!Women Art Revolution

Women Art Revolution is a powerful 2010 documentary film that profiles the groundbreaking work of women artists in the 60s, 70s, and beyond, with an intimate look into their lives and work, all directed by the acclaimed experimental and digital media artist, Lynn Hershman-Leeson. Paranoid about the representation of women in the male-dominated art world, Hershman-Leeson took it upon herself to interview and document the experiences of these female artists. Her ceaseless documentation since the late 60s has turned into an immense archive that is brought to life here, unifying the exciting stuff that has occurred in women's lives and art over the past decades.

Starring a sound roster of women artists including Judy Chicago, The Guerilla Girls, Yoko Ono, and Cindy Sherman, Women Art Revolution deftly combines present-day interviews, deep archive gazes, and staged scenes that are daringly innovative, narrated forcefully by Hershman-Leeson and well-regarded film critic and scholar, B. Ruby Rich.

The film covers a gamut of issues: the struggle for women's rights, the fight for visibility coupled with a resounding call for gender equality and social justice. It meticulously portrays the intricacies of fighting for the core philosophy of feminism in a world that holds to stringent values of patriarchy and conservativism.

The documentary sets the stage with a brief historical prologue, framed around the turbulent times of the 60s heyday in America. The initial wave of the feminist movement, the free speech movement, and civil rights movement deliver the socio-political context against which women artists began to voice their dissent.

Women Art Revolution proceeds with its head-on collision with male monoliths in the art world and its critique of deeply-ingrained sexist norms. Yet, it's not shackled by its confrontational subject matter. Under the deft direction of Hershman-Leeson, the narrative undergirds the film with the pulsating energy of a revolutionary spirit, maintains a sense of humor, and features some incredibly candid interviews from artists who grapple with sexism and their own artistic identity in eloquent words.

An interesting take is how it highlights women art collectives that rose in response to the marginalizing of female artists, including the adroitly named 'Guerilla Girls,' a group of female artists who wear gorilla masks and use humor, creativity, and accusations of sexism and racism to underline the problems in the culture that neglects female artists.

The movie also delves into the intersectionality of gender, race, and class, which influenced art created by women and these dimensions were explored meticulously by black women artists such as Faith Ringold and Howardena Pindell who found themselves marginalized within the already marginalized feminist movement, thereby seeking to establish their identity.

At every point within the documentary, Hershman-Leeson's personally enduring narrative infused with elements from her own life-stories and experiences permeates through. The repeated motif throughout the documentary of her deposition for working under a male pseudonym is a reminder of the sexism she combated in her career but serves as a metaphor for all the invisible women artists out there.

Women Art Revolution marries a sense of profound dedication with expansive artistic vision as it charts the course of women artists over the decades, marking its place as an essential and influential piece of art history documentation. It manages to provoke thought, incite understanding and respects the subjects while underscoring the urgency of their plight.

The movie does not just tell a story; it becomes an opening into the greater conversation of gender disparity in art, becoming a platform for feminist artists to voice their opinions and experiences. For those interested in the world of art, especially those hungering to understand the role and representation of women within it, this film is nothing short of essential viewing. It is a profound testament to the power, vitality, and importance of the Women Art Revolution.