Patriarchy Perspective

To my perspective, patriarchy is a common social system in which the males are primarily dominant in the family while women are in a lower rank under the male’s hierarchy. Patriarchy was never implicated in my family, despite living with a single mother. Even though I had an older sister and an older brother, my sister gained leadership and dominance whenever my mother was absent. Regardless, many artists are always expressing their desire to challenge the status quo and express equality such as the art activist group, the Guerilla Girls.

Donned in gorilla masks to preserve identity, these anonymous female artists strive to bring the attention of gender inequality and racism to the art community. Their protest art and campaign posters have gained notice as a result of their eye-catching and humorous images. They even infiltrated several museums to showcase their art and get their messages across.

This eventually led them to get invited into institutions and occasional assemblies. Most of their presentations include enjoyable media, historical notions about their organization and audience interaction.

The girls did receive minor controversy such as accusations of lack of diversity, dysfunctional relationships between members, and going against what the group organized. Some of the members even resigned as a result of the allegations and situations. Despite the setbacks, the Guerilla Girls are continuing to make more art and send messages around the world in order to focus on change.

~Luis Candelaria