The Fall 2012 Albert Gallatin Lecture will feature artist Jayson Scott Musson and art historian Huey Copeland in a discussion of Musson’s wide-ranging artistic practices, including his alter ego, Hennessy Youngman, on Thurs., Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Gallatin School's Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Gallatin’s Fall Lecture to Feature “Hennessy Youngman” and Art Historian Huey Copeland—Sept. 20

The Fall 2012 Albert Gallatin Lecture will feature artist Jayson Scott Musson and art historian Huey Copeland in a discussion of Musson’s wide-ranging artistic practices, including his alter ego, Hennessy Youngman, on Thurs., Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. at New York University’s Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts (1 Washington Place [at Broadway]).

The event, presented by NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, is free and open to the public. An RSVP is required here. Space is limited. For more information, call 212.992.7766. Reporters wishing to attend the event must RSVP to James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu. Subways: N, R (8th St.); 6 (Astor Pl.).

Musson is an artist and critic whose alter ego, Hennessy Youngman, hosts the Internet series “Art Thoughtz”. Art in America magazine referred to Hennessy Youngman as “Ali G. with an M.F.A.” to describe the persona that Musson embodies. A former rapper with the Philadelphia-based hip-hop group Plastic Little, Musson satirizes racial and cultural stereotypes as well as pop culture and the insular art world. In episodes of “Art Thoughtz”—short addresses on YouTube—Youngman offers his irreverent views on such topics as relational aesthetics, Damien Hirst's dot paintings, and the commodification of art. Musson developed the persona of Hennessy Youngman—a play on the comedian Henny Youngman, famous for his one-liners, and Hennessy cognac—while working on his M.F.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting.

Copeland is an associate professor and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Art History at Northwestern University. His research and teaching focus on modern, contemporary, and African-American art with an emphasis on articulations of blackness in the Western visual field. In addition to his work as a teacher, curator, and scholar, Copeland regularly contributes criticism to international exhibition catalogues and publications such as Artforum. His first book, Bound to Appear: Art, Slavery, and the Site of Blackness in Multicultural America, which focuses on the work Renée Green, Glenn Ligon, Lorna Simpson and Fred Wilson, is forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press.

Editor’s Note:
The Albert Gallatin Lectures bring a series of notable figures from the worlds of politics, the arts, business, and academia to New York University to discuss contemporary issues with students, faculty, and members of the wider community. Presented by the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the Albert Gallatin Lectures reflect the School’s academic philosophy, which is firmly rooted in the idea that knowledge and understanding grow through conversation and collaboration.


Press Contact

James Devitt
James Devitt
(212) 998-6808