Styles & Periods

Feminist Art

The Feminist Art Movement is a continuing effort among feminists around the world to create art that conveys the female condition. In the 1960s, as second-wave feminism generated momentum in the United States, art was one of many cultural elements that women sought to influence. The process was two-fold and entailed creating public awareness of women who had impacted art throughout history, as well as exploring the role of women in the world of modern art. The Feminist Art movement made strides in the early 1970s, as supporters of the cause began to take organized action against institutional prejudice. The first ever feminist art program was established in 1970 at California State University, Fresno. The program was headed by Judy Chicago, an intrepid contributor to feminist art, and empowered female artists to collaborate and experiment. In 1971, the Ad Hoc Women Artists' Committee took aim at the exclusion of women artists by the Whitney Museum. Feminist art often seeks to present images related to the female body, female roles and labor, and sexuality. Artists creating feminist art challenge these components of gender in their traditional conceptions. Women and men, including Judy Chicago, Yasumasa Morimura, Faith Ringgold and Barbara Kruger have contributed to the movement with presentations of performance art, photography, painting, sculpture, installation art and traditional arts. All speak within the rhetoric of different media, but all address aspects of being a woman.