NASTY WOMEN
Women Artists Have Had Enough.
The term “Nasty Woman” certainly doesn’t carry the same connotation today as it would have five years ago. Our soon-to-be ex-President, Donald Trump, used the words to describe his then-opponent, Hilary Clinton, during the 2016 presidential race. The term has since been adopted and transformed by women worldwide to say that they -as intelligent, capable, and empowered individuals- are also nasty women. Gavlak Gallery in Los Angeles is hosting a Nasty Woman exhibition featuring works by some of the greatest, most talented “nasty women” in the art world. It also celebrates the one-hundredth anniversary of the 19th amendment’s ratification -which guaranteed women’s suffrage in the US- and is dedicated to the memory of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. RBG’s loss has been challenging for many, especially women and the LGBTQ+ community, who fear for their rights. By appropriating the term “nasty women” to become uplifting and all-inclusive, the show gives voice to those who have been silenced for too long: a diverse group of female artists, both past and present, with works up to five hundred years old.
The show opened on October 31 and runs through December 12, 2020. It includes impressive works by artists such as Marilyn Minter, Betty Tompkins, Candida Alvarez, Jenny Holzer, Karen Carson, Gisela Colón, Lisa Anne Auerbach, Delia Brown, Trulee Hall, and more. Many of these contemporary artists are known for producing provocative and controversial pieces. For example, Marilyn Minter spent years experimenting with imagery from the extremely male-dominated porn industry and creating erotic works for women to enjoy. Historically, the features are created by overlooked women in a male-dominated art world. Some of these talented women were so neglected their identity remains unknown. It is a gathering and acknowledgment of those “old mistresses” who could have been remembered by name if they were male.
And when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it can: an interactive reading room curated by Sarah Gavlak is also in the gallery, where visitors have the opportunity to read essays and literature that focuses on feminist theory and history.
This exhibition comes at the right time. Right after its opening, it was announced that Trump (whose loathsome remark inspired the show’s title and a feminist movement and whose attitude has been consistently repulsive) would not be serving a second term. Former Vice-President Joe Biden will replace him. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris wore a white suit (a color associated with the women’s suffrage movement) during her acceptance speech. It is a historic moment in feminist history; she is the first woman to be elected Vice President of the United States (as well as the first Black and South Asian woman.) Hillary Clinton also wore white when she accepted the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2016.
Those who have the chance should not miss this wonderful and thought-provoking exhibition, open until December 12, 2020. It is an opportunity to see all these different works which, while vastly unique and different from one another, all carry the same message both individually and as a group: We are women and we are powerful. We have had enough.
