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Judy Chicago in Wellfleet

August 21. 2008

Judy Chicago

The Dinner Party

Last night Judy Chicago spoke at the Congregational Church in Wellfleet as a fundraiser for Castle Hill. She is tiny, raucous, fierce and bawdy (don't think I've ever actually used that word before) and as committed to her work and her vision as ever. Chicago has been subject to some pretty brutal criticism over the course of her four-decade career - most of us would have long since taken to our beds or learned to make "acceptable" art - so I have a great deal of respect for her strength. Until last night, however, I don't think I fully appreciated the consistently high level of her execution, the precision of her draftsmanship and her mastery of so many media. She is now working primarily in glass, a meidum which allows well for the contrast of the strength of solid forms with the transparency and vulnerabilty of glass.

Julia Salinger's homage to Judy Chicago

Chicago glass piece

The event was very well attended and I was, frankly, surprised by the number of men there, including the three that Ellen Sinel, Sondra Arkin and I dragged along. Perhaps they were mellowed by the wonderful dinner that Ellen made for us before the lecture, and Norm's margaritas, but all of the men seemed surprised by their own reactions to Chicago, their respect for the seriousness of her intentions and her work. (I note, to be truthful, that the slides included rather fewer vulvas than one would expect from Chicago's oeuvre and nothing terribly explicit.) I also snapped a picture of the always-memorable Julia Salinger, dressed appropriately for the event, as usual.

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