden-Guest Anthony Haden-Guest (born 2 February 1937) is an English-American writer, reporter, cartoonist, art critic, poet, and socialite who lives in New York City and London. He is a frequent contributor to major magazines and has had several books pu ...
and published by Hard Press Editions, was released in 2009. The abstract art in this book pertains to
shopping bag Shopping bags are medium-sized bags, typically around 10–20 litres (2.5–5 gallons) in volume (though much larger versions exist, especially for non-grocery shopping), that are used by shoppers to carry home their purchases. Some are intende ...
s in which the artist has removed all branding, and replaced logos and labels with fine art. The sex appeal of luxury products and
brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
obsession is based on the gospel of
consumerism Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies. It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In contemporary consumer society, the ...
: "I am what I buy", or as Matuschka puts it: "you are what you bag."
"In revisiting the world of abstraction and color she has also revisited her old stomping grounds, the Berkshires. And despite the fact that everybody knows her, it is incorrect to say they know her work, at least her current work." -Ed Bride, ''The Artful Mind'' 2006
She credits the artist Jennifer Bartlett, who taught her to be responsible for every square inch of the surface one's working on. When she began studying at SVA, she switched from figurative work to abstract painting. "I wouldn't have discovered my main infatuation, or jazz, if not for Jennifer", the artist once wrote.
“The very unalike images you see here are however alike in one highly specific way, which is that they connect directly to Matuschka's art-making beginnings, including her very earliest. The animate blobs, shapes and quasi-figural bits and pieces that populate her abstractions, for instance, owe a debt to a childhood fixation on the TV star, Soupy Sales, who would doodle haphazardly on a chalkboard as in a classroom, then ask his audience to seek out potential images of creatures or whatever lurking in his scribble-scrabble and complete them."- Anthony Haden Guest


Health and Activism

At the age of 37, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoing a
mastectomy Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer choose to have ...
and 6 months 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 ...
. In 1991 Matuschka enrolled in the Kushi Institute, Beckett, Mass. and studied
macrobiotics A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics) is an unconventional restrictive diet based on ideas about types of food drawn from Zen Buddhism. The diet tries to balance the supposed yin and yang elements of food and cookware. Major principles of macrobio ...
with
Michio Kushi (May 17, 1926 – December 28, 2014) was a Japanese educator and alternative cancer treatment advocate who helped to introduce modern macrobiotics to the United States in the early 1950s. He lectured all over the world at conferences and seminar ...
and Denny Waxman for 10 years. In 1993 Matuschka successfully sued her breast cancer surgeon for
malpractice In the law of torts, malpractice, also known as professional negligence, is an "instance of negligence or incompetence on the part of a professional".Malpractice definition, Professionals who may become the subject of malpractice actions inc ...
for performing an unnecessary mastectomy. She claimed and proved that the doctor had given her incorrect information regarding her
diagnosis Diagnosis (: diagnoses) is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in a lot of different academic discipline, disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " ...
. As the artist put it, "I lost a breast and the world gained an activist." She made case history, set a precedent and subsequent mastectomy malpractice lawsuits referred to Matuschka's case when settling breast cancer lawsuits. In 2013, Matuschka underwent
breast reconstruction Breast reconstruction is the surgical process of rebuilding the shape and look of a breast, most commonly in women who have had surgery to treat breast cancer. It involves using autologous tissue, prosthetic implants, or a combination of both wi ...
surgery which was completed in 2016. This procedure required 6 hospitalizations and the use of the external Brava apparatus with extensive Fat Grafting over a three – year period.


Lectures and workshops

Matuschka exhibits and gives workshops at Universities and Photo Festivals throughout the world. She has spoken at
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
, Columbia,
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
,
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale The NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is an art museum in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Originating in 1958 as the Fort Lauderdale Art Center, the museum is now located in an modernist building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. The current building wa ...
, Florida and The Art Cultural Center (Malaga, Spain), among others.


Permanent collections

*
The Museum of the City of New York The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is a history and art museum in Manhattan, New York City, New York. It was founded by Henry Collins Brown, in 1923Beard, Rick. "Museum of the City of New York" in to preserve and present the history of ...
; NYC, NY * The Cincinnati Museum for Art; Cincinnati, Ohio * Musée de l'Élysée; Lausanne, Switzerland *
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facil ...
; NYC, NY *
National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openi ...
; Washington, DC * Photographic Museum of Helsinki; Finland * Hällisch-Fränkischen Museum;
Schwäbisch Hall Schwäbisch Hall (; 'Swabian Hall'; from 1802 until 1934 and colloquially: ''Hall'') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg located in the valley of the Kocher river, the longest tributary (together with its headwater Lein) of the N ...
, Germany *
World Press Photo World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955, the organization holds the annual World Press Photo Contest for press photography. Since 2011, World Press Photo has orga ...
Foundation; The Netherlands * Miniature Museum; Amsterdam * Fleming Museum of Art; Burlington, Vermont *
Center for Photography at Woodstock The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) is a not-for-profit arts organization in Kingston, New York that was founded in 1977 with a two-fold mission: to support artists working in photography and related media; and to engage audiences throug ...
; NY *
Center for the Study of Political Graphics The Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG) is a United States non-profit, educational and research archive that collects, preserves, documents, and circulates domestic and international political posters relating to historical and conte ...
; Los Angeles, CA *
Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
; Evanston, IL * Henry Buhl Foundation; NYC, NY *
Broadway Video Broadway Video is an American multimedia entertainment studio founded by Lorne Michaels, creator of the sketch comedy TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' and producer of other television programs and movies. Broadway Video also held the rights to m ...
Enterprises; NYC, NY * Concord Hospital; Concord, New Hampshire


Awards and honors


Special Citations, Honors and Tributes

*
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
nomination, Feature Photography (1994) * ABC Person of the Week, ''Worldwide News with
Peter Jennings Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings (July 29, 1938August 7, 2005) was a Canadian-American television journalist. He was best known for serving as the sole anchor of ''ABC World News Tonight'' from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 200 ...
'' (1993) * ''The Photographs'' (30 years of the New York Times most important photos published in the Sunday Magazine) edited by Kathy Ryan; Published by Aperture Foundation (NYC) (2011) * Life Books Special Edition: ''
100 Photographs that Changed the World ''Life: 100 Photographs that Changed The World'' is a book of photographs, that are believed to have pushed towards a change, accumulated by the editors of ''Life'' magazine in 2003. History The project began with an online question posted on ' ...
''; Life Inc. (2003 and 2011) * Edición de Aniversario ''SEMANA'' Magazine 30th Anniversary 30 Anos Imagines; Colombia, South America (2012) * ''Bunte'' Magazine Tribute (Germany); "Women of the Nineties Who Changed the World" (1998)


Awards

*
PEN PEN may refer to: * (National Ecological Party), former name of the Brazilian political party Patriota (PATRI) * PEN International, a worldwide association of writers ** English PEN, the founding centre of PEN International ** PEN America, located ...
Writers Grant(1978) * Salmagundi Fellowship(1989) * 1994 * Gold, ''People in the News''; World Press Photo Foundation, the Netherlands * Front Page Award;
Newswomen's Club of New York The Newswomen's Club of New York is a nonprofit organization that focuses on women working in the media in the New York City metropolitan area. Founded in 1922 as the New York Newspaper Woman's Club, it included Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Rogers R ...
* Judges Special Recognition, Magazine Cover; Society of Newspaper Design * Gold, Photojournalism Feature; Society of Newspaper Design * Gold, Society Production Designers * Silver, Art Director's Club * Judge's Special Recognition, Cover; ''Society of Newspaper Design'' * ''American Photography'' Top Ten * Editorial Awards; ''Communication Arts Photography Annual'' *
Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservation movement, conservationist whose sea trilogy (1941–1955) and book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) are credited with advancing mari ...
Award; Rachel Carson Institute,
Chatham College Chatham University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally founded as a women's college, it began enrolling men in undergraduate programs in 2015. It enrolls about 2,110 students, including 1,002 undergraduate students and ...
, PA 1995 * Catalogue Grant; NYFA:
New York Foundation for the Arts The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organizations ...
* Design Merit;
Potlatch Corporation PotlatchDeltic Corporation (originally Potlatch Corp) is an American diversified forest products company based in Spokane, Washington. It manufactures and sells lumber, panels and particleboard and receives revenue from other assets such as miner ...
* Juror's Merit Award;
Laguna Gloria The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, formerly known as the AMOA-Arthouse at Laguna Gloria, is the former home of Clara Driscoll and site of a 1916 Italianate-style villa on the shores of Lake Austin in Austin, Texas. It was the original hom ...
Art Museum, TX 1996 * Gold, ''Photographs Only''; The Visual Club, NYC * Best Environmental Poster of the Year;
Graphis Inc. Graphis Inc. is an international publisher of books and awards for the Visual communications industry. Based in New York City, Graphis presents and promotes the best-submitted work in graphic design, advertising, photography, poster design, b ...
Poster Annual * NYC Fellowship; Art Matters Inc. * Advertising and Design Club of Canada Honors * Photographer's Fellowship;
Center for Photography at Woodstock The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) is a not-for-profit arts organization in Kingston, New York that was founded in 1977 with a two-fold mission: to support artists working in photography and related media; and to engage audiences throug ...
1997 * How Design Annual Merits; ''Business Collateral'' * PDN/
Nikon (, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...
Self Promotion Award; ''Photo District News'' * Y2K Books: Certificate of Excellence; University of California Press (1998) 2000 * Javelina Award (Lifetime Achievement Award);
Prescott College Prescott College is a private college in Prescott, Arizona, United States. History Prescott College was founded in 1966 after a conference titled "Emergence of a Concept". Conveners Charles Parker and the Ford Foundation brought together leade ...
(2000) 2020 *
Lucie Awards The Lucie Awards is an annual event honoring achievements in photography, founded in 2003 by Hossein Farmani. The Lucie Awards is an annual gala ceremony presented by the Lucie Foundation (a 501(c) organization#501(c)(3), 501 (c)3 non-profit charit ...
Finalist The Abstract Portrait Project Competition(2020)


Humanitarian Awards

* Citation; Borough of Manhattan President(1993) 1994 * Humanitarian Award; Mt. Sinai Hospital Service Club * Mayoral Proclamation; City of Cincinnati * Jonquils Award; Duke University, NC 1995 *
Gilda Radner Gilda Susan Radner (June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989) was an American actress and comedian. She was one of the seven Saturday Night Live cast members, original cast members of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series ...
Award; Wellness Community,
Boston, MA Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
* Certificate of Recognition; California State Senator 1996 * Award for Activism; Joanne Rathgeb Memorial * Certificate of Recognition; Kennedy Center Very Special Arts


Catalogues

* 1994:
YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...
of Cincinnati (Award) * 1996: ''Matuschka'';
New York Foundation for the Arts The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organizations ...
, NYFA (Award) * 2011: ''¿Heroínas o Víctimas?, Matuschka Fotografías 1991–2003''; Fotomanias (Malaga Spain)


Legacy


Exhibitions

Matuschka's work has been included in 93 international exhibitions, both solo and group, since 1972 including the
New York Historical Society The New York Historical (known as the New-York Historical Society from 1804 to 2024) is an American history museum and library on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. It ...
, Musée de l'Élysée, the Fratelli Alinari Museum of the History of Photography, The
National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openi ...
, Culturgest, The Frauen Museum, The New Art Center, The
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
Art Center, The
World Press Photo World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955, the organization holds the annual World Press Photo Contest for press photography. Since 2011, World Press Photo has orga ...
Exhibition, The
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square Mile stretch of Sherbrooke Street west. The MMFA ...
, The G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, the Jean Albano Gallery, the Hallisch-Frankischen Museum,
Anthology Film Archives Anthology Film Archives is an international center for the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and film distribution, exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent film, independent, experimental film, ex ...
, Kulturkreis Höxter-Corvey Schloss
GmbH (; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. It is a ...
, the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facil ...
, the
Center for Photography at Woodstock The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) is a not-for-profit arts organization in Kingston, New York that was founded in 1977 with a two-fold mission: to support artists working in photography and related media; and to engage audiences throug ...
, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, The
Parrish Art Museum The Parrish Art Museum is an art museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron Architects and located in Water Mill, New York, whereto it moved in 2012 from Southampton Village. The museum focuses extensively on work by artists from the artist colony o ...
, The Fleming Museum of Art, The
Glenbow Museum The Glenbow Museum is an art and history local museum, regional museum in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The museum focuses on Western Canada, Western Canadian history and culture, including Indigenous perspectives. The Glenbow was establ ...
, and the
Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ...
. Universities and colleges that have exhibited her work include The
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
,
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
,
University of the Arts (Philadelphia) The University of the Arts (UArts) was a Private university, private Art school, arts university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its campus made up part of the Avenue of the Arts (Philadelphia), Avenue of the Arts cultural district in Center Cit ...
,
Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
,
University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...
, Southwest University of Visual Arts (formerly known as the Art Center Design College),
Lyndon State College Lyndon State College was a public liberal arts college in Lyndon, Vermont. In 2018, it merged with Johnson State College to create Northern Vermont University; the former campus of Lyndon State College is now the university's Lyndon campus. ...
,
Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
,
University of Maryland, Baltimore County The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a Public university, public research university in Catonsville, Maryland named after Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County. It had a fall 2022 enrollment of 13,991 students, 61 un ...
,
Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public university, public college located in Miami, Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1959, MDC operates eight campuses and numerous outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade Count ...
among others.


Covers

Matuschka's work has been featured on the cover of 26 magazines between 1988 and 2010. including ''
The New York Times Sunday Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazin ...
'', ''
Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...
'', ''P/F'' (''Professional Photography''), ''Foto Magazine'', ''EMMA'', ''NEWS'' (Austria), ''Max'' (German), and ''Bad Girls and Sick Boys'' (published by UC Press).


Notes


References


External links

* http://www.matuschkathemodelofthefuture.com/ * http://www.beautyoutofdamage.com/ * http://www.matuschka.net/homepage.html {{authority control Photographers from New York City 1954 births Living people Washington University in St. Louis alumni Prescott College alumni School of Visual Arts alumni