Blackwell Reference Online

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Founded in 1985, the Guerrilla Girls is a collective of anonymous female artists and art world professionals committed to monitoring sexism, racism, and corruption in pop culture, the arts, and the film industry. Calling themselves the “Conscience of the Art World” they are famous for their provocative posters that attempt to police the injustices of the art establishment. Additional causes over the course of their movement have included labor issues, abortion rights, gay rights, AIDS awareness, and anti-war protests. Using humor to invoke change, their fame is also linked to their practice of wearing gorilla masks in public. This disguise allegedly gives them “mask-ulinity.” It also protects their real-life identities and engenders the group's autonomy. According to art critic Lucy Lippard, “The Guerrilla Girls had the sense to realize that anonymity was a perfect weapon against art-scene/art-market greed and gossip, and they have adamantly remained in their masks, from behind which they can say the unspeakable” ( Lippard 1995 : 257). To further ensure the Guerrilla Girls' anonymity, each member assumes a pseudonym, the name of a dead female artist or writer such as Frida Kahlo, Käthe Kollwitz, Gertrude Stein, or Lee Krasner. Drawing attention to the lingering legacy of influential women throughout history, the Guerrilla Girls are devoted to challenging the patriarchal paradigms ... log in or subscribe to read full text