Michael Gurhy
Hysteria’s Swan Song: Queering the Iconography of La Salpêtrière; Exploring Queer Masculinity through Iconography and Artistic Practice

Hysteria, historically linked to the female body and medical condition, continues to captivate scholars and artists. This research investigates hysteria through a queer lens, focusing on the iconography of La Salpêtrière and its implications for queer masculinity. Situated at the intersection of art history, queer theory, and psychoanalysis, the study examines the work of Charcot, Freud, and Bourgeois to explore representations of hysteria over time. By queering La Salpêtrière’s iconography, the research highlights the significance of incorporating a more diverse representation of the queer male body into contemporary culture. Practice-based research, including sculptural work in porcelain and bronze, transforms the arched body into a metaphor for protest and revolution. A printed cyanotype series continues Charcot’s work by adding the queer male body to the Salpêtrière iconography. Personal diary entries around the artist’s practice provide an intimate perspective on his process and studio life. This interdisciplinary approach aims to contribute to art history, queer theory, and psychoanalysis, proposing a reimagined view of the hysterical arch as a symbol of protest and rebellion.