Sassy, or not?

Traces the development of contemporary women's art with particular reference to body art and performance art, following a series of exhibitions in 1995 and 1996 which focused on feminist art. The author examines the extent to which Anglo-American female art differs from that created in Europe, describes the reception body art has received in the 1990s in contrast to the 1970s, and outlines Lucy Lippard's theories on how work by artists including Ana Mendieta, Mary Kelly, Joan Jonas, and Alison Knowles reflects the influence of the time in which it was produced. She suggests that contemporary body art reflects the way in which the female body has been portrayed in pornography, examines its political significance, and considers the status of photographs of performances which are capable of distorting the emphasis of the original. She concludes by stating that the quality of such art is becoming obscured by its commerciality.

Winter 1996