Conversation with Ellen Lanyon, New York, 2003

Ellen Lanyon recounts her development as a young activist artist in the art community of Chicago from the 1950s onwards. She notes that Chicago offered a relatively inclusive environment for women artists compared to other parts of the country. Meanwhile, Lanyon became increasingly aware of the feminist movement taking place elsewhere, prompting her involvement in initiatives like West-East Bag (WEB), a women artists' network founded by Lucy Lippard and Miriam Schapiro. With the establishment of the Chicago branch of WEB, Lanyon took part in creating conferences, a newsletter, and a network that spanned across the Midwest. Lanyon recalls, “We had three big… conferences that we organized… we invited women from all over the country to come.” WEB eventually led to the formation of ARC and Artemisia, two galleries in Chicago that provided platforms for emerging women artists to showcase their work. As she transitioned to New York City, she remembers, “it was a little bit of a real shock to see that women were so, unfortunately, unable to make themselves known in the same way that we were able to in Chicago.” She continued her involvement in feminist art circles, such as the Women’s Caucus and Heresies. Despite increased opportunities for women in teaching, she observes a continued imbalance in representation, with male artists dominating exhibitions and museum collections. Lanyon highlights ongoing activism as a way women assert themselves and advocate for change. She discusses her own involvement in political causes, from environmental activism to demonstrations against war. As an artist, Lanyon's work often explores concepts of nature and technology through the lens of the metaphysical and surreal, reflecting on humanity's impact on the environment. As she reflects: "The age of invention was the 19th century. That’s when the trouble began… Man’s quest for control of nature and control of the environment and the globe had to do with inventions."