Feminist Art Workers

Book excerpt: Feminist Art Workers: A History is the first comprehensive monograph to survey the groundbreaking work of the collaborative performance art group Feminist Art Workers. Founded in 1976 at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles, the group included Nancy Angelo, Candace Compton, Cheri Gaulke, Vanalyne Green and Laurel Klick. This 230-page publication brings together historic images, archival documents, personal recollections, and critical essays that illuminate artwork that addressed a wide range of issues including women's relationships, sexual violence, and economic rights. Often bringing their work directly to a non-art audience, Feminist Art Workers pioneered new artistic strategies such as tours, floats, phone calls and presented their work in unconventional venues such as cafeterias, conferences, buses and planes. Published by Otis College of Art and Design in conjunction with the exhibition Doin' It in Public: Feminism and Art at the Woman's Building, as part of the Getty initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980. Those interested in the historical precedents of contemporary art practices such as collaboration, interactive performance and community based art will discover roots in the work of Feminist Art Workers. Contributing writers include January Parkos Arnall, Temma Balducci, Betty Ann Brown, Meiling Cheng, Marlena Doktorczyk-Donohue, Osayi Endolyn, Joanna Gardner-Huggett, Andrew D. Hottle, Jennie Klein, Tirza True Latimer, Carey Lovelace, Marie B. Shurkus, Barbara T. Smith, Anne Swartz, and Terry Wolverton. This publication is a must for contemporary art scholars, university and college libraries.