Julie Heffernan's 'Hunter Gatherer' exhibition at P.P.O.W. Gallery explores feminist critique through layered imagery

Julie Heffernan's exhibition titled 'Hunter Gatherer' took place at P.P.O.W. Gallery in New York City from September 6 to October 6, 2018. The showcase included expansive paintings featuring a nude female figure resembling the artist, set against salon-style backgrounds adorned with portraits of notable women, including Gloria Steinem and Virginia Woolf. These imagined galleries incorporated nods to both historical and modern art. Heffernan's central figure engages with scrolls that highlight Old Master paintings and journalistic elements. Pieces such as 'Self-Portrait With Daughters' and 'Self-Portrait with Shipwreck' incorporate vaginal shapes and themes of pregnancy to link the female form to narratives of misogyny. The exhibition also addresses feminist movements like #MeToo and alludes to cultural works such as Hannah Gadsby's 'Nanette' (2018).