An Interview with the Guerrilla Girls

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What are the greatest problems in the art world today? 

Käthe: Because the public still thinks that the art world is a meritocracy, there is little activism and it lags way behind the culture at large in terms of the representation of women and people of color. Somehow, everyone insists on believing that art is above it all.

Frida: The glass ceiling is a big problem. There are lots of women artists at the entry level having their first shows, but if you start looking at the auction records where you see museum participation, the same women come up every time, and their prices are lower than those paid to white males.

What trends give you hope? 

Käthe: Right now things are better than ever before, but there's still a long way to go. Last year the Museum of Modern Art did a survey show called Objects of Desire: The Modern Still Life, and out of 74 artists there were four white women, one woman of color, and no men of color. If very few women and artists of color are included in a group exhibit, there has got to be some prejudice at work, unless it's called White Men over 60 with Blue Hair.

If you could make one law, what would it be? 

Frida: A group of women artists centered in New York is investigating how the Title IX laws—the laws that equalize spending in major institutions and in women's and men's sports—can be applied to museums. The task force is starting to challenge the National Endowment for the Arts and other government funding for institutions that don't have a balanced exhibition schedule. It's a great idea.

What's next? 

Käthe: We're interested in applying our talents toward redeeming affirmative action in some way. One idea is to replace affirmative action with other forms of favoritism, like nepotism. For example, I think 10 per cent of Harvard's entering class are legacies, or children of alumni, and many of those students have grades or SATs a point or two lower than other students. We thought it would be good if everyone who went to a good college adopted 400 or 500 people whose families didn't go to good colleges. So, instead of getting in under affirmative action, they'll get in as a legacy and nobody will mind.

Will the Guerrilla Girls ever take off their masks? 

Frida: No.

Käthe: Please take them off us! We started this to keep attention on the issues and to protect ourselves. But we found we're much sexier in the masks, and we're certainly more beautiful. People love the mystery. I don't think we'll ever be able to get rid of them.

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