Judy Chicago The Dinner Party
Displayed eloquently in a space that unselfishly portrays a sense of pride and strength sits Judy Chicago’s installation of 39 elaborate place settings on a triangular table. Anyone that walks into the space is immersed in the beautiful place settings illuminated against the black walls that surround it. The ambience provides a bold message urging to reach the viewer. Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party is the first epic feminist artwork significant in symbolizing the history of women in western civilization.
As I first entered the space, I was overcome by the size and formal layout of the installation. I was reminded of memories of sitting around a big table for family holiday dinners. The layout of The Dinner Party’s triangular table allowed …show more content…
everyone to see everyone else. No one seat granted higher importance in location than the next. I always admired this about the round table at my own home. The arrangement provided equality for all who sat around it and conversation was able to take place easily. I then thought of how the piece resembled the artwork, The Last Supper. Both provide bold messages to the viewer but one depicts a place setting of all women, and the other of all men. Chicago mimics the 13 men included in The Last Supper with 13 plates on each side of her triangular table, a table where the women would sit instead of prepare and disappear from the picture. The last thing I thought about while viewing The Dinner Party was how it resembled the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. Both artists’ work evoke a representation of female genitalia. Chicago’s brazen use of vaginal imagery is depicted through butterfly or floral motifs on each plate. O’Keefe’s abstract, close-up flower paintings were female icons celebrated by feminists. Judy Chicago appropriately gave O’Keeffe a place setting in her The Dinner Party. Judy Chicago’s installation piece is composed of thirty-nine elaborate place settings arranged on a triangular table. Each side of the triangle holds thirteen plates of both mythical and historical women. The first side represents women from pre-history to the Roman Empire. The second side represents women from the beginnings of Christianity to the Reformation, and the third side from the American Revolution to Feminism. Each setting’s china plate is hand-painted and relates to the accomplishments of the women who are represented. A chalice and napkin with an embroidered gold edge accompany each plate. The setting rests upon an elaborately embroidered runner with imagery delicately threaded to represent the women. The triangular table sits on the heritage floor with 2,000 white-luster-glazed triangular shaped tiles, each with a gold inscription of 999 women who made a mark in history. The women represented must have made a worthwhile contribution to society, tried to improve the lives of other women, life’s work must have been significant in aspects of women’s history and must have provided a role model for a more egalitarian future.
The arrangement of The Dinner Party is valuable to consider.
The artist included many symbols to convey her stance on the history and value of women. The dinner party installation is fitting because throughout history, women are stereotyped to uphold the role of preparing the meals and setting the table. The dining table was located in a private, domestic, “feminine” space where as the public was a space meant for men. Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party setting disproves this notion with its strong presence. The triangle, which is represented in the table and the floor tiles, is a symbol of the female, representing the female womb. The triangle is purposefully equilateral to represent equality amongst people, whether it is gender, race, religion, or political stance. Perhaps one of the most crucial details in construction of the piece is the medium chosen to create it. Judy Chicago selected and embraced the artistic media that were created by women and dismissed by the art world as simply “craft”. This media included needlework, embroidery, ceramic decoration, and glass art. By using these undervalued mediums to create such a controversial and epic piece, the crafts-based art started to become validated as important and aided in changing the underrepresentation of women in the visual
arts. Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party is significant in questioning women’s role as artists and the authority of the male-dominated western culture. The majestic space expresses feelings of strength and confidence. The table looks like it is prepared for heroic women, a title traditionally only given to men. All aspects place emphasis on women as equals in society; women who have the capabilities to make a difference, become heroes, and influence generations to come. Judy Chicago’s piece promotes women empowerment giving women value in the workplace and in the art world.
As I first entered the space, I was overcome by the size and formal layout of the installation. I was reminded of memories of sitting around a big table for family holiday dinners. The layout of The Dinner Party’s triangular table allowed …show more content…
everyone to see everyone else. No one seat granted higher importance in location than the next. I always admired this about the round table at my own home. The arrangement provided equality for all who sat around it and conversation was able to take place easily. I then thought of how the piece resembled the artwork, The Last Supper. Both provide bold messages to the viewer but one depicts a place setting of all women, and the other of all men. Chicago mimics the 13 men included in The Last Supper with 13 plates on each side of her triangular table, a table where the women would sit instead of prepare and disappear from the picture. The last thing I thought about while viewing The Dinner Party was how it resembled the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. Both artists’ work evoke a representation of female genitalia. Chicago’s brazen use of vaginal imagery is depicted through butterfly or floral motifs on each plate. O’Keefe’s abstract, close-up flower paintings were female icons celebrated by feminists. Judy Chicago appropriately gave O’Keeffe a place setting in her The Dinner Party. Judy Chicago’s installation piece is composed of thirty-nine elaborate place settings arranged on a triangular table. Each side of the triangle holds thirteen plates of both mythical and historical women. The first side represents women from pre-history to the Roman Empire. The second side represents women from the beginnings of Christianity to the Reformation, and the third side from the American Revolution to Feminism. Each setting’s china plate is hand-painted and relates to the accomplishments of the women who are represented. A chalice and napkin with an embroidered gold edge accompany each plate. The setting rests upon an elaborately embroidered runner with imagery delicately threaded to represent the women. The triangular table sits on the heritage floor with 2,000 white-luster-glazed triangular shaped tiles, each with a gold inscription of 999 women who made a mark in history. The women represented must have made a worthwhile contribution to society, tried to improve the lives of other women, life’s work must have been significant in aspects of women’s history and must have provided a role model for a more egalitarian future.
The arrangement of The Dinner Party is valuable to consider.
The artist included many symbols to convey her stance on the history and value of women. The dinner party installation is fitting because throughout history, women are stereotyped to uphold the role of preparing the meals and setting the table. The dining table was located in a private, domestic, “feminine” space where as the public was a space meant for men. Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party setting disproves this notion with its strong presence. The triangle, which is represented in the table and the floor tiles, is a symbol of the female, representing the female womb. The triangle is purposefully equilateral to represent equality amongst people, whether it is gender, race, religion, or political stance. Perhaps one of the most crucial details in construction of the piece is the medium chosen to create it. Judy Chicago selected and embraced the artistic media that were created by women and dismissed by the art world as simply “craft”. This media included needlework, embroidery, ceramic decoration, and glass art. By using these undervalued mediums to create such a controversial and epic piece, the crafts-based art started to become validated as important and aided in changing the underrepresentation of women in the visual
arts. Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party is significant in questioning women’s role as artists and the authority of the male-dominated western culture. The majestic space expresses feelings of strength and confidence. The table looks like it is prepared for heroic women, a title traditionally only given to men. All aspects place emphasis on women as equals in society; women who have the capabilities to make a difference, become heroes, and influence generations to come. Judy Chicago’s piece promotes women empowerment giving women value in the workplace and in the art world.