Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: Performing the Minority Body Archive across Time and Sheree Rose's Legacy in Underground Art History Yetta Howard 1
Section 1 Words
Part 1 In Her Own Words Home Sheree Rose 27
Why Not? Sheree Rose 38
"Love Is Still Possible in This Junky World": A Conversation with Sheree Rose about Her Life with Bob Flanagan Tina Takemoto Sheree Rose 42
Why Kirby Dick is a "Sick" Prick Sheree Rose 60
Part 2 Collaborations And Critical Perspectives Performing Again (after Bob) Tanya Augsburg 65
Recorded Leftovers: Digesting Sheree Rose's Video Archive Luka Fisher 78
Sheree, Bob, and Me: Performing Painful Histories Martin O'Brien With "A Sermon on Sickness According To Martin" 89
Rose/Flanagan/O'Brien: The Aesthetics of Resurrection Amelia Jones 98
Obliquely Chronophilic: A Dialogue with Sheree Rose and Martin O'Brien on Do with Me as You Will-A 24-Hour Performance Yetta Howard Sheree Rose Martin O'Brien 110
Sheree Rose, the Maternal, and the Erotics of Care Amber Musser 122
"You Always Hurt the One You Love": Transference, Pain, and Endurance Chelsea Coon 128
Artist's Statement for An Illegal Operation for Mary Toft Rhiannon Aarons 132
Sheree Rose, Martin O'Brien, and Rhiannon Aarons on Philosophy in the Bedroom and The Viewing Yetta Howard 135
The Viewing: Supermasochism and Sanctification Rhiannon Aarons 152
Part 3 Performative Writing
Oatmeal and Shit: Some Notes on Mundanity Mary Ann Davis 159
Bob Flanagan Sentenced Harold Jaffe 172
The Duchess of LA Jane Delynn 175
Contributor Biographies 189
Section 2 Images
Part 1 1980s-1990s
Commitments, Consent, Contracts 197
1.1 Slave contract signed in blood by Bob Flanagan and Sheree Rose (1984) 198
1.2 Sheree Rose and Bob Flanagan, wedding photo (1995) 199
1.3 Letter to Sheree Rose from Bob Flanagan (1 January 1985) 200
1.4 Letter to Sheree Rose from Bob Flanagan (7 October 1985) 201
1.5 Bob Flanagan and Sheree Rose's 10th anniversary invitation (1990) 202
1.6 Handwritten will by Bob Flanagan (1995) 203
1.7 An iconic photo shoot of Sheree Rose and Bob Flanagan from 1995 204
Public/Private Exhibition(ist)s 205
2.1 Bob Flanagan with toy ambulance (circa 1990s) 206
2.2 Bob Flanagan's penis with clothespins (1995) 207
2.3 Sheree Rose with black dildo (1995) 208
2.4 Bimbox zine cover (circa 1990s) 209
2.5 Bob Flanagan and Sheree Rose exhibition postcard, (Re)Visiting Hours (1995) 210
2.6 Narcissistic Disturbance exhibit postcard (1995) 212
2.7 TranceSex pamphlet (1993) 213
2.8 Up with People flier (circa 1990s) 214
2.9 Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997) DVD cover 215
Visiting Hours (1992-1995) 217
3.1 Visiting Hours exhibit pamphlet (1994) 218
3.2 Sheree Rose and Bob Flanagan in hospital bed at Visiting Hours (1992) 219
3.3 Visiting Hours closing party (1993) 220
3.4 Detail from Wall of Pain collage (1982) by Sheree Rose 221
3.5 Bob Flanagan and Sheree Rose at (Re)Visiting Hours (1995) 222
Bobballoon (1996) 223
4.1 Bobballoon front view (1996) 224
4.2 Bobballoon side view (1996) 225
4.3 Bobballoon covered and uncovered write-up in Japanese erotic magazine (1996) 226
4.4 Bobballoon at tribute to Bob Flanagan at Beyond Baroque (2013) 228
Music, Literary, and Sexual Subcultures 229
5.1 Nine Inch Nails, "Happiness in Slavery" uncensored music video shoot featuring Bob Flanagan (1992) 230
5.2 Contact sheet from Nine Inch Nails "Happiness in Slavery" uncensored music video shoot featuring Bob Flanagan (1992) 231
5.3 Video still, Sheree Rose whipping in uncensored Danzig "It's Coming Down" music video featuring Sheree Rose and Bob Flanagan (1993) 232
5.4 Video still, Godflesh "Crush My Soul" music video featuring Sheree Rose and Bob Flanagan (1995) 233
5.5 Genesis P-Orridge and Paula P-Orridge (circa 1987-1988) 234
5.6 Needles and Pins II flier for event at EZTV, West Hollywood, CA, with reproduction of Genesis P-Orridge and Paula P-Orridge photo by Sheree Rose (circa 1987-1988) 235
5.7 Letter from Tom Hallewell (Psychic TV promoter) to Sheree Rose (1988) 236
5.8 Bob Flanagan reading at Beyond Baroque, Venice, CA, (circa 1980s) 237
5.9 Henry Rollins reading at Beyond Baroque, Venice, CA (circa 1980s) 238
5.10 Sonic Youth limited edition version of Dirty (1992) compact disc CD tray, featuring Mike Kelley's photograph of Rose and Flanagan 239
5.11 Cover of Slave Sonnets (1986) by Bob Flanagan for Sheree Rose 240
5.12 Ron Athey at Fetish Ball (circa 1990s) 241
5.13 Two Women at Fetish Ball (circa 1990s) 242
5.14 Sheree Rose with Kathy Acker (1992) 243
5.15 Annie Sprinkle at Hookers Convention, Van Nuys, CA (1997) 244
5.16 Carol Queen and Gayle Rubin at Hookers Convention, Van Nuys, CA (1997) 245
5.17 Blue Takes Washington (1993) 246
5.18 Peter Kalisch / Terminal A and Sheree Rose, Denial I Why Not cover, Records Ad Nauseam, 2016 247
Breathing Space 249
6.1 S carved on Flanagan (1991) 251
6.2 And 6.3 Sheree Rose's memorial cutting in honor of Bob Flanagan's 44th (1997) 252-53
6.4 Manipulated 1964 photo of Sheree Rose on her wedding day with her mother (1995) 254
6.5 Death portrait of Sheree Rose's mother (1995) 255
6.6 Video Coffin (1994) 256
6.7 In My Room (1995) 257
6.8 Bob on the day of his death (1996) 258
Part 2 1999-2018
Nailed, Again! (1999-2000) 261
7.1 Nailed! (1989), partial contact sheet 262
7.2 Outside cover of Nailed, Again! (2000) program distributed at performance 263
7.3 Sheree Rose delivering sermon at Nailed, Again! (2000) 264
7.4 Sheree Rose nailing phallus pinata at Nailed, Again! (2000) 265
Do with Me as You Will I Make Martin Suffer for Art (2013) 267
8.1 Sheree Rose with Martin O'Brien in cage at Do with Me as You Will I Make Martin Suffer for Art, Sanctuary Studios LAX, Los Angeles (2013) 268
8.2 Sheree Rose, Martin O'Brien, and participant Randy Focazio at Do with Me as You Will I Make Martin Suffer for Art (2013) 269
8.3 Martin O'Brien being intimidated by Durk Dehner at Do with Me as You Will I Make Martin Suffer for Art (2013) 270
100 Reasons (2014) 271
9.1 Mommy Dearest #53 from 100 Reasons (1983-1993) 273
9.2 Sheree Rose in front of Mike Kelley quotation at 100 Reasons, Coagula Curatorial (2014) 274
9.3 And 9.4 Sheree Rose performing 100 Reasons, exhibit and performance 275-76
Corpse Pose (2014) 277
10.1 Daniel Babcock and Michael MP Griffin at start of Corpse Pose performance with Karl Jean-Guerly Petion doing sound 278
10.2 Sheree Rose carving S on Daniel Babcock's back at Corpse Pose with Dulcinea Circelli 279
10.3 Sheree Rose and Michael MP Griffin after the Corpse Pose performance 280
Dust to Dust (2015) 281
11.1 Dust to Dust postcard 282
11.2 Martin O'Brien with an effigy of Bob Flanagan rising above in "Invocation" portion of Dust to Dust 283
11.3 Sheree Rose lighting grave in "Transfiguration" portion of Dust to Dust 284
11.4 Martin O'Brien and Sheree Rose observing the fire in "Transfiguration" portion of Dust to Dust 285
Philosophy in the Bedroom (2016) 287
12.1 And 12.2 Photos and collage documentation of Philosophy in the Bedroom (2016) by Luka Fisher 289-90
The Viewing (2016) 291
13.1 Video stills from raw footage of The Viewing from all four channels, Liverpool, England (2016) 292
13.2 Sheree Rose viewing The Viewing footage before An Illegal Operation for Mary Toft (2017) 293
13.3 Viewing The Viewing footage as audience member before An Illegal Operation for Mary Toft (2017) 294
An Illegal Operation for Mary Toft (2017) 295
14.1 Pre-performance table of instruments 296
14.2 Video still, Sheree Rose cutting through plastic-wrapped Rhiannon Aarons 297
14.3 Video still, Sheree Rose whipping Rhiannon Aarons 298
14.4 Video still, Sheree Rose extracting stuffed-animal rabbit from Rhiannon Aarons 299
The Ascension (2017) 301
15.1 Martin O'Brien being led around gallery (2017) 303
15.2 Sheree Rose baptizing Martin O'Brien (2017) 304
15.3 Martin O'Brien reading "A Sermon on Sickness" (2017) 305
15.4 Martin O'Brien hook suspension (2017) 306
15.5 Sheree Rose embracing Martin O'Brien after being lowered from hook suspension (2017) 307
16.1 Yetta Howard and Sheree Rose at 100 Reasons (2014) 309
16.2 Sheree Rose with Tom of Finland Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) 310
Section 3 Appendices Out-Of-Print Publications About Sheree Rose By Bob Flanagan
Slave Sonnets (1986) 313
Fuck Journal (1982) 327
