Classical music aficionados can whistle Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti, just as industrial music fans can whistle at Cosey Fanni Tutti, the English performance artist who founded the art collective COUM Transmissions in 1969. Born Christine Carol Newby in Yorkshire, the English rose chose Così fan tutte ’cause it means “So do they all” in Italian and “Women are like that” in English. In addition to working on translations, Ms. Tutti specialized in music — she first performed with the avant-garde groups Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey decades ago. During the mid-’70s, the busy brunette created an exhibition about the sex industry since she worked as a model for adult magazines and skin flicks. If that’s not arousing enough, the risqué babe made men long in the pants per her long career as a stripper! In the ’80s, she released “Time To Tell” (1983) and “Nicki” (1983) as well as the music video A Study In Scarlet (1986). After Throbbing Gristle reunited in 2004, they toured and were part of the lineup at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2009. By 2017, Cosey published her autobiography “Art Sex Music.” We love how “Sex” is the meat in the title’s sandwich! We also love her revealing role in Silent Cry (1977). The Stephen Dwoskin film features Beatrice Cordua, Patsy Nightingale, Lou Spain, and Cosey’s naked cans! As a bonus, the nude ingénue shows us her bush. Yes, we can view Cosey Fanni Tutti’s tutti!
