Hershman Leeson had documented the highly politicized Feminist Art movement for decades, eventually editing and distilling her raw footage into a documentary covering the artists’ nearly uniform ideology just as much as their art. At least, the work of !WAR’s touchstone artists was about something, radically contrasting with the arid (and male dominated) minimalism then en vogue. Yet, in a way, both dissimilar movements relied on external theory or dogma to give it meaning. (Clearly, this would not be a happy period for formalists.)
Regardless whether viewers agree with the politics of the !WAR artists or are impressed with their technique (which frankly spans the gamut), they will find a number of interesting stories peeking out from heavy-handed didacticism. Unfortunately, Hershman Leeson lets some of the more promising avenues of inquiry die on the vine. Most conspicuously, she appears to deliberately protect the image of Feminist icon Judy Chicago by scrupulously avoiding obvious follow-up questions when fellow artists blame her sharp-elbowed leadership style for undermining their collective.
However, Hershman Leeson deserves credit for tackling the case of Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta head-on. When Mendieta’s husband, prominent sculptor Carl Andre, was accused (and later acquitted) of dispatching her from their 34th floor balcony, the Feminist movement evidently largely joined the patriarchal establishment in closing ranks around the alleged wife murderer. One bold interview subject pointedly complains about the silence of The Guerilla Girls in particular, noting the monkey-suited merry pranksters who regularly embarrassed museums for not exhibiting enough women could not muster any outrage for the art world’s equivalent of the O.J. Simpson trial. It is no wonder the Guerillas maintain their anonymity, out of embarrassment.
