The feminist art icon, environmentalist, author, and educator, Judy Chicago, has been a trailblazer for the last six decades. Her newest exhibition, Revelations, at Serpentine North, includes drawings and other rarely seen works dating back to her early twenties. Marking the artist’s largest solo exhibition in a London institution thus far, themes of feminism, gender empowerment, and climate justice are sprinkled through the Serpentine space.
Chicago has been working since the late 1960s, consistently creating work centered around the female experience. You see this in the immersive experience of Revelations, as it takes a deeper look into her colorful drawings, minimalist work from past decades, and the process that went into making iconic pieces such as The Dinner Party, Birth Project, and PowerPlay.
The title of the exhibition, Revelations, is also the title of a previously unpublished transcript Chicago wrote in the ‘70s while creating the The Dinner Party, a sculptural celebration of 1,038 women in history that society had hoped to erase. The transcript has now been published by Serpentine to accompany the exhibition, which also includes video interviews, audio recordings, and a guided tour of the piece strategically placed throughout the exhibition.
These archival pieces showcase just how radical Chicago has always been, questioning societal norms when it comes to gender roles, while also creating a sense of hope by showcasing the power of community through womanhood. As women’s rights are continually threatened on a global scale, work from artists like Chicago become even more relevant than ever. Living, and creating work, in a male dominated field of curators and critics, Chicago has pushed to change the patriarchal paradigm that is still very much a part of the art world today.
In 2022, Chicago created banners entitled What If Women Ruled the World, a call to action to invite allies around the world to discuss gender rights. The 11 questions were meant to create a global community and open discussion around the topic. After featuring artist, activist and founding member of Pussy Riot, Nadya Tolokonnikova, the participatory quilt gained thousands of responses that are still being submitted today. What If Women Ruled the World, Participatory Quilt now takes up a full wall within the Serpentine, as the responses have been ‘digitally stitched’ together. The multicolored text responses explore the positive differences the world would have if women were given more power. The quilt creates a global dialogue with topics like body autonomy and the importance of mental health. The wall is a call to action for women’s rights.
Chicago has brought her same fervent approach to environmentalism. In 2020, she partnered with actress and activist Jane Fonda to make #CreateArtforEarth, a campaign dedicated to addressing the action that needs to take place in order to save our environment. The open call asked individuals to submit art or messages related to climate justice, and post them to social media with the hashtag. These collective approaches to social justice, and climate justice, are a recurring theme for Chicago. In 1968, Chicago started her Atmospheres series, which used natural materials to create tinted smoke settings in various desert landscapes. As the series expanded, she painted women’s nude bodies in clouds of color, playing with the ways the human body and natural elements intertwine. Atmospheres can also be seen at Serpentine.
Later this month, on August 31, Liz Stumpf the Assistant Exhibitions Curator at Serpentine, will be leading a tour of Revelations, as part of the gallery’s Saturday Talks event, a weekly free event intended to take a deeper look into the artist’s pieces.
Judy Chicago’s exhibition, Revelations, will be on view through through September 1 at Serpentine North in London.