Collection: Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt

Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt (born 1948) is a New York-based artist whose practice spans installation, assemblage, drawing and performance, engaging with questions of queer identity, Catholic iconography, poverty, camp aesthetics and the spiritual dimensions of everyday and discarded materials. Working since the late 1960s, he is known for elaborate, densely ornamented installations made from foil, cellophane, tinsel, plastic wrap and other cheap or found materials, transforming humble objects into works of baroque complexity and devotional intensity. Lanigan-Schmidt was present at the Stonewall Inn during the 1969 uprising and has consistently addressed the intersections of queer experience, faith and marginality throughout his career. A major survey of his work was held at MoMA PS1, New York, in 2012–13. He was included in the S/O section of Know Who You Are at Every Age at the Bronx River Art Center in 2014, curated by Q_Raider and BDGRMMR.