Exhibition

Art in Focus: Women From the Center

Thursday, January 14, 2021–Sunday, October 10, 2021
Second-floor galleries

This exhibition celebrates women artists in the collection of the Yale Center for British Art. Inspired by Yale University’s celebration of 50 years of coeducation in Yale college and 150 years of coeducation in Yale graduate programs, Art in Focus: Women From the Center highlights women artists whose inventive art practices have enabled them to stake out space in the art world. The title for this exhibition references both the use of the collection of the Yale Center for British Art and Lucy Lippard’s influential collection of feminist essays, From the Center (1976).

The artists featured here span the nineteenth century to the present day and work across a broad spectrum of media, styles, and techniques. The display is composed of four different themes: “Women and Institutions” looks at artists who challenge bodies of knowledge and control that have historically marginalized or oppressed women. “Space and Place” showcases women artists who reimagine urban and pastoral environments and imprint their own subjectivity on these spaces. “Women as Muses” challenges traditional understandings of artist and muse—namely that of an active male artist and a passive female muse—for on this wall women play both roles. Finally, “Beyond the Figure” examines the role that women have played in breaking free from the politics of figuration.

Exhibition brochure

Read more about the artists' works that are featured in this display.

Featured works

Paula Rego, *Jane Eyre* from the *Jane Eyre* series, 2001–2

Joscelyn Gardner, *Eryngium foetidum* *(Prue)*, 2009

Carrie Mae Weems, *When and Where I Enter the British Museum*, 2007

Cornelia Parker, *Meteorite Lands on Wormwood Scrubs*, 1998

Anna Blunden, *For Only One Short Hour*, 1854

Prunella Clough, *Midland Landscape*, 1958

Julia Margaret Cameron, *Irish Mary*, 1866

Neeta Madahar, *Sharon with Peonies*, 2009

Vanessa Bell, *The Artist in her Studio*, 1952

Joy Gregory, boxed edition of *Autoportrait*, 2006

Sheila Girling, *Measure of the Day*, 2015

Rina Banerjee, Confined to a single brain she vehemently denied all against all advice, secured an earthly kneel to prop, her back, grew by mouth out her innovations to evolve and resolve the most valuable thought, spread rapidly her social primate call, 2013–20

Rina Banerjee, *Upon first Myth and empirical observation the hero, her angel leaps in cry, opens the moon to urge on a rain that may cleanse all the sweat of her jealous man*, 2013–20

Credits

Art in Focus is the annual exhibition curated by members of the Center’s Student Guide Program. The exhibition introduces Yale undergraduates to museology by providing them with curatorial experience. Women From the Center was curated by Emma Gray, SY ’21; Sunnie Liu, JE ’21; Annie Roberts, SY ’21; Christina Robertson, SM ’22; and Olivia Thomas, MC ’20. The students were led by Linda Friedlaender, Head of Education; Jennifer Reynolds-Kaye, former Educator, School and Community Outreach; and Rachel Stratton, former Postdoctoral Research Associate.

The exhibition and accompanying online presentation were generously supported by the Marlene Burston Fund and the Dr. Carolyn M. Kaelin Memorial Fund.