Famously described by composer Edgar Varese as "the Jeanne d'Arc of new music," Charlotte Moorman (1933-1991) was a central figure of the New York avant-garde in the 1960s and '70s. She became one of the iconic figures of the period, both as a performer of new music and for her exhibitions. Nam June Paik (1931-2006) created some of his best-known pieces for her, including TV Bra for Living Sculpture, 1969, performed at the Howard Wise Gallery. Mainstream notoriety came to Moorman in 1967, when she was convicted on a charge of indecent exposure during a performance of Paik's Opera Sextronique. Ironically, this controversy led to Moorman becoming a guest on TV talk shows, giving her a place in the public consciousness as the "Topless Cellist." Though her performances were marked by a playful delight in the absurd, this was framed at all times by a high seriousness in her approach to her music.
