Judy Chicago Retrospective at de Young Museum in San Francisco

The de Young Museum in San Francisco is hosting the first retrospective dedicated to Judy Chicago, titled 'Judy Chicago: A Retrospective', on view until January 9, 2022. The exhibition is organized in reverse chronological order and notably excludes her most famous work, 'The Dinner Party', which is represented only through documentation and preparatory materials. The show spans Chicago's diverse practice across media including ceramics, embroidery, glass, and pyrotechnics, highlighting her feminist pedagogy and collaborative methods. Curated by Claudia Schmuckli, the exhibition features recent series such as 'The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction' (2015-19), which addresses mortality and planetary extinction, and earlier works like 'Holocaust Project: From Darkness into Light' (1985-1993), 'PowerPlay' (1982-87), 'The Birth Project' (1980-85), and the 'Atmospheres' series. A new pyrotechnic performance was created for the occasion at Golden Gate Park. Chicago's work has long straddled popular success and critical ostracism, a tension that persists in this retrospective.