Guerrilla Girls

Key facts

Born

1985, American

Movements

• Feminist Art
• Contemporary

Works held in

1 museum^[1]

• What is Guerrilla Girls known for?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are known for using humour and shock tactics to highlight discrimination in the international art world. They expose gender-based and racial discrimination by targeting museums, dealers, curators, and art critics. Their anonymity helps to focus attention on their messages.
• What is Guerrilla Girls's most famous work?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are best known for their poster, *Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?* from 1989. The work features *La Grande Odalisque*, a famous nude by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, but with the odalisque’s face hidden by a gorilla mask. The poster was created after the Guerrilla Girls discovered that less than five per cent of the artists represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s galleries of 19th- and 20th-century art were women; however, 85 per cent of the nudes in those galleries depicted women. Originally intended as a billboard commissioned by the Public Art Fund in New York, it was rejected. The Guerrilla Girls then rented advertising space on New York City buses, where the poster was displayed in a smaller format. The Guerrilla Girls formed in 1984, protesting the lack of women artists included in the Museum of Modern Art’s International Survey of Painting and Sculpture. The group donned gorilla masks to remain anonymous, drawing attention to their message and away from their individual identities. Their targets have included museums, dealers, curators, and critics, and they expose gender-based and racial discrimination with irony and humour.
• What should I know about Guerrilla Girls's prints?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are a group of anonymous feminist activist artists. They formed in 1985 to fight sexism and racism in the art world. The group began after the 1984 International Survey of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; out of 169 artists, only 13 were women. The Guerrilla Girls use humour, irony, and shock tactics to expose discrimination. They maintain anonymity by wearing gorilla masks and using pseudonyms taken from deceased female figures. Their prints often take the form of posters. They paste these posters and billboards in public places, often around museums and galleries that they critique. One poster, 'Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?' (1989), shows Ingres's 'Grande Odalisque' wearing a gorilla mask. The poster points out that 'less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art sections are women, but 85% of the nudes are female'. Another poster, 'The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist' (1988), lists ironic points to raise consciousness about inequality. In 1985, they pasted posters around SoHo that listed New York galleries that showed few works by women artists.
• What style or movement did Guerrilla Girls belong to?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are anonymous activists who formed in 1984. They use humour and shock tactics to expose discrimination in the art world. The group aims to highlight patriarchal and discriminatory traditions. They target museums, dealers, curators, and critics. The Guerrilla Girls expose gender-based and racial discrimination. They maintain anonymity to keep attention on their messages. The group originated after the 1984 International Survey of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Fewer than 10 per cent of the artists included were women. Members wear gorilla masks in public and use pseudonyms. In 1985, they posted flyers listing New York galleries that showed few women artists and successful male artists who showed in galleries with little or no work by women. The Guerrilla Girls also hold forums, put flyers in book covers, and hold demonstrations. Their art and protest uses irony to raise consciousness about inequality in the art world.
• What techniques or materials did Guerrilla Girls use?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are known for their use of accessible media. They favour inexpensive methods to disseminate their message widely. Their early work involved pasting posters and flyers in the dead of night. These posters often presented statistics about the under-representation of female artists in museums and galleries. They also employed attention-grabbing slogans and humour to engage the public. The group expanded its tactics to include billboards, postcards, and other forms of mass communication. Guerrilla Girls broadened their reach through printed publications and books. Their art installations often incorporate data visualisations and textual elements. The Guerrilla Girls use direct language and bold graphics to challenge the art world establishment. They maintain anonymity by wearing gorilla masks in public appearances, which is now their signature. This anonymity helps focus attention on the issues, rather than individual personalities.
• What was Guerrilla Girls known for?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are known as anonymous feminist activists who formed in 1985. They use humour and what some consider shock tactics to expose sexism and racism in the art world. The group formed after the Museum of Modern Art in New York opened an exhibition titled ‘An International Survey of Painting and Sculpture’. Of the 169 artists featured, only 13 were women. The Guerrilla Girls protect their identities by wearing gorilla masks in public and assuming pseudonyms. In 1985, they pasted posters around SoHo that listed New York galleries that showed few works by women artists, as well as successful male artists who allowed their work to be displayed in galleries that included little or no work by women. One of their posters, ‘The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist’ (1988), lists the obstacles women artists face. In 1989, the group created a poster featuring Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres's painting La Grande Odalisque, but with a gorilla mask covering the figure's face. This was after the Guerrilla Girls discovered that less than five per cent of the artists represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's galleries of 19th- and 20th-century art were women, while 85 per cent of the nudes in those galleries depicted women.
• When did Guerrilla Girls live and work?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are anonymous activists who formed in 1984 and 1985 in response to the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) 1984 International Survey of Painting and Sculpture. This exhibition included 169 artists, but only 13 were women. The Guerrilla Girls protested this inequity, and continue to fight sexism and racism in the art world. They are known for wearing gorilla masks to maintain anonymity, and adopting pseudonyms of deceased female artists such as Frida Kahlo and writers such as Gertrude Stein. In 1985, the Guerrilla Girls began pasting posters in SoHo, New York, that listed galleries that showed few works by female artists. They also named successful male artists who showed in galleries that did not include work by women. In 1988, they created a poster called The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist. In 1989, they produced the poster Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?
• Where can I see Guerrilla Girls's work?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are anonymous activists who formed in 1984. They use humour and shock tactics to expose discrimination in the art world. The group began in response to the Museum of Modern Art’s 1984 International Survey of Painting and Sculpture in New York. Of nearly 200 artists surveyed, fewer than 10 per cent were women. In 1985, the Guerrilla Girls created posters listing New York galleries that showed few works by female artists. They pasted these posters around the streets of SoHo in the middle of the night. They also targeted male artists who allowed their work to be displayed in galleries that included little or no work by women. The group also began organising forums, putting flyers inside all book covers in the Guggenheim Museum’s bookshop, and holding demonstrations. The Guerrilla Girls wear gorilla masks in public and assume pseudonyms. This anonymity helps to focus attention on their messages. Their satirical 1989 poster, Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get Into the Met. Museum?, made a particular impact. The Guerrilla Girls continue to make presentations and run workshops, all while wearing their gorilla masks, aiming to highlight the patriarchal and discriminatory traditions in the art world.
• Where was Guerrilla Girls from?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of feminist activists who formed in New York City in 1984 or 1985. They are known for protesting sexism and racism within the art world. The group's formation was spurred by the 1984 "International Survey of Painting and Sculpture" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Of the 169 artists featured, only 13 were women. The Guerrilla Girls adopted gorilla masks to maintain anonymity and draw attention to their message of social justice. They also use pseudonyms taken from deceased female artists and writers, such as Frida Kahlo and Gertrude Stein. The Guerrilla Girls began their activism with a poster campaign in 1985, pasting up posters in the SoHo area of New York during the night. These posters named New York galleries that exhibited few works by women or artists of colour. They also called out successful male artists who showed in galleries with poor representation. Beyond posters, the Guerrilla Girls have organised forums, distributed flyers, held demonstrations, and run workshops.
• Who did Guerrilla Girls influence?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are a collective of feminist activist artists. They formed in New York City in 1985. Their work uses humour and statistics to expose sexism and racism in the art world. While it is difficult to measure influence directly, we can observe their impact on later artists and institutions. Many artists working today address similar themes of gender and racial inequality. Some employ tactics similar to those of the Guerrilla Girls, such as anonymity or data-driven arguments. The Guerrilla Girls' practice of combining art with activism has become more common. Museums and galleries have also responded to the issues raised by the Guerrilla Girls. Institutions are under increasing pressure to diversify their collections and exhibitions. There is more scrutiny of gender and racial representation in the art world. The Guerrilla Girls helped to create a climate where these issues are more widely discussed and addressed. Their influence can be seen in the ongoing debates about diversity and inclusion in the arts.
• Who influenced Guerrilla Girls?+

  The Guerrilla Girls are a collective of anonymous female artists and arts professionals. They formed in New York City in 1985. Their mission is to fight sexism and racism within the art world. The group's influences are diverse. They include feminist art from the 1960s and 1970s, such as the work of Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro. These artists challenged the male-dominated art establishment. They also celebrated female experiences. The Guerrilla Girls also draw inspiration from activist groups like the Guerrilla Theater. This group used public performances to protest the Vietnam War. Moreover, the Situationist International influenced them. This movement combined art and politics to critique consumer culture. The Guerrilla Girls adopted a confrontational and humorous approach. They use statistics, posters, and public actions to expose discrimination. Their anonymity, maintained by wearing gorilla masks, allows them to focus on the issues rather than individual personalities. The group's work has inspired similar activist art projects. It has also contributed to ongoing conversations about equality and representation in the arts.
• Who was Guerrilla Girls?+

  Guerrilla Girls are a collective of anonymous female artists and art-world professionals. They formed in New York City in 1985. The group uses art and humour to expose gender and ethnic bias within the art world and wider culture. The Guerrilla Girls employ various media in their activism. These include posters, billboards, books, and public appearances. They are known for wearing gorilla masks to maintain anonymity and focus attention on the issues, rather than individual identities. Their work often presents statistics and factual information in a direct manner. It challenges the under-representation of women and artists of colour in museum collections and exhibitions. One of their early, well-known posters, "Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?" (1989), drew attention to the disproportionate number of female nudes compared to female artists represented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Guerrilla Girls continue to produce work and engage in activism, addressing inequalities in the art world and beyond.