Jo Anna Isaak Critiques Museum Power Structures and Feminist Art History in ARTMargins Interview
In a 2000 conversation with Martina Pachmanová for ARTMargins Online, curator Jo Anna Isaak critiques prominent American art institutions, labeling MoMA as "playpens for the rich" that prioritize power and speculation. She points out that grassroots initiatives like feminism face challenges from affluent board members and politicians, specifically mentioning former NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Isaak praises the New Museum under Marcia Tucker as a noteworthy independent example and highlights that MoMA's 1999 "Modern Starts" exhibition included just 9 women among 176 artists. She delves into feminist art history and psychoanalytic theories, referencing Édouard Manet's "Olympia." Her 1996 publication, "Feminism and Contemporary Art," is noted, along with her research on Eastern European art stemming from a 1980 trip to Moscow. Isaak teaches Art History at Hobart and William Smith College and is working on "Aquaria," set to debut in Linz, Austria, in January 2002.
Key facts
- Jo Anna Isaak is a writer and curator based in New York City.
- She critiques major museums like MoMA as corporate entities focused on power and money.
- MoMA's 1999 "Modern Starts" exhibition included only 9 women among 176 artists.
- Isaak's book "Feminism and Contemporary Art: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Laughter" was published in 1996.
- She is working on an exhibition titled "Aquaria" about water, set to open in Linz, Austria in January 2002.
- Isaak teaches Art History at Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, New York.
- She discusses the Russian avant-garde, noting women artists' success in blending art and life.
- The interview was published on ARTMargins Online on June 16, 2000.
Entities
Artists
- Jo Anna Isaak
- Martina Pachmanová
- Craig Owens
- Arthur Danto
- Alfred Barr
- Rudolph Giuliani
- Marcia Tucker
- Hans Haacke
- Guerrilla Girls
- Jenny Holzer
- Victorine Meurent
- Robert Colescott
- Kara Walker
- Michael Ray Charles
- Mira Schor
- Sigmund Freud
- Jacques Lacan
- Lucy Lippard
- Norma Broude
Institutions
- MoMA
- New Museum of Contemporary Art
- Hobart and William Smith College
- Routledge
- Phaidon
- Pushkin Museum
- Union of Soviet Artists
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Linz
- Austria
- Geneva
- New York
- Prague
- Moscow
- Russia
- Latvia
- Soviet Union
- Eastern Europe
- Western Europe
- Canada