Linnet and I recently visited Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, New York.'The Dinner Party comprises a massive ceremonial banquet, arranged on a triangular table with a total of thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman from history. The settings consist of embroidered runners, gold chalices and utensils, and china-painted porcelain plates with raised central motifs that are based on vulvar and butterfly forms and rendered in styles appropriate to the individual women being honored. The names of another 999 women are inscribed in gold on the white tile floor below the triangular table. This permanent installation is enhanced by rotating Herstory Gallery exhibitions relating to the 1,038 women honored at the table.'
To find out more about this iconic 1970s art installation and take the virtual tour of The Dinner Party click on the link above. It will give you a head start on your 'homework' for the next salon evening, which is to research a women featured in the installation and bring what you have learned about her to our members' dinner party/BBQ on August 26th.
