Subcultures have long been known for their practice of appropriating the signifiers and gestures of their oppressors and ingeniously transforming them into their antithesis. This defiant act of rebellion and subversion is a cornerstone of their identity. One prominent figure in this arena is the artist Judy Chicago, who, starting in the 1960s, began to scrutinize the overtly masculine genres prevalent at the time and reinterpret them through a feminist lens. Microaggressions were not enough for her; she wanted to make a bigger impact. She ventured into various art forms such as land art, car customizing, and sculpture, and more recently, digital immersion art. Her works were not just criticisms of the patriarchy but a direct challenge to its dominance and a call for change.
The full force of Judy Chicago’s radical art can currently be experienced in the retrospective exhibition “Herstory” at New York’s New Museum. The exhibition, which is running until March, is the first major museum retrospective dedicated to the work of a woman who has been a trailblazer in feminist art for over six decades. At 84, she is a titan in an art world that is still largely dominated by male titans. In addition to showcasing her extensive body of work, the exhibition also challenges the core of the art world – the canon. It’s high time we acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of female artists like Judy Chicago to the art world.
