Declaring independence: the enduring impact of Judy Chicago's installation artwork 'The Dinner Party' and Kay Lawrence's 'Parliament House Embroidery'

Abstract

The Bicentenary celebrations which occurred in the United States on July 4, 1976 and in Australia on January 26, 1988 were historically significant, but also provided women with the opportunity to write their history into the narrative of both nations. This paper seeks to provide important insights into two nationally significant artworks which emerged during these periods of national reevaluation and reflection: The Dinner Party (Judy Chicago, United States), exhibited in Australia during its Bicentennial year in 1988 and the Parliament House Embroidery (Kay Lawrence, Australia)created for the opening of Parliament House in Canberra during the same year. A juxtaposition of The Dinner Party and the Parliament House Embroidery will be undertaken in order to examine the two divergent approaches taken by the artists to ascertain the influence of these important national works and their enduring effect on the arts and broader community.