“THE UN-HEROIC ACT: Representations of Rape in Contemporary Women’s Art in the U.S.”
September 4th – November 2nd, 2018
The Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY: 860 11th Ave, New York
Inspired by feminist journalist Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will – Men, Women and Rape (1975), Monika Fabijanska curated “THE UN-HEROIC ACT: Representations of Rape in Contemporary Women’s Art in the U.S.” to examine rape iconography in contemporary art. The exhibit will be presented at the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice starting September 4th and feature works by three generations of artists including, Yoko Ono, The Guerrilla Girls, Jenny Holzer, Ana Mendieta, Suzanne Lacy and more. According to Fabijanska’s research, rape is a central theme in women’s art, but the way female artists depict the crime in terms of its lasting psychological effects tends to differ from their male counterparts, who focus solely on the action. The topics discussed through the various mediums in the exhibit will focus on fairy tales, art history, war crimes, epidemics on Indian reservations, slavery, college rape culture, social media, and PTSD.
Other artists included are, Senga Nengudi, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Carolee Thea, Kathleen Gilje, Angela Fraleigh, Natalie Frank, Jennifer Karady, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Andrea Bowers, Ada Trillo, Kara Walker, Roya Amigh, Naima Ramos-Chapman, Bang Geul Han, and Guerrilla Girls BroadBand.
The exhibition is organized by the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. Generous funding for the exhibition is provided by the Affirmation Arts Fund and Sarah Peter. Public Programming Artists’ Fees are made possible by the Elizabeth A. Sackler Museum Educational Trust. The catalog is made possible by Barbara Lee Family Foundation. Additional support was provided by Sigmund A. Rolat, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Ruthie Rosenberg, and Francis J. Greenburger. The Un-Heroic Act is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts.
