“Bodily Humor and the Queer Grotesque in 20th Century Art,” Anthony J. Morris, PhD

Dr. Morris’s research investigates methods of representation employed by queer artists to express and advocate for the politics of their identities. Much of his research is founded on the philosophy of Mikhail Bakhtin, who argued that bodily functions and fluids unite humanity regardless of class, race, and sexuality. He argues that manners, education, and clothing separate us, but our bodies’ natural processes are unifying. Morris has read the artworks of Paul Cadmus, Andy Warhol, Glenn Ligon, and Kehinde Wiley through this bodily lens. As a result, the work is humorous as it challenges binary identity systems while questioning moral hierarchies.