The iconic feminist art collective known as the Guerrilla Girls is now being celebrated in a major exhibition at the prestigious Getty Research Institute, marking four decades of their groundbreaking activism in the art world. The anonymous group, famous for wearing gorilla masks while exposing discrimination against women and people of color in museums and galleries, has become the subject of a comprehensive show that combines retrospective works with new pieces.
The exhibition serves as both a celebration and examination of the collective's impact over their first fifteen years of operation, while also showcasing recently created works that continue their mission of promoting equity in the arts. Items drawn from the extensive Guerrilla Girls archive are prominently featured throughout the Getty Research Institute's galleries, offering visitors an in-depth look at the group's evolution and methodology.
The Guerrilla Girls' origins can be traced back to 1984, when they first emerged as protesters outside New York's Museum of Modern Art. What started as a single demonstration against the exclusion of women and artists of color quickly grew into an internationally recognized activist collective that would challenge the art establishment for decades to come. Their distinctive approach of combining humor, striking visual design, and hard-hitting statistics helped them gain worldwide attention for issues of representation and equity.
The current Getty exhibition takes an unflinching approach to its subject matter, even including criticisms that the Guerrilla Girls have directed at the Getty itself over the years. This self-reflexive element demonstrates the institution's commitment to presenting the full scope of the collective's work, regardless of whether it reflects favorably on the host museum. The inclusion of such critical materials underscores the ongoing relevance of the Guerrilla Girls' message and the continued need for accountability in major cultural institutions.
