PAPER GUIDELINES
Your essay should be four to five pages, typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5″ x 11″), with 1″ margins on all sides. Please follow the APA guidelines outlined on the following website:https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
At the Brooklyn Museum, there is a special section devoted to feminist art: The Elizabeth A Sackler Center for Feminist Art. The centerpiece is a permanent art installation dubbed “The Dinner Party”, an icon of feminist art and a subject of much discussion (and, indeed, controversy) when it opened in 1979. The artist, Judy Chicago, created the work to symbolize the achievements of women in western civilization. In her piece, there are “1,038 women in history—39 women are represented by place settings and another 999 names are inscribed in the Heritage Floor on which the table rests. This monumental work of art is comprised of a triangular table divided by three wings, each 48 feet long.”
For your first paper, you will need to go to the Brooklyn Museum to view (and experience) The Dinner Party. Afterwards, you will write a paper, consisting of two parts:
PART I:
Explore (or critique) the legacy and impact of the art. You will find it helpful to think about and respond to the following questions in your paper:
· Describe The Dinner Party. List all of its various components. How is this table different from a kitchen or dining table?
· Why did Judy Chicago title this artwork The Dinner Party? What do you see to support your answer?
· The artist includes place settings for 39 different women. What objects does Judy Chicago include at every place setting? Are they all the same or different? [Note that the 39 women seated at the triangular table each have a place setting that is unique, befitting the honoree] https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/search?keyword=The+dinner+party
· Why do you think Judy Chicago “invited” these individuals to her party? What would you overhear them discussing if the party took place?
· Look closely at one place setting. Describe the different colors, shapes, lines, and textures. What materials do you see? Do you notice any symbols? Who does this place setting belong to? Judy Chicago wanted to celebrate this woman’s accomplishments. Why do you think this woman was invited to attend The Dinner Party?
PART II:
Then consider who you would invite to a dinner party for more contemporary women. Please discuss the criteria you would use to select your invitees, and describe the types of place settings you might envision for them and rationalize your choices
Try to include the current USA Vice President Kamala Harris as a woman you would invite ***
Links:
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/dinner_party/
