Patty Muschinski (Oldenburg) (1935), also Patty Mucha, is a

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

, and

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

, born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, and lives in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont. Muschinski was named Patsy Muschinski at birth and was later

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

as a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, "Patricia, Patricia Joan." Her grandfather's name was Mucha, which he changed to Muschinski, her

maiden name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries and cultures that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" ...

Life

Muschinski was born to parents who worked as

farmers A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mi ...

, and she had two brothers, Joseph and Ralph. She moved from

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

in the 1950s, where she taught herself how to sew her own clothes, since the size she needed (petite) was not available. Her brother, Joseph, was an artist in high school and encouraged her to paint. Today, she farms, writes, and paints in Vermont near St. Johnsbury.

Career

Muschinski went to the Wisconsin State Teachers College in

where she earned a degree in art, and also met artist

Claes Oldenburg Claes Oldenburg (January 28, 1929 – July 18, 2022) was a Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations, typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions ...

, who she was married to from 1960 to 1970. She first met him while posing as one of his nude models. She also collaborated with him on many of his soft sculptures. She had a significant part in the Pop Art and

Happenings A happening is a performance, event, or situation art, usually as performance art. The term was first used by Allan Kaprow in 1959 to describe a range of art-related events. History Origins Allan Kaprow first coined the term "happening" in t ...

scenes, and was also friends with

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

in the 1960s. Before Warhol designed th
album cover
for The Velvet Underground, he was a back-up singer in a band called The Druds, along with Muschinski, who was the band's lead singer. Muschinski also had a role in Warhol's film "Tarzan and Jane Remain," along with then husband Oldenburg. She has also appeared in films produced by Rudy Wurlitzer, Robert Breer, Jean Dupuy, Rudy Burckhardt, and Red Grooms. Muschinski was a key player in the Pop Art and Happenings scenes, which is revealed in an unpublished memoir, ''Clean Slate: My Life in the 1960's New York Art World.'' In 2022, the title was changed to ''Threads,'' and portions of this book have appeared in ''Art in America'', and "Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958-1968." She has published several poetry books, including ''Poems Traveling, 1971-1973'' (Panorama, 1973) and ''See Vermont: Poems, 1974-1978'' (Poets Mimeo Cooperative, 1979).

References

Smithsonian
Retrieved 10 April 2025.
Granary Books
Retrieved 10 April 2025.

Bibliography

* ''Oral history interview with Patty Mucha, 2024 May 10 , Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution''. (n.d.). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-patty-mucha-22346. * ''Patty ldenburgMucha Archive''. (n.d.). Granary Books, Inc. https://www.granarybooks.com/images/upload/pattymucha-prospectus1.pdf. {{DEFAULTSORT:Muschinski, Patty 1935 births Living people American women poets