Conversation with Joan Semmel, New York, 2003

Joan Semmel begins the conversation by explaining the importance of addressing multiple aspects of women’s lives simultaneously—career, sexuality, and identity—arguing that progress in one area while repression in another creates an unworkable dichotomy. Semmel states that advancements in birth control were essential for women to assert their sexuality and independence. She also addresses how art played a role in expressing feminist ideas, as women artists found their voice within a male-dominated art world. “We decided that we were going to insist that what spoke to us was just as important as what spoke to them.” Historically, women’s work was dismissed as “decorative,” rather than being recognized as high art.

The conversation addresses the political and social shifts of the past decades, noting a regression to more reactionary values. Semmel links this shift to a broader failure of idealistic movements, such as communism, and the rise of a cynical, individualistic worldview. She expresses concern over how commercial interests negatively impact women. She observes that young women today, while more assertive than past generations, are bombarded by unrealistic ideals through media, leading to self-esteem issues.

Semmel reflects on the communal energy of the feminist movement in the 1970s and how women artists united through organizations like Women Artists in Revolution. “[Going] to a meeting back in the 70s where there were 100 women, we had a chance to talk to each other… The women’s movement became a kind of juggernaut that went in and started attacking that whole kind of monolithic situation of men… There were many different groups that were all women artists functioning.” These groups took action, such as picketing museums. Despite their efforts, male dominance persisted in art movements like Pop Art, Minimalism, and earthworks. Even when women made progress, particularly in the 1970s, there was a backlash in the 1980s, especially with the resurgence of European Expressionism.

Semmel emphasizes that change happens incrementally—progress is made step by step, with occasional setbacks. “There comes a new mobilization every time there’s a backlash… Feminism in the world today has enormous possibilities for changing the world.” But she also believes it will take multiple generations to fully address the ingrained issues of inequality. “For us to sit back and say that feminism has failed, it hasn’t even begun.” “Very often, the work that artists do really touches on the nerves of where the real tension is.”