Feminist Art Theory and The Dinner Party


Feminist theory questions the canons in the hierarchy of art and reveals the bias in the chronology and objectivity of the art history narrative.

Poised as “neutral,” the selectively biased narrative of the superior male artist and intellectual has shaped art history and the cultural understanding of art. Despite the consistent presence of radical female artists in practice, very little has changed in the power dynamic of art collectors.

An underrepresentation of women in museums (outside of the female nude) and a lack of recognition and value in other art forms and art historically made by women still exist, calling for a reevaluation of what is considered “high art.”

The medium's hierarchical canon often devalues complete genres such as ceramics, textiles, fiber art, and mixed media art because of their traditional association with women and women’s crafts.

The traditional notion of art history as a linear and objective narrative is another canon disrupted by feminist theory. The cultural understanding of art is flawed and fragmented by ignoring or erasing entire lineages of artists and their art practices. Essential art theory explores and introduces these new narratives with an intersectional critique and involves a re-mapping of art history to include the contributions of female artists and intellectuals.

Only fifty years ago, in the 1970s, feminist awareness gained traction and the movement gained recognition. As an art history student at UCLA in the late 1960s, Judy Chicago (born in 1939) describes a poignant memory of when she realized the systematic barriers before her in an interview with Diane Gelon on From the Flower  (2022). At the beginning of the term, her art history professor told the class of men and women students that he would conclude the course with the intellectual contributions of women and female artists to the art world. Judy, a motivated student and passionate about her art career, eagerly waited until the end of the term to be told definitively by her professor in the final week that there were no such contributions.

 The Dinner Party, 1974–79. 
Ceramic, porcelain, textile, 576 × 576 in. (1463 × 1463 cm). 
Brooklyn Museum; Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002





















Judy Chicago’s 1979 large-scale installation of the Dinner Party was created out of the enraged feminist perspective of the gender disparity in the arts. While charting unknown territory, Chicago encountered a lack of support as a female artist and experienced barriers as she interrogated the narrative of notable female artists in art history. The Dinner Party was ground-breaking as it challenged patriarchal art canons and featured 39 table settings to represent important women of history and ancient mythology. Her original idea was to symbolize the table of the Last Supper. Still, there were so many notable characters that it became an even bolder and elaborate concept shaped like a triangle. The triangle speaks to the sacred feminine, and with 13 settings on each side, it represents a ceremonial connection to a witches' coven and speaks to the underestimation of female power. 

Underneath the table was what she called the “heritage floor,” which included 999 names of other important women throughout history. Their names, painted in gold script on tiles, radiate and surround the women at the table, conveying how legions of women have contributed and supported the arts and defining a universal collective cultural history.


The Dinner Party, 1974–79. 
Ceramic, porcelain, textile, 576 × 576 in. (1463 × 1463 cm). 
Brooklyn Museum; Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002












References

Nasher Sculpture Center. (2019, June 3). Judy Chicago Discusses the Dinner Party {Video}. YouTube.

Through the Flower. (2022, Nov 11)." Revisiting The Dinner Party: Why it's Important Now" with Judy Chicago and Diane Gelon. {Video} YouTube.


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