Gloria: Another Look at feminist Art in the 1970s

GLORIA: Another Look at Feminist Art in the 1970s,
curated by Catherine Morris and Ingrid Schaffner

Gloria: Another Look at Feminist Art in the 1970s is a selected survey that advances the legacy of Feminism through action and performance-based works. Spanning the entire decade of the ‘70s, it brings together artists not often examined within the same context, ranging from those who emerged during the 1960s to those who became established during the early 1980s. This exhibition also incorporates the work of relatively lesser-known figures, who have remained committed practitioners but have not achieved the same level of public notoriety as their peers. An historical context will be established through the presentation of correspondence, journals, photographs and other documentary materials. Seen collectively, the works in Gloria shift attention away from traditional art objects and representational imagery to focus on the art’s radical essence and strategies of empowerment.

This exhibition participates in a larger re-appraisal now taking place through exhibitions, publications and scholarship devoted to the feminist decade. Named for diverse figures within popular culture–Gloria Steinem (the founder of Ms. Magazine and former Playboy Bunny); Gloria Stivik (the outspoken liberal daughter of bigoted Archie Bunker in the television series All in the Family); the eponymous song (as performed by Patti Smith) and film by John Cassavetes –Gloria aims to reintroduce the efforts of those pioneering artists whose influence is often taken for granted. In particular, this exhibition seeks to reconcile feminist art of the 1970s with the feminist content of work by a current generation of artists.

Artists in the exhibition include Laurie Anderson, Eleanor Antin, Lynda Benglis, Dara Birnbaum, Valie Export, Nancy Grossman, Jenny Holzer, Joan Jonas, Mary Kelly, Barbara Kruger, Ana Mendieta, Yoko Ono, Adrian Piper, Martha Rosler, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, Mimi Smith, Nancy Spero, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Hannah Wilke, and Jacki Apple & Martha Wilson.
About the curators: Catherine Morris is an independent curator and writer focusing on alternative art forms of the 1970s. She is the curator of many exhibitions including Girls School; Food; and Confrontations: The Guerrilla Art Action Group, 1969-1976. Morris recently co-edited An Eye on the Modern Century: The Selected Letters of Henry McBride and is the author of The Essential Cindy Sherman. Ingrid Schaffner is Senior Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania whose recent curatorial projects include The Photogenic: Photography Through its Metaphors; Richard Tuttle, In Parts, 1998-2001; Hannelore Baron: Works 1967-1987; and Pictures, Patents, Monkeys, More…on collecting. She co-edits a quarterly publication called Pink.

This exhibition will have an accompanying publication featuring an essay by the curators; a compendium of quotes from the 1970s and now; and solicited statements on today’s feminism by prominent Feminists across generations. Underwriting for Gloria has been provided by Corrie Sandelman; funding for the publication has been provided in part by the Barbara Lee Family Foundation.

Gloria will be immediately followed by Regarding Gloria (October 25 – December 1, 2002). This second exhibition presents the work of ten emerging artists whose work is influenced by the Feminist legacy, and examines how today’s expression reflects and departs from that of the 1970s.

Opening Reception: Friday September 13, 7 – 9 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 6 p.m.

For more information, please contact the gallery.