Dedicated to exposing discrimination in the art world, the Guerrilla Girls’ exhibit stands as a testament to feminist activism. This anonymous collective uses gorilla masks and bold visual language. Their frank messages have made them iconic in art history.
The Guerrilla Girls formed over 30 years ago. Their exhibit here showcases their artistic practice from 1984 to 2016. It explores how they use provocative poster art. These posters criticize biases in art and society.
Consider the powerful image on a yellow poster. A nude woman faces away from us. She is offered up as an erotic invitation. But this is no ordinary nude. She wears a gorilla mask. The poster asks: “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?” The answer is shocking. Less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art Sections are women. But 85% of the nudes are female.
The Guerrilla Girls emerged in 1985. They challenged the New York art world’s misogyny and racism. The 1970s saw breakthroughs for women and people of color. But by the early 1980s, the free market favored big paintings by white men. The Guerrilla Girls became the “conscience of the art world”. Their posters scrutinized inequalities.
Here at the Guerrilla Girls exhibit, we see a substantial collection of their work. It includes the Portfolio Compleat. This set of posters spans from 1985 to 2016. The gallery acquired it in 2018. The curator, Emma Jameson, worked closely with the group. She emulated how the posters were originally encountered.
The issues the Guerrilla Girls highlighted in 1985 still persist today. One of the Guerrilla Girls, “Frida Kahlo”, notes a change. People now recognize the need to include all voices in our culture’s history. However, market forces still dominate the art business. Big money and mostly white men still control it. We aspire to democracy. But our art world remains ruled by the powerful few.
The Guerrilla Girls have skewered this royalty. They exposed its nakedness publicly. One poster from 1985 lists galleries. It states that these galleries show no more than 10% women artists or none at all. Another asks: “How many women had one-person exhibitions at NYC museums last year?” The answer was a measly one at MoMA.
With the rise of #metoo, there’s a renewed interest in their work. The Guerrilla Girls created a poster. It offered “3 ways to write a museum label when the artist is a sexual predator”. The example used Chuck Close’s portrait of Bill Clinton. The proposed labels are both hilarious and scathing.
The Guerrilla Girls have fought for equality for three decades. They believe we are in a new era of art and activism. Artists and art lovers realize that collectors and museums have rigged the game. The Guerrilla Girls want to bring art back to ideas. They want it to be debated and considered not just bought and sold.
The Guerrilla Girls’ work has artistic and historical value. Each piece has its own concept and qualities. Together, they form a historical record of what was and is happening in the world. Imagine a future viewer finding their portfolio. It sits next to a multimillion-dollar painting. The viewer exclaims: “Oh, all that was happening at the same time?”
Every week, new stars rise in the art world. But equal representation remains glacial. The Guerrilla Girls continue their fight. They serve as the conscience of the art world. Their gorilla masks remind us of the inequalities that persist. This exhibit is a testament to their enduring impact.