Postgraduate Researchers

MPhil Research Student - School of Art and Design

Project title: Art in the Closet – Queer Identity, Surrealism, and Power in the work of Patrick Hennessy 1936 -1980

Project abstract:

Patrick Hennessy’s Queer Art 1937 – 1980: Navigating the Closet 

This thesis aims to fill a significant gap in Art History by exploring the life and works of Patrick Hennessy, a queer Irish artist active in Ireland, Morocco, USA, UK, and France, whose career spanned from 1937 to 1980. By examining Hennessy's art through the lens of queer theory, this study seeks to uncover the nuanced ways in which he navigated and challenged the societal pressures of invisibility imposed on queer individuals,  

Despite his prolific output, Hennessy's contributions have, until recently, been overlooked in art historical discourse. This oversight was partly due to the covert nature of his queer identity and the broader homophobia within the art establishment and society during his lifetime. This thesis addresses how Hennessy's art serves as a site of queer agency, resistance, and self-representation within a heteronormative framework. 

The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, utilising art historical visual analysis, queer theory, sociology, oral history, and social history. Key theoretical frameworks include Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s concepts of the closet and queer agency, and Vivienne Cass’s model of homosexual identity development. The methodology involves a detailed examination and visual analysis of Hennessy's self-portraits, surrealist works, domestic scenes, portraits of men, and depictions of queer spaces, supported by a critical review of contemporary literature, archival research, analysis of primary sources such as his life-partner Henry Robertson Craig’s journals, and oral history recorded from a sex-worker active in Tangier in the 1980s. 

The research anticipates revealing how Hennessy’s art visualises the development of homosexual identity and queer agency across different contexts, both social and geographic. It hopes to demonstrate that Hennessy’s works not only resist homophobic norms but also actively construct a queer aesthetic and genealogy. Additionally, the study aims to highlight the socio-political dynamics of Hennessy’s milieu, including his interactions with other queer artists and his navigation of public and private spheres. 

The findings will contribute to a more inclusive understanding of modern art history, and especially Irish art history, by acknowledging the significant yet marginalised contributions of queer artists like Hennessy. This research also aims to challenge and expand canonical narratives of art history, advocating for a more nuanced recognition of the intersections between art, identity, and society. By situating Hennessy’s work within a broader queer cultural context, the thesis seeks to provide new insights into the ways art can serve as a powerful medium for personal and political expression. 

Supervisor: Dr Niamh Ann Kelly, Dr Noel Fitzpatrick