Gallery Location: Redefining Feminism Tour (6 works)

While modern and abstract art were booming in the US in the 1960s, so was feminism. As opportunities to learn and practice expanded, female artists started to carve their way through the male-dominated fields of art that rarely treated them as equals. With these rapid changes in social conditions came different attitudes toward being a woman in modern art. While some of the artists in this tour reflected their struggles against the patriarchy in their works, some of them chose to actively distance themselves from feminism altogether.

Today, gender is more political than ever, while recognition of its salience and fluidity is only slowly growing. The challenges and attitudes seen in the work of the female artists highlighted in this tour are just as relevant today as they were when they were made. These viewpoints make space for more than just white men in the art world.

We invite you to celebrate the achievements of female artists in various stages of American modern art, while reflecting on the societal shifts that have shaped their work and the ongoing challenges and triumphs of women in the art world.

—Irmak Ersoz ‘24


View Redefining Feminism Self-Guided Tour Card

Please note: The museum invited Stanford students to develop themed tours that reflect their perspectives and interpretation of collection works. Each student perspective expresses the individual point of view of its author.