FAQ
Monica P. Mayer
Biography
Mónica Mayer (Mexico City, 1954), studied visual arts at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas in Mexico City and in 1980 obtained a masters degree in sociology of art at Goddard College while participating at the Feminist Studio Workshop in Los Angeles, California.
Her work has been exhibited in over 100 group exhibitions in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe and has had solo exhibitions among others at: Casa del Lago (1977), en el Museo Carrillo Gil (1987), Lourdes Chumacero gallery (1990), Pino Suárez subway station (1990), Auditorio subway station (1993), The National Gallery in Kingston, Jamaica (1996), Centro Cultural Candido Mendes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997), El Colegio de Arquitectos in Pichinche, Ecuador (1997), the artists run gallery Pinto mi Raya (1989, 1992), the Trotsky Museum (1999), the Centro Cultural San Angel (1999) in México D.F., La Masmédula Galería (1999), Jardín de las Esculturas, Xalapa, Ver (1993).
A major area of Mayer's work has been performance art.
In 1983 she formed Polvo de Gallina Negra, the first
feminist art group in Mexico with Maris Bustamante. The group presented performances in the media and
different social interventions. Mayer also formed the group Tlacuilas y Retrateras, another feminist art group integrated by the participants in a two year workshop she gave to artists and art historians. Mayer has also performed on her own or with Victor Lerma in different festivals in Mexico and Japan, as well as presenting her work in museums. However, most of her performance pieces are social interventions designed specifically for each place and situation. Since 1989 she has participated in Pinto mi Raya with Victor Lerma, which is an on-going piece on the Mexican art system (www.pintomiraya.com.mx)
Mayer has published articles in different art magazines and e-zines, including Poliester, Comunicación Visual, Mundo Celular, Tentación, Tierra Adentro, Generación, Curare, Réplica 21, Artte.com, La Pala (all in Mexico), n.paradoxa, Performance Research (in Britain) and Artecontexto (Spain), and since 1988 she has had a weekly column on art in El Universal, one of the most important newspapers in Mexico. In 2004, she published four books: Rosa chillante: mujeres y performance en México (AVJediciones, CONACULTA), Pinto mi Raya (co-authored with Victor Lerma, Editorial Santillana) and Las mujeres que no se fueron (with a photo-essay by Juan Carlos Reyes García, Instituto de la Mujer Oaxaqueña Ediciones) and Escandalario: los artistas y la distribución del Arte (AVJ ediciones).
Her work has been exhibited in over 100 group exhibitions in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe and has had solo exhibitions among others at: Casa del Lago (1977), en el Museo Carrillo Gil (1987), Lourdes Chumacero gallery (1990), Pino Suárez subway station (1990), Auditorio subway station (1993), The National Gallery in Kingston, Jamaica (1996), Centro Cultural Candido Mendes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997), El Colegio de Arquitectos in Pichinche, Ecuador (1997), the artists run gallery Pinto mi Raya (1989, 1992), the Trotsky Museum (1999), the Centro Cultural San Angel (1999) in México D.F., La Masmédula Galería (1999), Jardín de las Esculturas, Xalapa, Ver (1993).
A major area of Mayer's work has been performance art.
In 1983 she formed Polvo de Gallina Negra, the first
feminist art group in Mexico with Maris Bustamante. The group presented performances in the media and
different social interventions. Mayer also formed the group Tlacuilas y Retrateras, another feminist art group integrated by the participants in a two year workshop she gave to artists and art historians. Mayer has also performed on her own or with Victor Lerma in different festivals in Mexico and Japan, as well as presenting her work in museums. However, most of her performance pieces are social interventions designed specifically for each place and situation. Since 1989 she has participated in Pinto mi Raya with Victor Lerma, which is an on-going piece on the Mexican art system (www.pintomiraya.com.mx)
Mayer has published articles in different art magazines and e-zines, including Poliester, Comunicación Visual, Mundo Celular, Tentación, Tierra Adentro, Generación, Curare, Réplica 21, Artte.com, La Pala (all in Mexico), n.paradoxa, Performance Research (in Britain) and Artecontexto (Spain), and since 1988 she has had a weekly column on art in El Universal, one of the most important newspapers in Mexico. In 2004, she published four books: Rosa chillante: mujeres y performance en México (AVJediciones, CONACULTA), Pinto mi Raya (co-authored with Victor Lerma, Editorial Santillana) and Las mujeres que no se fueron (with a photo-essay by Juan Carlos Reyes García, Instituto de la Mujer Oaxaqueña Ediciones) and Escandalario: los artistas y la distribución del Arte (AVJ ediciones).
Feminist Artist Statement
I became interested in feminism as an art student, when after a lecture on women artists, my fellow-male students said that women were less creative than men because we gave birth. Considering these were artists from a very liberal, politicized, generation, I realized unless I did something about it, no matter how good my work ever was, it would never be seen on equal terms. After that, a group of women friends from school started meeting and integrating these ideas to our work.
In 1975 I read about The Woman’s Building in Los Angeles in a magazine and decided to study there. I finally joined the Feminist Art Program in 1978. In the meantime, I participated in the feminist movement in Mexico, in the group Movimiento Feminista and in the Colectivo de Cine Feminista, which was a feminist film collective. At the WB I also did my masters degree at Goddard College and wrote a thesis called "Feminist Art: An effective political tool." Suzanne Lacy was my advisor.
In 1983, back in Mexico, I formed two feminist art groups. One of them was Polvo de Gallina Negra, with Maris Bustamante. Humor was the basis or our work. She is a truly admirable artist. The group lasted ten years. I also began teaching a course on feminist art from which the group Tlacuilas and Retrateras began. We all did an event that was very outrageous at the time called La Fiesta de Quince Años” on that long traditional party women in Mexico enjoy or suffer when they are 15.
I think the most important thing feminist art has given me is the understanding that an artist’s work is more than producing art works. Doing research on women’s art, writing about them in my newspaper column in El Universal or publishing books about us, teaching, protesting and supporting other women artists is part of my work.
As time went by, the loud, obnoxious, radical feminist art movement I so much enjoyed became more institutional. I suppose it's part of the process, and what allows archives such as this one to exist. Today, what we did is history. However, I also know that, at least in Mexico, there is a very strong new generation of women artists who will fight their own battles with as much enthusiasm as we did and hopefully, they will have as much fun.
In 1975 I read about The Woman’s Building in Los Angeles in a magazine and decided to study there. I finally joined the Feminist Art Program in 1978. In the meantime, I participated in the feminist movement in Mexico, in the group Movimiento Feminista and in the Colectivo de Cine Feminista, which was a feminist film collective. At the WB I also did my masters degree at Goddard College and wrote a thesis called "Feminist Art: An effective political tool." Suzanne Lacy was my advisor.
In 1983, back in Mexico, I formed two feminist art groups. One of them was Polvo de Gallina Negra, with Maris Bustamante. Humor was the basis or our work. She is a truly admirable artist. The group lasted ten years. I also began teaching a course on feminist art from which the group Tlacuilas and Retrateras began. We all did an event that was very outrageous at the time called La Fiesta de Quince Años” on that long traditional party women in Mexico enjoy or suffer when they are 15.
I think the most important thing feminist art has given me is the understanding that an artist’s work is more than producing art works. Doing research on women’s art, writing about them in my newspaper column in El Universal or publishing books about us, teaching, protesting and supporting other women artists is part of my work.
As time went by, the loud, obnoxious, radical feminist art movement I so much enjoyed became more institutional. I suppose it's part of the process, and what allows archives such as this one to exist. Today, what we did is history. However, I also know that, at least in Mexico, there is a very strong new generation of women artists who will fight their own battles with as much enthusiasm as we did and hopefully, they will have as much fun.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum