During those Post Feminist Times
During those post feminist times I was influenced by Rozsika Parker's book Subversive Stitch. The astonishment and relief of seeing the history documented was exhilarating and repeated when the second edition with its updates appeared years later. This excitement continued with Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party (!974 - 79). an immense work of art installation, three sided in shape, using ceramics, china painting and an array of needle an fibre techniques, giving credit to the history of women. It was an open table covered with fine white clothes set with thirty nine place settings. The floor was covered with 2304 hand cast, gilded and lustre tiles with the names of 999 other important women. The dinner party was seen by 100,000 at San francisco Museum of Modern Art. Its poor critical reception was very confusing to me. The sexism overtly obvious. I was concerned that all the artist's were not named for the work. Also the Birth Project where Judy Chicago joined forces with 150 needleworkers to create images combining painting and needlework on the birth process.
" The question is, "Is feminism still necessary?" We will not live in a post feminist world until we live in a post sexist world, and we are not yet there. As long as we do not live in a post feminist world, feminist art is necessary because its goal is to contribute to building a world of justice and equality for all." ( Cheng 2007 ).
Although at the time I barely comprehended what she was trying to say, it resonated with me. My internalised sexism was preventing me from seeing the need for such work.
When i saw vastness of Judy Chicago's exhibition Revelations in the Serpentine North gallery in Hyde Park in 2024, I realised the gallery space did not do justice to the vastness of her canon.