Remembering the Guerrilla Girls

In many ways protesting is a form of performance art. Protesters create posters, billboards, flags, and all sorts of other colorful paraphernalia -- along with memorable catchphrases and slogans -- to gain attention, to make people notice, to make the general public understand the issue they are either supporting or opposing.

To protest is to create -- and all creation is inherently artistic. 

This brings us to some very creative protesters who have been raging against the art world for over 35 years. Known as the Guerilla Girls, they are an assortment of woman who wear gorilla masks and pop at exhibitions and other events, protesting what they see as racial and gender bias in the business of art. They point out, for example, that various exhibitions feature work by mostly white male artists or that most of the art depicting women overwhelming depicts them nude.

They ask uncomfortable questions, state uncomfortable truths, make us see the cold reality inside the warm art on display -- and they do it in gorilla masks, so as to get attention but to direct it away from the protesters and onto the issues they are bringing to light.

Recently the BBC World Service broadcast a segment on the Guerilla Girls and you can also visit their website to learn about this movement that has been rocking NYC for almost four decades.