Contemporary Artistic Culture

Alison Saar, Mirror, Mirror II, 2015

“People aren't really ready to deal with fierce female passion." — Alison Saar

This collection comprises images from the Johnson Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. These images were chosen to highlight the discourse and re-imagination of women in contemporary times, emphasizing the heightened importance of women empowerment. 

Done in the late 20th and early 21st century, these four works attempt to reclaim notions of the past. They do this by giving importance to historically underrepresented women and re-imagining them in positions of power and independence. Not only do they insert women into roles of which they have not typically been represented as, but they re-contextualize the traditional roles of women. 

In Catlett's work there is a political insertion to highlight the power and independence found in the journey of motherhood and grand-motherhood. In Saar’s work, we see traditional items associated with the subordination of women, such as cooking and cleaning, reclaimed as weapons of power and domination. For Sherald's image, the power lies in the overwhelming size of the image alluding to the increasingly large presence of women in positions of both political and social influence. 

With these pieces as the final four in the exhibit, we can visualize how the discourse regarding the representation of women is drastically changing, and for the better. Although there are still strides to go in achieving gender equality, we should feel thankful to live in a world where women are able and willing to change their narrative. It is our hope that this exhibit serves as a physical example of the lengths women went through to rewrite their story and proof of the tangible changes early members in the suffrage movement achieved.

Click on each image below to cycle through the gallery, or click here to see all the items on a single page with short descriptions.