This article is part of our Museums special section about how artists and institutions are adapting to changing times.
When it comes to artists whose works have a decidedly feminist bent, the Guerrilla Girls are among the most prominent.
Composed of a collective of anonymous artists, they first made their mark in 1985 with declarative message-bearing prints that spoke out against discrimination and advocated for more inclusivity in the art world.
Since then, the group has created hundreds of provocative prints, posters, billboards and everyday objects, including tote bags and erasers. Their pieces address such issues as reproductive rights, gender and racial inequality and political corruption.
The Guerrilla Girls’ art is displayed in major museums worldwide, including the Tate Modern in London, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Guerrilla Girls, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is commemorating the moment with an exhibition, “Guerrilla Girls: Making Trouble,” on view now to Sept. 28.
The show presents more than 30 works and objects, drawn from the museum’s own collection, which includes more than 80 pieces acquired over the last three decades. The museum’s assistant curator, Hannah Shambroom, organized the exhibit and said it displays a chronology of the Guerrilla Girls’ art from their inception until 2024.
“I aim to have audiences see how their style and subjects have progressed from being focused solely on gender equity to exploring larger social issues as well,” she said.
Ms. Shambroom said that the museum chose to highlight the Guerrilla Girls in a show because many of the topics they touched on in their earliest posters — including gender and racial equity, environmental concerns and women’s rights, particularly with respect to making choices about their bodies — are still relevant today.
An interview with Ms. Shambroom about the exhibition was conducted by phone and email and has been edited and condensed.
How does the exhibit relate to the museum’s overall mission?
The Guerrilla Girls’ mission and NMWA’s mission are closely related: to advocate for greater gender and racial equity and to advance inclusivity in the arts and beyond.
In recent years, awareness of these issues has become more widespread, and many museums, galleries, patrons and collectors have made conscious efforts to correct imbalances in their collections and exhibitions. Yet, women and other marginalized groups continue to face hurdles surrounding representation, access to resources and pay disparity.
Continuing to bring attention to these issues and advocate for female artists and artists of color remains vital to the Guerrilla Girls and the museum.
How did you choose which artworks to include in the show, and what are the key pieces?
I was interested in looking at works from the group’s earliest series, “Guerrilla Girls Talk Back: The First Five Years, 1985-1990” [an exhibition at the museum in 2011], which relate directly to women’s representation in the arts. These prints are shown alongside later pieces to explore how their practice has progressed over 40 years.
Two key artworks in the exhibit are from 1985. “These Galleries Show No More Than 10% Women Artists or None at All,” one of the first prints produced by the Guerrilla Girls, is a lithographic poster with a white background and black text naming 20 galleries that excluded or underrepresented female artists. Another work, “What Do These Artists Have in Common?,” names male artists who allowed their art to be shown at those same discriminatory galleries.
How do you think the Guerrilla Girls’ approach to activism has evolved since their inception in the 1980s?
For the first couple of years as a group, the Guerrilla Girls focused singularly on sexism and racism in the arts, specifically in the United States and, even more locally, within New York City institutions, publications and collections. Eventually, they expanded their focus and examined the art world as a whole, including international cities and institutions. They also looked beyond the visual arts to theater and Hollywood.
While remaining dedicated to advocacy in the arts, the group has expanded its focus to include political and social issues, such as health care, LGBTQ+ rights and the environment. The internet and the rise of the digital age have allowed them to share and spread their messages in new ways and with broader audiences.
How does the group stay anonymous, and how does their anonymity contribute to their message and impact?
The Guerrilla Girls wear gorilla masks when they’re out in public and use pseudonyms of deceased female artists, such as Käthe Kollwitz and Frida Kahlo. These masks initially presented a practical solution to remaining anonymous, especially during their early guerrilla-style street campaigns pasting their work across Lower Manhattan. Their anonymity allows them to name, question and call out institutions and individuals they determine to be complicit in systems of inequity in the art world without the potential burden of stigmatization or retaliation.
Their masks have also become an easily recognizable symbol for the group and what it stands for. The Guerrilla Girls often say, “You’d be surprised what comes out of your mouth when you’re wearing a gorilla mask.” They’ve observed that it gives them freedom to speak up and say whatever they want.
Shivani Vora is a New York City-based travel writer who considers herself a very savvy packer.
The post The Return of the Guerrilla Girls, Who Never Really Left appeared first on New York Times.
