Art & Design OCTOBER 2019: ISSUE 101
A Worthy Wall Hazel Plush on London’s new all-female focused gallery Boogie Wall
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t shouldn’t be news, but – remarkably, outrageously – it is. There shouldn’t be any barriers to break down, but – sadly, typically – there are. Even in the progressive spheres of London’s art world, the launch of an all-female gallery is an event that captures attention, that provokes conversation. But it shouldn’t. If the world was an equal place, Boogie Wall would slip right under the radar. Name three of the world’s bestknown artists. How many of them are women? That’s the problem that Boogie Wall – London’s new all-female art space – is addressing head-on. “I want to break down boundaries formed by gender, race and class,” says its founder and curator Joe, who has staked her career on her principles. “Through art, we can challenge many topics, spark conversation, and create a progressive discourse of equality.” In fairness, 2019 has been a promising year for London’s female art scene, with some truly standout exhibitions: we’ve had Dorothea Tanning at Tate Modern, Lee Krasner’s Living Colour at the Barbican, and Cindy Sherman at National Portrait Gallery. At Tate Britain, Sixty Years will showcase works by the likes of Mona Hatoum, Sarah Lucas and Bridget Riley until April 2020 – one of the capital’s largest celebrations of female artists since… ever. It’s a step forward, yes, but just a tiny one. According to research by The Guardian, female artists account for just 4% of the National Gallery of Scotland’s collection; 20% of the Whitworth Manchester’s, and 35% of Tate Modern’s. On the international stage, the figures are just as depressing: male artists dominate 83% of Lisson Gallery’s solo shows (London and New York), 88% of Gagosian’s shows (New York), 76% of White Cube’s 26
