judith bernstein

interview and portraits

by OLIVIER ZAHM

 

The American artist who emerged in the ’60s is more relevant than ever. Her punchy, direct paintings and drawings tell the truth, fight for the truth, and inspire change.

 

OLIVIER ZAHM — Your work has always challenged social and political conventions. Can you tell us about the origins of that impulse in your art?

JUDITH BERNSTEIN — My first show was in New York in 1973, at A.I.R. (Artists in Residence) Gallery. It’s the longest-running all-woman gallery in the country. And it wasn’t only the first show for me but also the gallery’s first solo show in New York on October 1st, 1973. In the beginning, they couldn’t figure out what to name the gallery, so I suggested TWAT (Twenty Women Artists Together), but unfortunately this did not take. Too far ahead of my time. When I was a student at Yale,…