Lynda Benglis

In the late 1960’s the American Art World was as male dominated discourse. The American sculptor and visual artist Lynda Benglis set out to challenge this status quo by creating works of art that were feminine, sensuous and body-centric. Benglis’ early sculptures were unique in their use of organic imagery, first with the use of beeswax, and later on polyurethane, gold leaf and zinc aluminum. Moving away from using canvass, she created works of art directly on the floor, as seen through Fallen Painting. For this project, Benglis smeared paint across the gallery floor, while infusing the feminist conversation into the art, with the work depicting the depravity of the fallen woman. As Benglis’s career progressed, she continued to evolve the discussion of femininity within art. At the height of the conversation, and perhaps the most controversial, was the photographed image of her naked self holding a phallus, published as an advertisement for her work Artforum in 1974. Controversial and provocative, Benglis is an artist born of her time, and remains a widely celebrated pioneer of feminist expression in art.