~JANE KAUFMAN: GUERRILLA GIRL
FILE UNDER: THEM BE FIGHTING WORDS !!
ran into JANE KAUFMAN on the street – the other day . . . she was wearing her (real) fighter jacket.
JANE KAUFMAN, an artist in her own right, is also an original founding member of the GUERRILLA GIRLS – an all-female – give me that F word !! – activist group that sprung up in gritty NEW YORK CITY in 1985.
a collection of spirited, damn serious politically-radical not-to-mention passionate in-your-face women, it operates as an anonymous collective that wears gorilla masks in public, and uses the names of dead woman artists – when speaking in public. KATHE KOLOWITZ and FRIDA KHALO, anybody listening. you bet.
they retained their anonymity I’m told until just recently. April 2009, when they all came out at a big party the GETTY MUSEUM gave them – to honor the museum’s purchase of their archive.
Jane’s fighter jacket.
actually no joke. it was a gorgeous vintage US AIR FORCE FIGHTER PILOT – JACKET.
made back in the day – when Indian head logos – were NOT – politically incorrect.
oh, yeah. that’s some real Americana.
AF SEP 1941 – JUNE 1953 . . . . the SECOND WORLD WAR.
righteous.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH, NYC MARCH 25, 2011
see: GUERRILLA GIRLS/wiki
see: GETTY ACQUIRES ARCHIVE/GUERRILLA GIRLS
image: screen grab from their website: GUERILLA GIRLS
one of their more famous posters:
“Do women have to get be naked to get into the Met. Museum ? less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art sections are women but 85% of the nudes are female.”
GUERRILLA GIRLS – CONSCIENCE OF THE ART WORLD.
(I guess so.)
image: screen grab from their website
GUERRILLA GIRLS – GUEST LECTURE.
(love this photo – cause it reminds me of PLANET APE !! and I mean that in a good way.)
image: screengrab from their website
FRIDA KAHLO. damn, you go – girl !!
take back that letter ‘F’ – for FRIDA !!
take back that letter ‘F’ for “female” and “feminism” – and you know, rock n’roll ’em with that other great letter ‘F’ word – the one that rhymes with – duck !! heavy lift-ing happening. they did, and still do rock the art world boat . . . and, apparently they still need to. even the young dudes don’t get it.
item: only 2 women artists in that recent ‘PANTHEON – HISTORY OF STREET ART IN NEW YORK CITY’ SURVEY.
where was PINK ? where was AIKO – aka THE BRICK LADIES OF NEW YORK – just to mention 2.
just saying.
AD HOC got it right in 2008.
see: LADY PINK & AIKO OPEN TO-NITE !!
and, if you checked out that fab fab red & white quilt show – a week back – you know, it was all – by: anonymous.
yo, like they say: anonymous was a woman.
we’re about to strip the veil – on this one !!
next up: we visit Jane at home & see her new work.
talent runs – where fighter words roar.