Dorothy Iannone, censorship and the irrepressible drive toward love and divinity

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Since the early 1960s, Dorothy Iannone (b. 1933, Boston; lives and works in Berlin) has explored the representation of ecstatic love—defined by her as “the union of gender, feeling and pleasure.” Her diverse oeuvre includes paintings, drawings, collages, video sculptures, objects, and publications, all infused with personal mythologies and experiences. In her late figurative paintings, which often blur into ornamental forms, she creates symbolic scenarios that celebrate a playful approach to her subjects. This visual self-empowerment has been interpreted as a contribution to the liberalization of female sexuality, though Iannone does not identify with any feminist movement. Her work, addressing controversial themes, reflects a personal understanding of self through its public presentation. This publication examines Iannone's art in the context of censorship, particularly her artist's book "The Story of Bern." In spring 1969, her works were confiscated during the "Freunde (Friends)" exhibition at Kunsthalle Bern, directed by Harald Szeemann. Iannone's response was to produce a book that articulated her perspective, reclaiming control over her work's content and form. Published in collaboration with Migros Museum for Contemporary Art, Zurich.