Art and the Feminist Revolution
My first experience with “feminist art” was in 1980 when I attended the Judy Chicago exhibit of her piece The Dinner Party, in Chicago. The piece is a triangle table of 39 place settings representing mythical and historical famous women throughout history. The place setting for each woman represented was a ceramic plate that all depicted a flower-like sculpture, representing metaphorically and in some cases realistically, the woman’s vagina. Very edgy and controversial for the time. The Dinner Party, now on permanent display at the Brooklyn Museum is not part of the NMWA exhibit.
WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution is the first large scale exhibit representing post-war feminist contemporary art around the globe. It spans fifteen years from 1965 through 1980, showcasing over 100 feminist artists. The exhibit includes 300+ pieces including paintings, sculptures, photography, film and examples of performance art.
Some of the artists include din the exhibit influenced feminist art both during that period and still do today include from Judy Baca, Judy Chicago, Harmony Hammond and Magdalena Abakanowicz, among others.
For some history on the movement and the artists involved as well as how they pushed the limits and created some artistic controversies, check out the Washington Post’s review.
This edgy exhibit may not be for kids, with some pieces by artists known for pushing boundaries and in some quarters, good taste.
For more information on the National Museum of Women in the Arts, check out my previous post.
WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution
National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005-3970 (map it )
Tickets - Adults - $10.00, Seniors 60+ and students - $8.00, Kids 18 and under - free.
Admission is free the first Sunday of every month. Advance tickets are also available by calling 800-222-7270, ext. 7084.
Dates and Times - Monday - Saturday - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday - Noon - 5:00 p.m., through Dec. 16th.
Nearest Metro subway station – Metro Center - Red, Blue or Orange lines then a two-block walk.
Parking - Metered parking and area garages are available.
Images - Judy Chicago, Pasadena Lifesaver Red #5, 1970, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Elyse and Stanley Grinstein; Magdalena Abakanowicz, Abakan Red 1969, Collection of the Museum Bellerive, Zurich; Photo - Sheila Levrant de Bretteville; The Dinner Party - Judy Chicago; Virginia Wolf - The Dinner Party - Judy Chicago
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