JUDY CHICAGOS THE DINNER PARTY A FEAST OF

JUDY CHICAGO’S THE DINNER PARTY A FEAST OF GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS

JUDY CHICAGO… tikkun olam “to heal or repair the world” • Jewish concept – Judy’s parents believed deeply in this. • Her family taught her that money was unimportant. Ideas and changing the world is what counts! “…I had been raised with the notion that everyone has an obligation to make a contribution to better our world, and that such a commitment leads to a meaningful and valuable life. ” - Judy Chicago

JUDY CHICAGO… • Wanted to learn about herstory • Late 1960 s, began researching the history of women “…having the obligation of using my talent on behalf of teaching women’s history through art. ” - Judy Chicago

JUDY CHICAGO… THE DINNER PARTY

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 • It took 5 years to create! • Most well-known work • Subject of women’s history • Collaboration – Hundreds of people helped to create it! (wanted to be involved with changing history) • Seen by more than 1 million viewers! • 16 exhibitions across 6 different countries!

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 ENTRY BANNERS • 6 woven banners – welcoming visitors to The Dinner Party • The Entry Banners contain phrases inspired by a poem written by Judy about her vision of an equalized world, where women’s history and viewpoints are fully recognized.

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 ENTRY BANNERS 1. 2. 4. 5. Chicago painted the images and selected the thread colors. Then, she transferred her designs to graph paper, creating cartoons (patterns weavers use). The cartoons were then attached to the back of the warped looms. The banners were woven at the San Francisco Tapestry Workshop by trained weavers.

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 ENTRY BANNERS • Chicago was inspired to use Renaissance pictorial weaving when she discovered that women were prohibited from working on the high-warp (or vertical) looms during that time period.

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 ENTRY BANNERS And She Gathered All before Her And She made for them A Sign to See And lo They saw a Vision From this day forth Like to like in All things And then all that divided them merged And then Everywhere was Eden Once again

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 • An enormous banquet table in the shape of an equilateral triangle o Equilateral triangle - early sign for women, ancient symbol for goddesses o Equilateral form – the vision for an equalized world

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 • The artwork measures 48 -feet on each side. • There a total of 39 place-settings on an open triangular table. • The table appears to float on a triangular floor consisting of 2, 300 porcelain tiles.

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 PLACE SETTINGS • The “guests of honor” are represented by a 14 -inch china-painted plate with a central design based on the butterfly. • The plate sets on an embroidered runner done in the needlework of the woman’s time period. • Each place setting is created in a style appropriate to the woman being honored. • Each place setting includes a ceramic chalice, flatware and embroidered napkin.

THE DINNER PARTY 1974 -1979 The Heritage Floor • The Heritage Floor includes the names of 999 women who have made a mark on history. • The names are grouped around the place settings according to similarities in achievements.

The Dinner Party 1974 -1979 2007 – Permanently housed at the Brooklyn Museum in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art • This has helped Judy to achieve her long-held goal to stop the erasure of women’s achievements!!!