Posted on by luname59

The Original Artists of SOHO 20 at Rowan University

Spanning a nearly three month time span of May 4th to July 27th of 2019, Rowan University’s Art Gallery will be having a new exhibition titled Women Defining Themselves, showcasing art from the original SOHO 20.

The description of the new exhibition placed by the entrance of the Rowan University Art Gallery. It gives the names of all the artists involved in the exhibition, as well as why their works together are significant.

The SOHO 20 was an art gallery exhibition that strictly showed the works of 20 women. The exhibition presented in the Rowan University Art Gallery commemorates the 45th anniversary of the art gallery. These artists exude feminism in their works and beliefs, leading the women’s artistic movement in the 1970’s.

This work is titled “Self Portrait after Mastectomy” by Joan Gleukman. Many of her later works were often inspired by her battle with breast cancer, which she tragically lost in 1978.
These photographs are other works by Jean Gleukman. She was heavily inspired by breast cancer and mastectomies. The balloons photographed in the images symbolize the breasts of women and the deflated dark balloons hang up represent the breasts lost to cancer and mastectomies.

The works on display are heavily influenced by the lives of each artist, making the exhibition that much more personal and individualized.

This work is titled “Scarlet Sentinels” by artist Halina Rusak. This work of hers, while simple is very commemorative of her life, as these are poppy flowers from her native home country of Belarus that she had been forced to flee because of Nazi occupation in the country.
This work is titled “Touring” by Cynthia Mailman. Many of her own works are inspired by her travels and many of them are from her perspective in the passenger’s seat. Her works showcase the culmination of nature and technology, as highways stretch through lush fields to let cars and other forms of transport pass through.
This needlework of a penis is titled “Erect Points #1” by Joan Gluekman. Like many of Gleukman’s works, this one is to make a statement about gender, as needleworks were seen as a domestic skill of women.
This work is titled “Cronus #1” by Eunice Golden. Golden’s works were filled with erotic themes. The characters of Cronus, Ouranos, and Aphrodite have a connection with genitalia and sexuality that Golden portrays in her works. She also wanted to display the power of the male body that has a dependency on a female audience.
This is a video titled “Blue Bananas and Other Meats” by artist Eunice Golden. The video is simply a penis getting covered and decorated by various food items, symbolizing sexuality and sexual desires.
This work by Marge Helenchild is titled “Vulva Hammock.” The display, at first looks like a normal small hammock in the middle of the gallery, but upon closer inspection, it reveals itself to be a very large depiction of a vulva, the opening of a vagina. In all honesty, it does look very comfortable.
This painting by Sylvia Sleigh is of 19 members of the SOHO 20, excluding Morgan Sanders. While the entire painting consists of two canvases to fit all the women, it is extraordinary to see a large and powerful group of women seeking to make a difference for their time, the 1970’s. Unfortunately, some members of the SOHO 20 have passed already, including Joan Gluekman who died in 1978 to breast cancer and Halina Rusak in 2000.

While the exhibition is open until the end of July, make sure to check it out while it’s still there and see these beautiful and powerful works of art for yourself!