The Deconstructive Impulse: Women Artists Reconfigure the Signs Of Power, 1973-1991
The Nasher Museum presented a new exhibition of work by leading North American women artists who exposed messages of stereotypes, racism and sexism in the mass media. The Deconstructive Impulse: Women Artists Reconfigure the Signs of Power, 1973-1991 examined the contribution of women to the deconstructivism movement in the 1970s and ’80s. Deconstructivism is the practice of borrowing images―from newspapers, magazines, television, advertisements, movies and the art world itself―and taking apart and revealing imbedded messages to create new work.
Women Artists on the Forefront
The exhibition featured more than 60 photographs, paintings, prints, videos and installations by 22 artists who were on the forefront of deconstructivism, including Dara Birnbaum, the Guerrilla Girls, Lynn Hershman, Jenny Holzer, Deborah Kass, Barbara Kruger, Lorna Simpson, Cindy Sherman, Laurie Simmons and Carrie Mae Weems.
The exhibition was complemented by a talk by co-curators Helaine Posner and Nancy Princenthal; a gallery talk by Kim Lamm, assistant professor in Duke’s Women’s Studies Program, and Sarah Schroth, Nancy Hanks Senior Curator; a performance by the Guerrilla Girls as the Barbra and Andrew Rothschild Lecture; a “Wonder Woman” concert by Mallarmé Chamber Players; a film screening; an Art for All event featuring a Wonder Woman impersonator; two free Family Day events; an Art with the Experts talk at Durham Public Library; and more.
The Deconstructive Impulse: Women Artists Reconfigure the Signs of Power, 1973 – 1991 was organized by co-curators Helaine Posner and Nancy Princenthal at the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York. It was funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C.; the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art; and the Westchester Arts Council. At the Nasher Museum, major support for the exhibition was provided by Katherine Thorpe, T’04. Additional support was provided by the Graduate Liberal Studies program at Duke University. Furniture in the exhibition was kindly provided by Ambiente International.
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The a capella Duke student group Out of the Blue performs in the gallery. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Wonder Woman socializes with visitors during an Art for All event at the Nasher Museum. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Barbra Rothschild (left) and Andrew Rothschild (right) pose with The Guerrilla Girls and Nasher Museum Director Kim Rorschach. Photo by J Caldwell.
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The Guerrilla Girls mingle with visitors after delivering the Annual Rothschild Lecture. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Visitors queue up in the Great Hall for the Annual Rothschild Lecture, delivered by The Guerrilla Girls. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled (Woman and daughter with makeup) (detail) from Untitled (Kitchen Table Series), 1990. Silver print, 27 ¼ x 27 ¼ in. Courtesy the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
