Judy Chicago was a name that attracted me long before I gravitated to her art. Early in her career in the 1960s, she took the minimalist style that was popular at the time and pushed its boundaries in new directions. Though minimalism was dominated by male artists at the time, Chicago was quietly forging her own path and style. Her early works featured geometric shapes and solid colors that echoed the minimalist aesthetic but contained subtle references to the female form. While her contemporaries were focused on abstraction, Chicago was beginning to pave the way for feminist art by introducing themes of gender and identity into her work.
In the 1970s, Chicago stepped up her artistic ambitions and founded the first feminist art program in the United States at the California Institute of the Arts. There, she helped train a new generation of feminist artists. If her early work in the 1960s was a whisper, her work during the 1970s was an uproar that could not be ignored. Her most famous work, The Dinner Party, caused a sensation when it was unveiled in 1979. The installation featured a large banquet table arranged in a triangle shape with 39 place settings honoring influential women throughout history. Each place setting was uniquely designed and contained intricate ceramic plates, embroidered runners, and symbolic gold vulva sculptures. The Dinner Party brought feminist art into the mainstream on a massive scale and has become an iconic symbol of the feminist movement, akin to da Vinci's The Last Supper in terms of cultural impact and recognition.
The thing about Judy's work is that it commands attention but also aims to educate and spark conversation. Her installations are literally like fireworks shows in that they make a big splash and then fade away. They are meant to be experienced and debated over. The Dinner Party, in particular, toured the country and internationally, exposing many to the achievements of influential women throughout history. It did not just decorate a museum space but actively engaged viewers and challenged preconceptions. Judy Chicago blazed new trails for feminist art and ensured it could no longer be ignored on the main stages of the art world.
I have to be honest - sometimes, in my embarrassingly detailed dreams of being an artist, I fashion myself after Judy Chicago. I think about what it would be like to be commissioned for massive installation pieces that showcase the accomplishments of influential Korean women throughout history. I envision pieces that tour the country and introduce young Koreans, especially young women, to new role models in their own history.
In reality, however, there are still areas of Korean society that are not fully ready to openly discuss issues of gender and identity. Perhaps one day, as the country continues to progress on women's and LGBTQ rights, a Korean artist will be able to create works as bold and impactful as The Dinner Party that both educate and spark meaningful conversations. For now, I am content to appreciate Judy Chicago's trailblazing from afar and hope to someday make my own small contributions through art.
