Ben Uri Gallery

Ben Uri Gallery

The Current exhibition..

Judy Chicago and Louise Bourgeois,
Helen Chadwick, Tracey Emin A Transatlantic dialogue
14 November 2012 - 10 March 2013

The exhibition presents a unique perspective on the work of Judy chicago, it demonstrates major iconic themes through her work (including autobiography, art as a diary, erotica, feminism, self-portraiture, birth and cats.) Most of the pieces come in the form of paper, however they do address a range of media which come from painting, printing, drawing, photography, film, perfomance and some textile work. It is different from some of her other works because it displays a lot more intimate work, unfamiliar to the public.

 

These images come from Judy Chicago's 'Autobiography Of A Year'. This exhibition sees Judy Chicago exhibiting in London for the first time since 1985. I saw this autobiographical piece as a stepping stone for influence. There are in total 140 of these small pieces of expression of the year 1993-94. My theme of female psychology will work really well and the story behind the piece i found similar to the atmospheric narrative of the Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men exhibition. The sequence of a year creates an active audience which makes the entire piece much more relateable and honest. I like how bare the piece is and how it uses irony and sarcasm which a lot of feminist art does. I am intending on going further with Judy Chicago as an artist as her other works in the exhibition were equally interesting for me. Also, i had never really considered the triangular shapes in some of her other work which links quite closely to previous projects i have completed where i have used the triangle form in relation to the female form and body parts. In the below interview, when speaking about this piece she says she wanted to go against her usually transformed work. She says how she wanted to use motive, direct, uncenscored immediacy within the piece.

 

 

 

 

Judy was born Judy Cohen to a Jewish family in 1939. The death of her father along with the empowering of the individual aspiration she was forced to cope with led her to become Chicago. Her talent was struck when she took part in art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago at the age of five. Her name wasn't legally changed until 1970 when she finally liberated herself from the percieved male dominance. Her combined talents, experiences, views, visions, opinions and courage led her to becoming such an influential, daring, controversial feminist artist.
'The Dinner Party' (1979) has been on permanent display at the Brooklyn museum since 2007. It is recognised as ground-breaking feminist art piece, supporting the movement and becoming an icon of this along with twentieth century American art history. I will look more in depth at this piece as my project and influences develop.