Fighting against feminism and racial inequality in the art world, the Guerrilla Girls took form in an anonymous group in the year 1985 in New York City. While attending Hartwick College I was blessed with the presence of Jane Kaufman, the last standing Guerrilla girl who has emerged from the anonymity of the Guerrilla Mask.
I was invited by a dear friend of mine to meet Jane over dinner, I was unsure how I would react to her presentation. Would it be interesting? Would I like her work? Is she the movement? I can barely put into words how much I loved everything she had to say. Anything that she was challenged about had logical and intuitive responses. She treated the audience as adults, rather than immature college kids who can't take a joke once in a while, which was great! She spoke her mind, not ashamed of what she had to say.
Organizing protests and displaying protest art anonymously is a difficult task to achieve. Armed with a shopping cart, blanket, gorilla masks, and a look out, who would warn the rest of the group if the cops were near by the Guerrilla Girls set out to display a vast amount of momentous home-made silk screen prints of protest art across the city. A group of women walking around New York City at night wearing gorilla masks and putting up posters of protest art is impressively hard to get away with. The fact that the Guerrilla Girls have remained anonymous until just recently when very few of them decided to step forward and reveal their secret identity, much like a super hero.
After listening to her presentation on the Guerrilla Girls and seeing her own personal art I could not wait to meet her personally and discuss art. A few other students and I went to a restaurant with her and some professors along with their personal friends. Unfortunately I sat in the wrong seat at the table and could not comfortably speak with Jane. However I did manage to speak with Fiona DeJardin, the wonderful professor of the Art Sex and Pornography as well as the owner and artist of DeJardin Beads.
A great meal passed by and it was time to leave after we had all finished crunching on cannolis. I took my final chance to speak with my new found idol. I explained that I did not have a good opportunity to lean across the table and speak with her and asked if there were any way I could e-mail her. Astonished that I had asked the question she graciously gave me her card and wrote her personal e-mail on the back. I was in awe, I did not think I had the courage to even form the words to ask. Jane invited me, as well as the other few artists, to her studio in NYC. An incredible end to an incredible night with incredible people.
A great meal passed by and it was time to leave after we had all finished crunching on cannolis. I took my final chance to speak with my new found idol. I explained that I did not have a good opportunity to lean across the table and speak with her and asked if there were any way I could e-mail her. Astonished that I had asked the question she graciously gave me her card and wrote her personal e-mail on the back. I was in awe, I did not think I had the courage to even form the words to ask. Jane invited me, as well as the other few artists, to her studio in NYC. An incredible end to an incredible night with incredible people.
