In 1975, artist Senga Nengudi began a series of sculptures, titled R.S.V.P., which evoke the elasticity and durability of the human body. Made of everyday materials such as pantyhose and sand, the works invite viewers not merely to respond but also to engage physically with them. Stretched and twisted, knotted and looped, the works occupy their space in the gallery much as a figure does – by projecting outward and reaching into space in unexpected ways. Senga Nengudi: The Material Body included works from the 1970s to the present and was the first museum presentation to examine these sculptures together and in such depth.

Senga Nengudi was born in 1943 in Chicago. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; USC Fisher Museum of Art, Los Angeles; DePaul Art Museum, Chicago; and White Cube, London. She lives and works in Colorado Springs, Colorado.