Rosa Does Joan

Overview

In arguably her most widely seen ‘performance’ Nao created the character of “Rosa” the exhibitionist, to appear on the Joan Rivers Show in 1992. Sandwiched between a binocular-toting Manhattan voyeur and a naughty public access TV actress, “Rosa” described her lifestyle as a “stunt exhibitionist”. Unbeknownst to the audience, the “Rosa” character was mostly a fabrication, allowing Nao to roll out a kinky sex-positive spin, mindtripping Middle America while those in the know basked in the televised glow of her performance art prank. Based on the experience, Nao later constructed the video/performance “Rosa does Joan” for Artists Television Access in San Francisco.