Nancy Buchanan deals with women’s issues and other political subjects. Her pieces, often presented in tightly scripted theatrical form, interweave live-action narrative with film and other media. Buchanan’s interest in literature can be seen in her poetic use of language and myth. In her first performance Hair Transplant (1972), she shaved the moustache and body hair from a male participant and replaced it with her own. This was one of the first of many pieces to explore the character of male and female identities, roles, and relationships. She recently extended her examination of violence to include the political and industrial systems that control our lives. These concerns are found in If I Could Only… which the artist calls “a sort of musical comedy.” She is joined by staff and students of the School of the Art Institute and California artist Stuart Bender.
