Some Living American Women Artists (collage)

Summary

Some Living American Women Artists, also referred to as Some Living American Women Artists/Last Supper, is a collage by American artist Mary Beth Edelson[1] created during the second wave feminist movement.[2] The central portion is an image based on Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century mural Last Supper. Edelson replaced the faces of Christ's disciples with cut-out photographs of American women artists. She surrounded the central image with additional photographs of American women artists. The work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.[1]

Some Living American Women Artists
ArtistMary Beth Edelson
Year1972
MediumCut-and-pasted gelatin silver prints with crayon and transfer type on printed paper with typewriting on cut-and-taped paper
Dimensions71.8 cm × 109.2 cm (28 14 in × 43 in)
LocationMuseum of Modern Art

Edelson intended the collage to "identify and commemorate women artists, who were getting little recognition at the time, by presenting them as the grand subject—while spoofing the patriarchy for cutting women out of positions of power and authority."[3]

A lithograph edition of 50 prints was subsequently created. A numbered print is in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.[4]

Artists included in the central portion edit

Artists included in the surrounding border edit

Photographs of artists in the border are numbered, with a key at the bottom. There is an image numbered "3", but it is not included in the key. Number "43" is neither in the border nor in the key.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Mary Beth Edelson. Some Living American Women Artists. 1972". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Some Living American Women Artists". Center for the Study of Political Graphics. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Direct Access: Edelson comments on the Last Supper" (PDF). Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Some Living American Women Artists/Last Supper". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 19 January 2022.

Further reading edit

  • Object of the Week: Some Living American Women Artists/Last Supper by Elisabeth Smith, SAMBlog, March 9, 2018
  • Considering Mary Beth Edelson’s Some Living American Women Artists by Kat Griefen, The Brooklyn Rail, March 2019
  • Some Living American Women Artists/Last Supper by Mary Beth Edelson—Art from Us, June 13, 2020