AA 120N Art Therapy

For this homework assignment you are to read " Food and Shelter" in Exploring Art (focus on The Dinner Party) and then peruse the following website to learn more about the art installation The Dinner Party, created by artist Judy Chicago and a team of 129 collaborators: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home/. Be sure to click on all of the links and spend some time looking at and reading about the Place Settings. 

You are to describe an additional place setting you would like to add to the artwork. Who would you honor and how? Please identify the subject of your place setting, explain her accomplishments, and why you have selected her. 

 

Judy Chicago who is a feminist artist, painter creates the Dinner Party, an installation and represented 1038 women from history through her this artwork. The huge work is consisted with a triangular table, which are divided into three wings (Brooklynmuseum.org 2017). The principle section of The Dinner Party is the place setting area and 39 women have been represented in this area.

The purpose of this essay is to add another place setting area in the installation of the Dinner party created by Judy Chicago. I would also like to explain about the woman whom I would like to honor in the additional place setting area. The essay will focus on the process and reason of accomplishment and the detailed description of the place setting area.   

I would like to add the additional place setting after the earlier one or might be beside the earlier place setting area. I would like to honor the Indian goddess Durga, whose myths can be found in the old Indian scripture. She is one of the major deities in the Indian culture. It is believed by the Indian that she has a very important role to play in the life of human. I would like to honor in a way that would represent the real offerings that are offered to her to show respect and honor that the Indian celebrate. The Indians believe that this celebration is for remembering the essence of feminine energy and the motherly role the women play in all human life and the life of the other creatures. She is the source of the birth and thus source of all lives.

The goddess should have an artistic idol, which should be represented in a creative way as to show all sources of power and energy. Below the idol, there should have a place for giving an offering and beside this offering place there should have a place for sitting and praying. This could be also the place for sitting and taking the part of the food, which has been offered to the deity. One could imagine it as the place for dinner as dinner is the day’s end meal. The concept is like that, as if the participants or visitors of the installation are taking dinner or having the portion of the offerings after giving it to the goddess. This could be the subject of the place setting.

I have selected the goddess Durga as she is the symbol of feminine power. The Goddesses are the representation of the power or Shakti, which plays the central role for the creation, protection and the destruction of the universe (Ancienthistorylists.com 2017).  

Beside the idol, there should be a description about the goddess and reason to represent her in the installation. For example, goddess Durga is the manifested form of shakti who killed the demon Mahisasur and saved the universe from evil power. (Ancienthistorylists.com 2017).

However, it can be concluded that the additional place setting would also represent the power of feminine and it adds value to the whole art work.  

References

Ancienthistorylists.com, Saugat. 2017. "Top 10 Hindu Goddesses - Ancienthistorylists". Ancienthistorylists. https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/india-history/top-10-hindu-goddesses/.

Brooklynmuseum.org. 2017. "Brooklyn Museum: Components Of The Dinner Party". Brooklynmuseum.Org. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home/.