Desperate Artwives and Katy Howe bring together in I N T E R G E N F E M a group of internationally diverse artists who identify as female and feminist. Framed in the context of Intergenerational Feminism in the 21stCentury, these artists’ works are engaged with researching and investigating the ways in which women’s and girl’s bodies are commodified and appropriated throughout the different generations. They are working across a wide variety of mediums encompassing 2D, 3D, performance, video and sound and, through their individual works, are responding to their own bodies and/or other female bodies.

With the youngest participant being just 10 years old and the oldest 82, these intergenerational perspectives and experiences of feminists in the 21st Century have clarified the differences between the generations in how we experience, interpret and express our feminism. However what has become apparent throughout this project is that, if we are open to and accepting of one another, in a productive and non judgmental way, there is a wealth of knowledge and support, and enormous potential to share and learn from one another. Equally it is clear that our concerns surrounding the objectification of female bodies, who has agency over them, and ageism are still as relevant and as important as they were at the beginnings of Feminism. This begs the question, how far have we come and how much further do we still need to go?

Katy Howe