Black Hen Dust: A study of Polvo de Gallina Negra, the first feminist art group in Mexico.

Abstract

As part of conceptualism and through the group movement in Mexico during the rise of second wave feminism in the 1970s, Maris Bustamante and Monica Mayer started what is considered to be Mexico’s first feminist art group, “Polvo de Gallina Negra”. This group focuses on the intersection between art and feminism using innovative performance art practices and other cross disciplinary art forms in a playful and humoristic way. In their work, they addressed and analysed issues concerning their experiences as women in a patriarchal society, the image of women in the media and the arts, women’s contribution to the art world, and lastly, they raised awareness to feminist issues in order to reshape their reality. For many years, this feminist group and other conceptualist artists of this generation have been neglected within the local and global art history of Mexico. The aim of this study is to contribute and generate a better understanding of this period and of “Polvo de Gallina Negra”. Therefore, this research will be focussing on the position and the context of the women who started this feminist art group in Mexico and what their motivations were in doing so. With the findings of the global and local social-political and artistic overview and through the analysis of the semi-structured interviews with Maris Bustamante and Monica Mayer, I will seek to provide an answer to the question; “What were the conditions that constituted the rise of Mexico’s first feminist art group?”