An anonymous artist in a gorilla mask drew a crowd of about 600 people to a UF auditorium on Tuesday.
The artist, who used the pseudonym Frida Kahlo, traveled from New York to deliver a message of inclusion, namely that of women in art museums.
UF’s Art History Association coordinated the event.
Kahlo, whose name is a tribute to the famed Mexican-born artist, is one of the founding members of Guerrilla Girls, a group of “feminist activist artists” that aims to expose gender and ethnic bias, among other causes — all while wearing gorilla masks, according to its official website.
Dressed in all black and standing in front of a PowerPoint presentation, she spoke to attendees at Carleton Auditorium about the group’s history of activism and why its members continue to wage battle against sexism in the arts.
“We like to think our work makes a difference,” she said.
Since its inception in the 1980s, the group has protested in front of museums and publicized statistics showing the underrepresentation of female artists. She spoke about how in 1989 she presented statistics of women artists and nude bodies featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Less than 5 percent of the artists in the Modern Art sections are women, but 85 percent of the nudes are female,” her statistics read.
In 2011, the group went back and found similar numbers; 4 percent of artists were women and 76 percent of the nudes pictured are of women.
UF art professor Coco Fusco, who helped organize the event, said the event had to be rescheduled after the speaker’s flight was delayed, but she was pleased by the attendance.
“This is the largest audience we have ever had in a visiting artist lecture,” she said.
Helen Lehrer, 22, said she felt motivated by the group’s fight for equality.
“That’s inspiring for young people who have dreams,” said the UF digital arts and sciences senior.
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mkornfield@alligator.org
Artist “Frida Kahlo” talks to more than 600 audience members in Carleton Auditorium about the founding of Guerrilla Girls and women in the art world. The Guerrilla Girls exhibit is currently being shown at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art.
