Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt (b. 1948) is a pioneer of the maximalist aesthetic. A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, his work has long challenged the sterile boundaries of Minimalism and Conceptualism by blending high art with kitsch and religious iconography with queer sexuality. While his practice has been a major influence on contemporary decorative arts—highlighted by a major retrospective at MoMA PS1 in 2012—his radical contribution to the American canon remains an essential area of rediscovery.
