Hannah Wilke

Hannah Wilke's work, initially spurned by critics due to her conventional beauty, is now regarded as an iconic and trailblazing example of Feminist art. Her performances and photography are considered pivotal in the Feminist movement, as they utilized her body to confront issues such as female objectification, the male gaze, female agency, and sexism within feminism. By challenging conventional art practices and cultural norms, her work aligns with postmodernism, while her bold exploration of the female form ensures her continued relevance.

Biography of Hannah Wilke

Hannah Wilke, originally named Arlene Hannah Butter, was born in New York City to Selma and Emanuel, both from Eastern European Jewish families. Growing up with her sister Marsie, she attended a public school in Queens before enrolling at Great Neck High School. Her fascination with photographic self-portraiture began early on.

Following high school, Wilke pursued a degree in fine art at the Stella Elkins Tyler School, part of Temple University in Philadelphia. In 1961, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Education. In 1960, she married designer Barry Wilke and worked at a Pennsylvania high school. The couple divorced in 1965. She then returned to New York, continuing her teaching career at the high school level. In 1974, she began teaching sculpture at the School of Visual Arts, where she established the ceramics department, remaining there until 1991.

During the early 1960s, Wilke's work gained widespread exhibition. Her terracotta sculptures, shaped in vaginal forms, debuted in 1967 at Nycata in New York. These pieces marked a pioneering use of explicit vaginal imagery within the feminist movement, propelling Wilke into artistic prominence.

In 1969, Wilke entered into a relationship with Claes Oldenburg, the renowned American artist known for his "soft sculptures." Until they split in the mid-1970s, they shared studios and a home. Wilke frequently captured Oldenburg in her photographs.

By the early 1970s, Wilke's focus transitioned to photography, video, and performance art alongside her ongoing sculpture and drawings. During this period, she also became increasingly engaged with the burgeoning feminist art movement. In 1974, she contributed to feminist publications such as "Anonymous Was a Woman" and "Art: A Woman's Sensibility," solidifying her commitment to feminist discourse.

In 1975, Wilke crossed paths with Donald Goddard at the opening of one of her exhibitions at the Ronald Feldman Gallery. At the time, Goddard was the managing editor for Artnews and had two daughters from a previous relationship. Shortly after the opening, Feldman offered Goddard tickets to the opera, where he met Wilke again. Known for her playful and spontaneous nature, Wilke once seized an opportunity for a creative moment with Goddard and his daughters in New York City. Spotting an empty sculptural pedestal, she insisted that Goddard photograph her alongside the two girls posing on it, resulting in a work titled "Three Goddesses, Three Goddards."

Following their initial meeting, Goddard became deeply involved in Wilke's artistic practice, working extensively with her on photography projects. Their collaboration was especially significant during the production of her "So Help Me Hannah" series in 1978. Despite his integral role in Wilke's creative process, Goddard always maintained that he saw himself not as the author, but as a supportive participant.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Wilke faced a profound personal challenge when her mother, Selma, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Selma temporarily lived with Wilke and Goddard during this period. As her mother's illness progressed, Wilke began a poignant series of photographs capturing herself and her mother, documenting the journey through Selma's mastectomy and intense cancer treatments. Her mother passed away in 1982. 

Throughout the 1980s, Wilke persisted in her artistic exploration with a consistent thematic focus, continually delving into new media and modes of self-representation. However, in 1987, her life took a difficult turn when she was diagnosed with cancer. Even though she had a lump for some time, her doctor initially missed the diagnosis, which was later identified as lymphoma. This led to rigorous and invasive treatments, including chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Throughout her battle with illness, she continued to work closely with Goddard, capturing her journey through both photographs and film.

During this period, Wilke's body, a central element in her art, underwent significant changes due to her treatments. Her once conventionally beautiful appearance was altered as she lost her hair, experienced bloating from chemotherapy, and bore bruises from various procedures. Documenting these transformations and her changed body, she created the "Intra-Venus" series.

In 1992, Wilke and Goddard married, but tragically, Wilke passed away the following year. Her "Intra-Venus" series of photographs, revealing the stark realities of her illness and treatments, was published posthumously. 

Hannah Wilke's Art Style

Despite its strong and explicit feminist themes, Hannah Wilke's art often faced misunderstanding from critics, including feminists, who viewed it as narcissistic and reinforced women's role as objects of desire. However, in recent times, there has been a reevaluation of Wilke's work, recognizing it as a radical postmodern statement concerning women's agency over their bodies, the male gaze, and female objectification.

Wilke fearlessly explored the stereotypes surrounding the female body, shedding light on women's objectification in both high art and popular culture. Using her own body, she positioned her practice at the forefront of performance art.

Wilke's artistic exploration spanned a wide array of media, a trend not uncommon for her time. What set Wilke apart was her choice of ephemeral and playful materials, such as gum, erasers, chocolate, play-doh, cookie dough, and dryer lint. These materials, all characterized by their malleability, served as tools for expressing both the stereotypes imposed on women and their inherent vulnerability.

Hannah Wilke's contributions were a vital part of the postmodern movement that emerged in the 1970s and reshaped the art world. Postmodernism, characterized by the dissolution of boundaries between high and low culture, a rejection of traditional artistic materials, a challenge to conventional definitions of art, and an emphasis on spectacle, formed the core of Wilke's artistic practice.