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International Women's Day in Art - Breaking the rules!

March 08, 2021 2 min read

International Women's Day in Art - Breaking the rules!

Breaking the rules!

I've been reflecting on the representation of women in art this week, and the infamous project our own artist  Sarah Thornton  was involved in...

This amazing poster from 1989 by  The Guerrilla Girls  highlights the inequalities in the art world.

Guerrilla Girls Met Museum Poster

Formed in New York in 1985 with a mission of highlighting gender and racial inequality in the art world the  Guerrilla Girls  wear gorilla masks to hide their identities and focus attention on the issues they are raising.

'Going Places' Sarah Thornton and the Leeds 13

Fake news that went viral in the 90's...

Whilst studying Fine Art at the University of Leeds, our own  Sarah Thornton  was part of the  'Leeds 13' student art collective.

The group created an elaborate hoax, apparently spending grant money on a holiday to Malaga, complete with postcards, photos of them at the beach and boarding a plane.

Artist Sarah Thornton talks about 'Going Places' in January 2020

When the story of their apparent misuse of university funds made the headlines in the Sunday Mirror, The Leeds 13 were invited onto BBC Radio 4's Today Program.

The students announced live on Radio 4 that the media had been duped, and the holiday was in fact a simulation, and that they hadn't left Yorkshire.

Their 'Going Places' project fooled the world's media, with the story of the hoax gaining international attention as far as CNN in America and the South China news.

Rita does Jazz velvet by Sarah Thornton for The Monkey Puzzle Tree

Still breaking a few rules, Sarah Thornton was an inspiration behind the founding of The Monkey Puzzle Tree.

She has brought her energy and love for colour to our  'Rita does Jazz' velvet  and'She Chose Science' wallpaper. 

She Chose Science wallpaper by Sarah Thornton for The Monkey Puzzle Tree

“I aligned myself with those pioneering women artists of the past, looking at things around me for inspiration, nature, flowers, motifs that brought comfort and beauty into my world” - Sarah Thornton 

Thanks so much for supporting our small business. All our designs are made in England within 100 miles of our Leeds studio and we pay a 20% royalty back to our artists.

See Sarah Thornton's collection here

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