Not every visiting speaker employs guerrilla tactics to make her point.
As part of its keynote series, the Social Planning and Events Committee Art Gallery hosted Frida Kahlo of the Guerrilla Girls Tuesday night in Meyerson Hall. Known for challenging sexism and racism in the art world, the Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of artists who wear gorilla masks in public and adopt the names of deceased female artists as pseudonyms.
SPEC Art Gallery Special Events Chair and College junior Elliott Brooks was excited to bring the Guerrilla Girls to Penn this year because of their wide appeal as feminist artists and activists. Though advertising for this event was mainly targeted at feminist groups on campus, Brooks stressed that the event was “all-inclusive.”
After walking down the aisles tossing bananas at the audience, Kahlo gave an overview of the Guerrilla Girls’ mission and past projects. She covered a wide range of issues that affect women and people of color in the art world, from tokenism to gender stereotypes to the ethics of museum trustees.
Citing the group’s famous “weenie count,” Kahlo noted the enormous discrepancy between nude males and females in modern art museums, as well as the dearth of works by female artists displayed in these locations.
Kahlo highlighted the role of the Guerrilla Girls as “complainers,” who brought attention to issues like sexism through satire without necessarily providing a solution.
She also emphasized the power of anonymity in the world of social criticism.
“You wouldn’t believe what comes out of your mouth when you’re wearing a gorilla mask,” Kahlo said.
In addition to the arena of visual arts, Kahlo criticized Hollywood for the “pathetically low” number of women and people of color in the movie industry. She discussed the well-known Guerrilla Girls billboard that depicted the “Anatomically Correct Oscar,” who was “white and male, just like the guys who win them.”
Though some students took issue with the Guerrilla Girls’ lack of attention toward transgender exclusion in the art world and the facetious use of the phrase “gender reassignment surgery” in one of their campaigns, many were pleased with the talk.
“It was a different perspective on feminism,” College freshman Sabina Spigner said. “They’re raising awareness, and leaving it up to society to change itself.”
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