Gracie Mansion Gallery

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Installation view, An Exploration of the History of Collisions in Reverse, Gracie Mansion, 1986. Fales Library, Wojnarowicz Papers, Series 9, Subseries F, Box 83, Slidesheet 90.

Gracie Mansion is both a gallery space and the moniker of Joanne Mayhew-Young. The young artist first used the moniker to put on a show that was a parody of a show. Wojnarowicz contributed to one of the gallery's first shows, "The Famous Show," (1982) but at the time he was represented by Civilian Warfare. She did not intend to continue with the gallery but due to popular demand, she had another show. In 1983, she opened her first official gallery space with Sur Rodney Sur as co-director. She began officially representing Wojnarowicz in 1984. On April 27, 1986, Wojnarowicz showed his "history paintings" in the gallery. People fought over his works and by the time he showed up, the show was sold out. Wojnarowicz was deeply ambivalent about his success. After that show, he refrained from painting for an extent of time.