In 1972, Judy Chicago and over a dozen other female artists came together to present Womanhouse, the first collaborative exhibition of feminist art in the United States. Set in an old deserted mansion in Hollywood, Womanhouse was a collective installation in which each artist was given one room to present her work. The project was conceived to subvert traditional gender roles and ideals of domesticity, literally right in that space that has so long been associated with woman: the home.
It was comprised of several loosely themed rooms, some of which are below:
[Sandra Orgel- Linen Closet]
[Karen LeCocq- Leah's Room]
[Faith Wilding- Womb Room]
[Faith Wilding- Waiting]
[Judy Chicago- Menstruation Bathroom]
[Robin Weltsch- Nuturant Kitchen]
[Some Womanhouse participants]
The first day of the exhibition was open only to female audiences. According to Chicago, that day was the height of profound thinking and new revelations around the work. After that, it was open to everyone though, and eventually over 10,000 people viewed Womanhouse.
If you’re into in this sort of thing and want to learn more, Johanna Demetrakas created a documentary about the exhibition in 1974, also called Womanhouse.
I especially like Linen Closet, Leah’s Room and Womb Room.
