Vito Acconci (American, 1940–2017). <em>Kiss Off</em>, 1971. Lithograph in Black ink and lipstick, 30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (76.5 × 57.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. Steven Kazan, 1992.188. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: , 1992.188_PS9.jpg)

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Vito Acconci (American, 1940–2017). Kiss Off, 1971. Lithograph in Black ink and lipstick, 30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (76.5 × 57.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. Steven Kazan, 1992.188. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: , 1992.188_PS9.jpg)

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Tell me more.

Vito Acconci’s artworks of the 1960s and 1970s explore the often unspoken physical, gendered, sexual, and emotional relationships between artist and viewer. This work addresses gender presentation.

Acconci put lipstick on and then kissed his own hand, slowly removing the lipstick in the process of transference.This lithograph is a direct documentation of Acconci's performance.

Acconci has said of his performances at this time: "The early work applied stress to the body that then had to adapt, change, open up, because of that stress. Remember, this was just after the late sixties, the time—the starting time of gender other than male, race other than white, culture other than Western; I wanted to get rid of myself so there could be room for other selves."

Did he put on the lipstick to make himself appear feminine?

That's a big part of it. He was challenging stereotypes of what it meant to be "feminine" and what it meant to be "masculine." Not much earlier, in the the 1960s, many social conventions were called into question.

Kiss Off

Vito Acconci

ARTIST Vito Acconci, American, 1940–2017

MEDIUM Lithograph in Black ink and lipstick

DATES 1971

DIMENSIONS 30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (76.5 × 57.8 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Inscribed in graphite lower edge recto

ACCESSION NUMBER 1992.188

CREDIT LINE Gift of Dr. Steven Kazan

EXHIBITIONS

Half the Picture: A Feminist Look at the Collection

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Vito Acconci (American, 1940–2017). Kiss Off, 1971. Lithograph in Black ink and lipstick, 30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (76.5 × 57.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. Steven Kazan, 1992.188. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: , 1992.188_PS9.jpg)

STATE AP2

IMAGE overall, 1992.188_PS9.jpg., 2018

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Tell me more.

Vito Acconci’s artworks of the 1960s and 1970s explore the often unspoken physical, gendered, sexual, and emotional relationships between artist and viewer. This work addresses gender presentation.

Acconci put lipstick on and then kissed his own hand, slowly removing the lipstick in the process of transference.This lithograph is a direct documentation of Acconci's performance.

Did he put on the lipstick to make himself appear feminine?

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