The Female Closet (1998), combines rare footage, interviews, and rich visual documentation to survey the lives of three variously closeted and not-so-closeted artists from different segments of the 20th century: Victorian photographer Alice Austen, Weimar collagist Hannah Höch, and contemporary artist Nicole Eisenman.

In a compelling examination Hammer documents how the museum devoted to Austen ignores the implications of her crossdressing photos, how the Museum of Modern Art glossed over Höch’s sexuality in a major exhibit, and how Eisenman’s work based on patriarchal porn is described by critics as “liberating, fun, and over the top”. Examining the museum as “closet”, and the negotiation of visibility and secrecy in lesbian history, this thoughtful film is a provocative look at the relationship between art, life, and sexuality.

With a career that spanned over 50 years, Barbara Hammer is widely recognised as a pioneer of queer cinema. Hammer created a groundbreaking body of experimental work illuminating lesbian histories, lives and representations while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of experimental cinema.

Nicole Eisenman is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2018. Having established themself as a painter, Eisenman has expanded their practice into the third dimension.

Andrew Durbin is the author of MacArthur Park (2017) and Skyland (2020), both from Nightboat Books. His biography about Peter Hujar and Paul Thek is forthcoming in 2026. He is the Editor-in-Chief of frieze and lives in London.

Programming supported by:
Champ Lacombe + Sadie Coles HQ