New Hall, Cambridge, Feminist Art Collection 21 April 2016

A very interesting tour of the New Hall Art Collection, at Murray Edwards College by the new curator.  She has been in post 10 months and appears to be reinvigorating the programme.  New Hall has the largest collection of feminist and female artworks in Europe.  Many of the artworks were donated by the artists, after an appeal some years ago, and some top feminists are represented because of their collective giving.  As New Hall wants to expand its collection, and is seeking some funding for it, this gives a dilemma for the curator.  On the one hand, female artists should reasonably to expect to earn what a male artist does, and if New Hall is asking for donations, they are not supporting the financial rewards of women.  On the other hand, if New Hall is now paying for art, does it insult those artists who have donated previously?  My opinion is that women should be paid for their art, and funding should be sought to support it. Even in a recession, there is money about (especially at the top!) and New Hall, of all places, surely, should be able to access funds, possibly from alumni, to support women?

Highlights were Judy Chicago's Voices from the Song of Songs (2000) and the Guerrilla Girls.

There was an interesting debate about the Song of Songs - which are sexually ambiguous illustrations in a room used for interviewing candidates for New Hall.  This was around whether it was an appropriate venue for this work!  Apparently parents of unsuccessful candidates are likely to complain if their girls don't get selected. Spurious reasons for poor interview performance are given, one of which, it was feared, could be that the candidate was unsettled by the sexually explicit imagery in the framed artworks!  My instinct is to say "grow up a bit" to the offended parents.  But obviously it was an issue for the selection panel.

My Dove in the Cleft Song of Songs
Courtesy of JudyChicago.com

I failed to get any photos of the Song of Songs but found the above online.

The Guerrilla Girls.  

 I love the Guerrilla Girls work, and they might be coming to do a performance art session at New Hall later this year, on their UK tour.  6,000 GBP for an event.  Can New Hall raise the funds?  I'd LOVE to see it.  Watch this space.

Elisabeth Frink 2004 On The Way to Chartres.  Wool tapestry.

Feminism symbol.  I love it.

I also noted, but failed to photo, a piece by Miriam Shapiro, from her time as Feminist Art Tutor with Judy Chicago.  The image itself left me cold, but she was working with a technique she called femages - feminist collages.  I like the concept but the imagery was dire - a theatre stage scene made from glued fabric. I have disliked other work by Miriam Shapiro at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester.  But I don't want to denigrate it, as in its time her work started a dialogue about feminism in art.

If there was another tour, I would probably do it, as I would start from a more informed position.