Hermera Greene-Blanks

Professor Cacioli

Mini Post 1

1/18/17

Judy Chicago is a feminist artist born in 1939 whose work includes paintings, tapestries, sculpture, and mixed-media installations which celebrates women's achievements. According to artsy.net, Chicago took on the name after her hometown after becoming a widow at the early age of 23. The picture below is apart of a larger work entitled "Birth Project" (1980-85). The Birth Tear I believe, is from the painful aspect of giving birth. The woman's face shows that she is in agonizing pain. However her strength is shown in her holding her own legs to open the birth canal. Giving birth is hard enough on its own but giving birth unassisted shows immaculate strength. The small detail of the tear adds emotion to the portrait. The embroidered rendition of the picture adds definition and even more depth to the picture. The silk material dimples to resemble cellulite on a full figured woman and that is realistic. The way the silk was sewn also serves as highlights to the picture on the outskirts.  

Judy Chicago, Birth Tear, 1982, embroidery on silk, Copyright Judy Chicago
Picture taken from http://www.judychicago.com/

The two pictures share the affect of giving birth but what distinguishes the embroidered version from the serigraph is the additional people depicted. The people appear to be sucking the life out of the woman adding to her pain. This could be a metaphor for all of the many hats that mothers wear and how they are constantly being drained of life and energy. This would be true for now and in the past. This is culturally controversial because although women are strong enough to bear their children it takes a toll on their bodies and lifestyles even after they are born. Women are traditionally expected to nurture by nature but this picture shows the difficulty of doing that. Also I feel that the umbilical cord wrapped around her depicts an inate attachment not necessarily by choice.   

Birth Tear/Tear, 1985
Retrieved from: https://paddle8.com/work/judy-chicago/12199-birth-teartear