Caroline Tisdall Critiques Lucy Lippard's 1974 Conceptual Art Exhibition in London

In a 1974 Guardian review republished by Afterall in 2012, critic Caroline Tisdall harshly assesses an exhibition of conceptual art by women artists organized by American critic Lucy Lippard in London. Tisdall calls the show a "distressing disappointment" that "stinks of the ghetto," arguing that while Lippard may have intended to highlight discrimination against women in the art world, the works on display are "second rate." She contends that many artists were included based on gender rather than quality, and that the themes—such as cosmetics, identity, and societal judgment—are presented "stupidly." The review reflects the apathy toward feminist art issues in London compared to New York at the time. The original text was published in The Guardian on April 27, 1974, and is part of Afterall's Exhibition Histories series.