The 999 Names Inscribed On The Heritage Floor

1100 judy chicago the dinner party 1974 79 white tile floor table with porcelain and porcelain plates needlework icon of feminist art which represents 1 038 women in history 39 women are represented by place settings and another 999 names are inscribed in the heritage floor on which the table rests.

The 999 names inscribed on the heritage floor. The dinner party by judy chicago is an icon of feminist art which represents 1 038 women in history 39 women are represented by place settings and another 999 names are inscribed in the heritage floor on which the table rests. The 999 names written in gold gleam softly suggesting a hallowed or liminal space. Five years in the making 1974 1979 and the product of the volunteer labor of more than 400 people the dinner party is a testament to the power of feminist vision and artistic collaboration. This monumental work of art is comprised of a triangular table divided by three wings each 48 feet long.

First exhibited in 1979. This list documents all 998 mythical historical and notable women whose names are displayed on the handmade white tiles of the heritage floor as part of judy chicago s the dinner party art installation 1979. The seven heritage panels are large scale hand colored photo and text collages ranging in size from 57 1 2 x 70 3 4 to 57 1 2 x 107 quot that portray the lives of the mythical and historical women whose names are inscribed in the heritage floor of the dinner party. Subsequently despite art world resistance it toured to 16 venues in six countries.

There is also one man listed kresilas who was mistakenly included in the installation as he was thought to have been a woman called cresilla. The dinner party rests upon the heritage floor which is an equilateral triangle forty eight feet on each side this monumental floor is comprised of 2 300 hand cast porcelain tiles and provides both a structural and metaphorical support for the dinner party table inscribed in gold luster are the names of 999 mythical and historical women of achievement who were selected to contextualize the. The names of 999 women who are related to the 39 guests of honor by commonality of experience historic contribution time period and or geography appear on the heritage floor beneath the dinner party. The tilings cover the full extent of the triangular table area from the footings at each place setting.

The heritage floor which sits underneath the table features the names of 998 women and one man kresilas mistakenly included as he was thought to have been a woman called cresilla inscribed on white handmade porcelain floor tilings. The table sits on an immense porcelain heritage floor comprised of 2 304 hand cast gilded and lustred tiles that have the inscribed names of 999 other important women from prehistory to the 20th century goddesses mythological figures religious figures government leaders entrepreneurs writers artists musicians.