Art Of Mary Beth Edelson, The

by Linda Aleci, Paul Bloodgood, Laura Cottingham

From the 70s ritural performances to the post-feminism of the new century, Mary Beth Edelson has been destabilizing preexisting representations of women. Whether in her version of the "Last Supper," in which Georgia O'Keeffe plays Christ to disciples Lee Krasner, Nancy Graves, Louise Bourgeois, and Yoko Ono; or in her performance "Cliffhanger," in which she hangs off a precipice; or in isolating images of "femmes fatales" of Hollywood films to project another narrative on their stereotyped scripts, Edelson never loses sight of what is at stake in her the construction, representation, and consumption of images of women. This book, a virtual scrapbook of the feminism movement, includes coversations between Edelson and such seminal feminist figures as Carolee Schneemann, Nancy Spero, and Miriam Schapiro. Designed by the artist and full of 30 years' worth of her multidisciplinary feminist and community-based work, "The Art of Mary Beth Edelson" offers Edelson the ultimate control over the construction of her own image in the present and the opportunity to recontextualize her past.
Essays by Laura Cottingham, E. Ann Kaplan, Alissa Friedman, Paul Bloodgood, Linda Aleci. Timeline by Amy Trevelyon & Mary Beth Edelson. 8.5 x 10 in.
69 color, 243 b/w, 40 three-color illustrations

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2002

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of meeting Mary Beth Edelson at her home and work space in Soho a few days ago. I am fascinated and inspired by her work and life! The NY-MOMA recently purchased some of her most famous works, including the controverial and groundbreaking "Some Living American Women Artists/Last Supper." This book is awesome!