Adrian Piper

Adrian Piper

            Adrian Piper, often recognized as one of the most influential artists in the field of conceptual art, was bolstered as a an incredibly established and successful black women artist. Born in New York City in 1948, she was raised in a wealthy family and attended a majority-white private school. Piper received an associates degree in art from the School of Visual Arts. She then went onward to graduate from the City College of New York with a bachelors degree in philosophy. She then surpassed her peers by graduating with a masters and doctorates in philosophy from Harvard University. Accompanying her featured exhibitions, including MoMA, she taught as a professor at a plethora of universities, including several Ivy League schools. In 1991, Adrian Piper became the first black woman to receive achieve academic tenure in the United States. By her academic credentials alone, Adrian Piper has profoundly established herself.

            Piper gained prominence in 1970 by installing a series of street art titled Catalysis, performing eccentric actions from drenching herself in white paint with a sign reading "Wet Paint", to dousing

Adrian Piper, Everything #2.8, 2003

herself in a mixture of vinegar and eggs. All these odd acts would be done while doing ubiquitous activities, such as shopping at Macy's or taking the subway. The significance in this series alludes to the definition of the title, Catalysis and the effect her pieces do to the public. 

          In the 80's, she would feature several series titled Funk Lessons, Mythic, and other forms of art. In the 90's and forward, she mastered and published several pieces of literature and texts discussing her curated philosophy and social criticism. 

           Aside from the aforementioned art, she has impacted the art world with several exhibitions challenging topics and criticism in racism, racial passing, gender, and other social issues. These exhibits would be featured in many international museums and galleries, surpassing conceptual artists of her generation. This includes the top floor of the MoMA reserved for her personal gallery in 2018, being the first time this highly reputable museum devoted an entire floor to a living artist's display. Through sheer effort, Piper has engraved her position as being the pinnacle in the world of art, marking her name as one of the most influential and impacting artists of all time.