House Body House

The essay describes Carolee Schneemann's residence, a stone house constructed in 1750 by Huguenot settlers on land of the Munsee Lenape people, and its central role in her life and work from the early 1960s until her death in 2019. The essay gives particular attention to Schneemann's text “Parts of a Body House” (1957–67), a series of paragraphs composed over a decade that describe a network of biomorphic structures and multimedia environments. The essay argues that “Parts of a Body House” is a “nerve codex” by which to read the artist's life and work. The essay is derived in part from remarks the author delivered at the memorial service for Schneemann at Judson Memorial Church, New York, on 3 May 2019.