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| Selfie, Taken by Partner Titled: Laughter is the best pose |
Walking into a room full of plated vulva art to commemorate female artists, what a dream. I, unfortunately, was not able to make it to the Brooklyn Museum the day the whole class went. However, making it to Brooklyn the following week, on a Sunday with the 70-degree weather was well worth the wait. Anticipating Judy Chicago’s piece, The Dinner Party, I indulged in more doughnuts then I probably should have and Brooklyn’s finest cappuccinos. It was only right given the weather…and the 10+ doughnut shops within a 10 miles radius of the Brooklyn Museum. Once I actually arrived at the Brooklyn Museum with a tummy full of sugary dough and grade-A caffeine, I was more than excited to view The Dinner Party and all its glory. I dragged my boyfriend straight to the 3rd floor, bypassing all the other amazing art I would give myself a chance to see once my assignment was complete. I imagined myself seeing The Dinner Party, checking off my to-do list and rushing out to fill myself up with even more doughy regrets. However, upon arriving the 3rd floor and entering the Sackler Center, I became more interested in the art and less interested in the next time I could eat. I knew I would give myself a chance to really absorb all the incredible pieces created by women so I headed straight for The Dinner Party.
As I moved from piece to piece, woman to woman, and artist to artist, I had chills. You can’t really appreciate the amount of work that went into this piece until you actually see it. I tried to take pictures of my favorite pieces but found myself taking pictures of all of them. They were all special in their own ways because they represented real women or female figures making real strides in history through their simple existence, gaining the recognition and respect they deserve. Encompassing the true badassery of what it means to be a woman. I sorted through the women artists whose names I recognize such as Christine de Pisan, Hildegard of Bingen, Georgia O’ Keefe, etc., I tried my best to narrow down my favorite pieces. I then decided that I needed to narrow down the pieces that spoke to me the most.
Kali was the first piece I was truly mesmerized by. In the handy-dandy booklet, they offer which gives insight into each piece stated, 'Manifestation of the Hindu mother-goddess; her powers are associated with destruction as well as creation and restoration.' It reminded me of a phrase my mother always said to me when I was younger...and even today, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out." Lovely, I know. The purple of this piece was rich and complimented the iridescent accents of the tabling. Also, the purple flame like design surrounding the name looked pretty cool too.
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| Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Kali place setting), 1974–79. Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum |
The next piece that really stood out to me was Sophia. As you can see I have a thing for mythical figures. In the booklet I used to supplement the experience read, 'The highest form of feminine wisdom, representing the transformation of earthly female power into a purely spiritual dimension.' The element of nature really drew my attention to this piece. The use of color was subtle yet vibrant.
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| Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Sophia place setting), 1974–79. Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum |
My final favorite was Petronilla de Meath. First of all, Petronila is my mother's name and seeing this piece I felt I could see my mother's fiery personality...with the help of the flame of course. Then I read the short description of the piece in the booklet. It stated, 'Burned as a witch in Ireland, she is a symbol of the terrible persecution of women that occurred from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century.' Being burned as a witch isn't the beginning of any happy or sad story but this piece spoke to the bolder side of womanhood through the rich and deep colors. I'm also part Irish so it created a connection not only to my mother and to being a woman, but to my culture as well
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| Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Petronilla de Meath place setting), 1974–79. Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum |
All the pieces I saw that day were magnificent. It makes sense why so many people went into the creation of this work. I plan on returning soon to see what I may have missed during my first visit. I believe similarly to reading a book, when left and returned to, the eye and mind see something it did not before. I was happy to have the knowledge about many of the women artists and figures included in this piece because it enhanced the experience. The Dinner Party made me proud to be a woman.
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