Art at the Center: Guerrilla Girls

The Walker presents a selection of Guerrilla Girls posters from the recently acquired archive Portfolio Compleat, as part of the exhibition Art at the Center: 75 Years of Walker Collections. The portfolio is a boxed set of 88 posters created by the anonymous female artists between 1985 (the year of the group’s founding) and 2012. As the Guerrilla Girls create new posters, the Walker’s collection will be updated so as to remain a complete repository of the works.

The Walker has a long history with the Guerrilla Girls, having collected their work early, in 1993, and later hosting two public programs with the artist collective in 1998 and 2003. The acquisition of these posters fits within the Walker’s 75-year history of collecting—a history distinguished not only by bold and often risk-taking choices but also acquisitions that have consistently breached the boundaries of media or disciplines.

Formed in 1985, the Guerrilla Girls produce posters, stickers, books, printed projects, and actions that expose sexism and racism in politics, the art world, and the culture at large. The group’s members protect their individual identities by wearing gorilla masks during public appearances and by adopting the names of deceased famous female figures such as Alma Thomas, Gertrude Stein, and Frida Kahlo.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.