In the early 1970’s, Judy Chicago concentrated on fusing her abstract iconography with a new-found determination to openly express her experiences as a woman, something that had been impossible when she was in college. During this period, she expanded the central-core imagery that has become emblematic of her work. In such landmark paintings as Through the Flower, Let It All Hang Out, and Heaven is for White Men Only (executed in sprayed acrylic on canvas), the artist began to find her voice as a woman. These images evolved into a series entitled the Great Ladies, in which she represented various important women in history. It was at this same time that – through a self-guided study – Chicago was discovering the erasure of women’s achievements, a discovery that would fuel her major work, The Dinner Party.
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Installation view of Reincarnation Tryptich at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles, CA, 1973.
Installation view of Transformation, Liberation, and Intimate Revelations at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles, CA, 1973.
Installation view of Through the Flower and Elizabeth in Honor of Elizabeth from the Great Ladies series in the exhibition Why Not Judy Chicago? at Azkuna Zentroa in Bilbao, Spain, 2015.
Installation view of Red Flag. Gunsmoke, Love Story in the exhibition Why Not Judy Chicago? at CAPC musée d'art contemporain de bordeaux in Bordeaux, France, 2016.
Installation view of Judy Chicago: A Reckoning at Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Dec 4, 2018 – Apr 21, 2019. Photo: Fredrik Nilsen Studio.
Installation view of Judy Chicago: A Reckoning at Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Dec 4, 2018 – Apr 21, 2019. Photo: Fredrik Nilsen Studio.
Installation view of the Great Ladies series at National Museum of Women in the Arts, 2002.
