Monica Ross exhibition at Chelsea School of Art

I knew about Monica Ross from her recitation of the Human Rights Act as a performance artwork.  When I heard it, I did not really get it.  But having seen her work at this exhibition, it all makes more sense.  She was a feminist in the 1960/70s who made art about her domestic/female experience.

Monica Ross did a lot of performance art, was a member of Greenham Women and made a lot of political campaigning art.  Exhibited were some of her suitcases with her performance accessories like shoes, toiletries, scarf, make-up etc (all brands from 1970s!) There were some wall mounted pieces of her work like campaign postcards and the Fenix (also Phoenix) magazine which was run by housewife members who did artwork and posted it to each other, while restricted by domestic/parenting duties.  There were lots of her sketchbooks, which showed her preferred methods - lots of line drawings, silhouettes, blocking out backgrounds and speech bubbles saying subversive things.  Many images with just black and white, or blocks of solid colour.

Page from Monica Ross sketchbook, personal statement
Courtesy of monicaross.org

Monica Ross liked the public realm for art - "takes pressure off people not to have to go and look at specific objects with reverence".

" CR Group (not sure who they are) based on equal participation based on personal questions, not theoretical criticisms".

"Monochrom, shared space, fast methods - found objects, collage, photos, tapes - work aesthetically and are the outcome of packed lives".

" I've had doubts about how far you can state the personal/political equation in visual terms"

"Soft technology = accessibility"

"Competition (between artists) is irrelevant because the real issue is effective communication".

"The intent, not the artwork, was the issue.  The process of making artwork as communication rather than the production of commodities was the issue".

Small exhibition, one room, but lots in it, and well worth seeing.