Read on Twitter
In the 1970s, women in the art world organized against both gender and racial inequities, protesting for greater inclusion in museums and at times reflecting upon how women were more likely to appear in the museum as a subject--the nude, oil-painted muse--rather than artist (1)
There were, however, times in which materiality was removed from these conversations altogether. In 1972, protestors took to the University of California Art Museum. This time, it was the removal of a single exhibition they were fighting for: a photo series of sex workers (2)
This demonstration was organized by NOW, an organization that remains known for advocacy that incites violence against sex workers. They invited West East Bag (WEB), an International Liaison Network for Women Artists, to collaborate in this particular action. (3)
Some of the artists of WEB were initially reluctant to join, as they enjoyed the photographs and artistry. Ultimately, they decided to due to the lack of women artists' inclusion in the museum (3) about a dozen protestors total showed up (4)
According to news articles, "The demonstrators said they perpetuated the degradation and exploitation of women.
'Why don't you have any photos of the male buyers?'
yelled one of the demonstrators." (4)
'Why don't you have any photos of the male buyers?'
yelled one of the demonstrators." (4)
The protest led to its removal, so it would not be up for International (Working) Women's Day. Instead of directing attention to sex worker artists or advocacy groups, of which there were many in the Bay Area at the time (and still are), they said the quiet part out loud--
"To one picketer, Babette Chamberlain, exhibiting the pictures on March 8 would be like showing an exhibit on Stepin Fetchit during Malcolm X's birthday." In other words, the photos of sex workers were seen as offensive because they were seen as betraying women (5)
Rather than a movement for art workers, the movement became coopted by white women in this moment as one which centered their gaze as audience. Art created by sex workers has been one method through which it can be taken back: http://www.sexworkerfest.com/videos/
1. Art Workers Coalition Protest, Whitney Museum, 1971, by Jan van Raay.
2. The San Francisco Examiner, 05 Mar 1972
2. The San Francisco Examiner, 05 Mar 1972
3. Michelle Moravec. “Toward a History of Feminism, Art, and Social Movements in the United States.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 33, no. 2, 2012, pp. 22–54
4. The Gastonia Gazette, 02 Mar 1972
5. Oakland Tribune, 02 Mar 1972
4. The Gastonia Gazette, 02 Mar 1972
5. Oakland Tribune, 02 Mar 1972
