Teatime talks: Woman and Object: inside the world of Nicola L
Discover the eclectic life and work of Nicola L., a pioneering French Moroccan artist who in recent years has gained wider international attention. Renowned for her radical sculptures and performances, Nicola L.’s practice explored connections between the representation of the female body and everyday objects. Witty, dynamic and inherently feminist, her iconic works including Red Coat and Woman Sofa, placed her as one of the m...
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
Nicola L. (1932–2018), born in Morocco and later based in Paris and New York, was a groundbreaking French artist renowned for her eclectic fusion of sculpture, performance, and feminist politics. Abandoning abstract painting for conceptual art, she was greatly influenced in the early 1960s by the work of artists Marcel Duchamp and Alberto Greco and the Fluxus movement, with its emphasis on ‘actions’ and experimentation with everyday objects and materials.
Creating functional artworks that existed as hybrid furniture-sculptures, most famously her White Foot Sofa (1968) and Little TV Woman: “I Am the Last Woman Object” (1969), Nicola L’s work challenged conventional representations and associations of the female body taking a uniquely witty but interrogative approach. On this course, we explore several of her iconic works and her eponymous ‘penetrables’, soft sculptures designed to be worn individually or in groups that explored the concept that a painting could literally amalgamate with the human body. The Pénétrables series symbolically merged body and art to challenge societal roles and collective identity. Nicola L’s work remains influential for its playful yet powerful feminist statements and its multidisciplinary approach spanning sculpture, performance, and design. We will also consider her work in context to other artists of the period in New York including Andy Warhol and Marisol. This engaging two-hour online talk will provide you with a fascinating opportunity to get ‘under the skin’ of Nicola L’s innovative and acerbic works in 3D and performance.
Please note this course may contain content that some learners may find of a sensitive or challenging nature.
What will we cover?
• The historical and cultural context of Nicola L.’s art within the 1960s avant-garde and feminist movements
• How Nicola L’s ‘functional art’ and performative work addressed questions of female representation in the 1960s and 1970s.
• The impact of her work on contemporary art and feminist practice
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
· Identify at least two early major works by Nicola L.
· Describe at least one way that her ‘Penetrables’ enabled wider collective action.
· Discuss why Nicola L’s work remains relevant to contemporary audiences.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions. You should be able to operate basic elements of Zoom including microphone, camera and chat functions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Reading and other resources will be made available on Google Classroom in advance of the course.
Please note: this is a live lecture/course. City Lit do not record lectures because of issues related to copyright, data protection and digital infrastructure.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
VB929 Tuesday talks: Helen Chadwick – woman in revolt
Chantal Condron is a curator, teacher and writer with a dedicated focus on audienceengagement and enjoyment of art. As the UK Government Art Collection’s first curator of publicengagement, she led education and public programmes at the University of Hull, WhitechapelGallery and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and delivered art talks at the Britishembassies in Paris, Vienna and Washington DC. She teaches Art History at City Lit, in additionto teaching the subject as part of City Lit’s Ceramics Diploma course. She is also an Art Historytutor for WEA London, and teaches 'A level' Art History to London secondary school students. Chantal has worked widely in the public and private arts sector for nearly 30 years including at Tate, Sotheby's, Visiting Arts, Arts and Business and University of London Library. She holds a BA in 20th century and non-western art from the University of East Anglia; and an MA in Asian art from SOAS, University of London. Author of 'Peter Hedegaard', the first monograph on the London-based Danish abstract artist who exhibited in the 1960s and ‘70s (Rocket Gallery, London, 2019), Chantal continues to contribute commissioned exhibition texts and reviews.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/teatime-talks-woman-and-object-inside-the-world-of-nicola-l3013138Teatime talks: Woman and Object: inside the world of Nicola Lhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/art-history-3-1024.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Modern & contemporary art/Courses/Online courses/Courses/International Women's Day at City Lit2285113611771895173120031228511771136<p>Discover the eclectic life and work of Nicola L., a pioneering French Moroccan artist who in recent years has gained wider international attention. Renowned for her radical sculptures and performances, Nicola L.’s practice explored connections between the representation of the female body and everyday objects. Witty, dynamic and inherently feminist, her iconic works including <em>Red Coat</em> and <em>Woman Sofa</em>, placed her as one of the most exciting female artists of the 1960s avant-garde and Pop Art movements.</p>002621250Teatime talks: Woman and Object: inside the world of Nicola L1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/art-history-3-1024.jpgInStockDaytimeTueOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-06-23T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJun 2026Culture, history & humanitiesVB2171919Teatime talks: Woman and Object: inside the world of Nicola L151219Chantal Condronteatime-talks-woman-and-object-inside-the-world-of-nicola-l/vb217-2526<p>Discover the eclectic life and work of Nicola L., a pioneering French Moroccan artist who in recent years has gained wider international attention. Renowned for her radical sculptures and performances, Nicola L.’s practice explored connections between the representation of the female body and everyday objects. Witty, dynamic and inherently feminist, her iconic works including <em>Red Coat</em> and <em>Woman Sofa</em>, placed her as one of the most exciting female artists of the 1960s avant-garde and Pop Art movements.</p>0000-Available|2026-06-23 00:00:00<p>Nicola L. (1932–2018), born in Morocco and later based in Paris and New York, was a groundbreaking French artist renowned for her eclectic fusion of sculpture, performance, and feminist politics. Abandoning abstract painting for conceptual art, she was greatly influenced in the early 1960s by the work of artists Marcel Duchamp and Alberto Greco and the Fluxus movement, with its emphasis on ‘actions’ and experimentation with everyday objects and materials.</p><p>Creating functional artworks that existed as hybrid furniture-sculptures, most famously her <em>White Foot Sofa</em> (1968) and<em> Little TV Woman: “I Am the Last Woman Object”</em> (1969), Nicola L’s work challenged conventional representations and associations of the female body taking a uniquely witty but interrogative approach. On this course, we explore several of her iconic works and her eponymous ‘penetrables’, soft sculptures designed to be worn individually or in groups that explored the concept that a painting could literally amalgamate with the human body. The Pénétrables series symbolically merged body and art to challenge societal roles and collective identity. Nicola L’s work remains influential for its playful yet powerful feminist statements and its multidisciplinary approach spanning sculpture, performance, and design. We will also consider her work in context to other artists of the period in New York including Andy Warhol and Marisol. This engaging two-hour online talk will provide you with a fascinating opportunity to get ‘under the skin’ of Nicola L’s innovative and acerbic works in 3D and performance.</p><p>Please note this course may contain content that some learners may find of a sensitive or challenging nature.</p><p>Discover the eclectic life and work of Nicola L., a pioneering French Moroccan artist who in recent years has gained wider international attention. Renowned for her radical sculptures and performances, Nicola L.’s practice explored connections between the representation of the female body and everyday objects. Witty, dynamic and inherently feminist, her iconic works including <em>Red Coat</em> and <em>Woman Sofa</em>, placed her as one of the most exciting female artists of the 1960s avant-garde and Pop Art movements.</p><p>• The historical and cultural context of Nicola L.’s art within the 1960s avant-garde and feminist movements</p><p>• How Nicola L’s ‘functional art’ and performative work addressed questions of female representation in the 1960s and 1970s.</p><p>• The impact of her work on contemporary art and feminist practice</p><p>· Identify at least two early major works by Nicola L.</p><p>· Describe at least one way that her ‘Penetrables’ enabled wider collective action.</p><p>· Discuss why Nicola L’s work remains relevant to contemporary audiences.</p><p>This course is suitable for all levels.</p><p>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions. You should be able to operate basic elements of Zoom including microphone, camera and chat functions.</p><p>You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Reading and other resources will be made available on Google Classroom in advance of the course.</p><p><strong>Please note</strong>: this is a live lecture/course. City Lit do not record lectures because of issues related to copyright, data protection and digital infrastructure.</p><p>You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.</p><p>VB929 Tuesday talks: Helen Chadwick – woman in revolt</p><p>VB157 Contemporary Art in London</p><p>Course image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95765703">ArtistLiaison</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">CC BY-SA 4.0</a></p>Art historyModern & contemporary artvirtual151912VB217NONETue23/06/2615:30 - 17:3015:3017:301 session1One-off onlyWeekdayOnlineOnlineChantal CondronBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-06-23T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeJun 2026Culture, history & humanities1919Teatime talks: Woman and Object: inside the world of Nicola Lteatime-talks-woman-and-object-inside-the-world-of-nicola-l/vb217-2526<p>Discover the eclectic life and work of Nicola L., a pioneering French Moroccan artist who in recent years has gained wider international attention. Renowned for her radical sculptures and performances, Nicola L.’s practice explored connections between the representation of the female body and everyday objects. Witty, dynamic and inherently feminist, her iconic works including <em>Red Coat</em> and <em>Woman Sofa</em>, placed her as one of the most exciting female artists of the 1960s avant-garde and Pop Art movements.</p>0000-Available|2026-06-23 00:00:00<p>Nicola L. (1932–2018), born in Morocco and later based in Paris and New York, was a groundbreaking French artist renowned for her eclectic fusion of sculpture, performance, and feminist politics. Abandoning abstract painting for conceptual art, she was greatly influenced in the early 1960s by the work of artists Marcel Duchamp and Alberto Greco and the Fluxus movement, with its emphasis on ‘actions’ and experimentation with everyday objects and materials.</p><p>Creating functional artworks that existed as hybrid furniture-sculptures, most famously her <em>White Foot Sofa</em> (1968) and<em> Little TV Woman: “I Am the Last Woman Object”</em> (1969), Nicola L’s work challenged conventional representations and associations of the female body taking a uniquely witty but interrogative approach. On this course, we explore several of her iconic works and her eponymous ‘penetrables’, soft sculptures designed to be worn individually or in groups that explored the concept that a painting could literally amalgamate with the human body. The Pénétrables series symbolically merged body and art to challenge societal roles and collective identity. Nicola L’s work remains influential for its playful yet powerful feminist statements and its multidisciplinary approach spanning sculpture, performance, and design. We will also consider her work in context to other artists of the period in New York including Andy Warhol and Marisol. This engaging two-hour online talk will provide you with a fascinating opportunity to get ‘under the skin’ of Nicola L’s innovative and acerbic works in 3D and performance.</p><p>Please note this course may contain content that some learners may find of a sensitive or challenging nature.</p><p>Discover the eclectic life and work of Nicola L., a pioneering French Moroccan artist who in recent years has gained wider international attention. Renowned for her radical sculptures and performances, Nicola L.’s practice explored connections between the representation of the female body and everyday objects. Witty, dynamic and inherently feminist, her iconic works including <em>Red Coat</em> and <em>Woman Sofa</em>, placed her as one of the most exciting female artists of the 1960s avant-garde and Pop Art movements.</p><p>• The historical and cultural context of Nicola L.’s art within the 1960s avant-garde and feminist movements</p><p>• How Nicola L’s ‘functional art’ and performative work addressed questions of female representation in the 1960s and 1970s.</p><p>• The impact of her work on contemporary art and feminist practice</p><p>· Identify at least two early major works by Nicola L.</p><p>· Describe at least one way that her ‘Penetrables’ enabled wider collective action.</p><p>· Discuss why Nicola L’s work remains relevant to contemporary audiences.</p><p>This course is suitable for all levels.</p><p>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions. You should be able to operate basic elements of Zoom including microphone, camera and chat functions.</p><p>You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Reading and other resources will be made available on Google Classroom in advance of the course.</p><p><strong>Please note</strong>: this is a live lecture/course. City Lit do not record lectures because of issues related to copyright, data protection and digital infrastructure.</p><p>You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.</p><p>VB929 Tuesday talks: Helen Chadwick – woman in revolt</p><p>VB157 Contemporary Art in London</p><p>Course image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95765703">ArtistLiaison</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">CC BY-SA 4.0</a></p>Art historyModern & contemporary artconfigurable
18951136Modern & contemporary arthttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/art-history/modern-contemporary-art1/2/285/1177/1136/18951/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Modern & contemporary art
