In a 1973 statement for her solo show at A.I.R. Gallery, artist Harmony Hammond wrote, “I am not interested in art history, for its relationship to me is never clear.” This is one of the first pieces of writing included in the recent anthology of the artist’s writings, Still Dangerous! The Harmony Hammond Reader. Edited by curator and critic Tirza True Latimer, this collection reveals six decades of Hammond’s attempts to remedy this point and place herself in art history. Known for her textiles and fiber artworks, her role with the feminist art journal Heresies, and her seminal textbook Lesbian Art in America: A Contemporary History, this collection presents a spectrum of Hammond’s voice from short gallery texts to lengthy scholarly articles and interviews.
Each decade opens with an introduction by Latimer offering context for the decade in Hammond’s life. While not necessary for those familiar with her career, it offers a welcome birds-eye perspective, an uncommon but successful approach to a book of artist’s writings, which often limits outside commentary to only an introduction. In keeping with Hammond’s own interest in collectivity, there is a multiplicity of voices around Hammond’s own, including an introduction written by scholar Julia Bryan-Wilson who calls her a “crafter of words.”
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