Pregnant tutu head
1992
Medium
cotton, rayon, polyester, nylon, foam, leather
Measurements
(a) 87.0 cm (centre back) 25.0 cm (sleeve length) (top)
(b) 130.0 cm (length) 92.0 cm (inner leg) (tights)
(c) 130.0 cm (outer circumference) 45.0 cm (height) (headpiece)
(d-e) 54.0 × 14.0 cm irreg. (each) (gloves)
(f-g) 35.0 × 29.5 × 50.0 cm (each) (shoes)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Nicola Bateman Bowery, 1999
© Courtesy of the artist's estate
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Leigh Bowery was attracted to the London club scene in the 1980s which embodied extravagance and experimentation. The freedom with which he expressed himself saw Bowery celebrated in the underground music, club and fashion communities where he was active in creating costumes, performances and music videos. Gender was treated fluidly in this context, and many of Bowery’s costumes challenged conventions of representation. Pregnant tutu head celebrates the body’s ability to transform – during pregnancy – and refuses stasis or predictability. In the 1990s Bowery became increasingly interested in the surreal, and this work uses exaggerated scale to disturb any sense of aesthetic harmony.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
London, England
Accession Number
1999.228.a-g
Department
Australian Fashion and Textiles
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest