Performance Piece (detail, Photo by Harmon Outlaw) 1977

This black and white photograph by Harmon Outlaw captures Senga Nengudi's performance piece, "Performance Piece," from 1977. Nengudi, a key figure in the performance art movement, is seen engaging in a dynamic pose, her body seemingly confined by a network of interwoven straps. The image evokes themes of constraint, movement, and the body as a site of both power and vulnerability. Nengudi's work often explores the complexities of Black womanhood and the relationship between the body and space, making this piece a powerful testament to her artistic vision.