The woman with the mattress: the radical, rage-fuelled history of anti-rape art
A performance piece from 2014 has gone viral in response to an allegation of rape at Cornell University. But with such defiant pieces stretching back hundreds of years, will things ever change?
TL;DR
- Emma Sulkowicz's 2014 performance art, carrying a mattress, brought attention to campus rape and the lack of justice.
- Her work is part of a long tradition of female artists using art to address rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
- Examples include works by Paula Rego, Yoko Ono, Jenny Holzer, Nan Goldin, Kara Walker, Artemisia Gentileschi, Frida Kahlo, Ana Mendieta, Suzanne Lacy, Leslie Labowitz, and Tracey Emin.
- These artworks often express rage, defiance, strength, and survival in the face of abuse.
- The article questions whether societal attitudes towards sexual violence will change despite these persistent artistic interventions.
- The importance of giving voice to experiences of sexual and gender-based violence through art is emphasized, particularly when equality and justice remain elusive.