Kanonklubben, Damebilleder, The Hooker, 1970
Kanonklubben
Damebilleder

Kanonklubben (1968–1970, Denmark) got its name from the Canon Super 8 camera that was passed around among the students at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenha- gen, where it began as an alternative class. Kanonklubben’s members made films about everyday life, using simple aesthetics. In addition to their individual works, the group created two larger projects in 1969 and 1970: The Garden (1969/1970), a project for a retirement home, and Damebilleder (1970), one of the first feminist exhibitions during the women’s movement in the 1970s to be organised exclusively by female artists.

Damebilleder (Images of Women) was an exhibition of alternating installations and actions illustrating the social conditions of women in thematic tableaux: ludderen (The Prostitute), opvasken (The Washing–Up), skønheden (The Beauty), forsvaret (The Defence), kjortlerne (The Garments), lejren (The Camp), festen (The Celebration) and bryllupskagen (The Wedding Cake). It was a project by the women in Kanonklubben, Lene and Marie Bille, Rikke Diemer, Kirsten Dufour (see DUF 1), Jytte Keller, Kirsten Justesen (see JUS 1/P), Jytte Rex (see REX 1) and Birgitte Skjold-Jensen. The artists took turns sitting behind a shop window, imitating the red light district and creating an image of repression for The Prostitute. They brought their dishes from home for The Washing Up, whilst for The Beauty, a cosmetics company turned the exhibition into a beauty salon. Instruction in self-defence was given for The Defence. For The Garments, the group sewed red dresses which they wore during their final Celebration. During The Camp, the group lived together and discussed the themes of the exhibition with visitors.

Courtesy Lene & Marie Bille, Rikke Diemer, Kirsten Dufour, Kirsten Justesen, Jytte Keller, Jytte Rex & Birgitte Skjold-Jensen

Document media
Photographs, posters, collages

Issue date
1970

Relations
Kirsten Justesen (JUS 1/P)
Iytte Rex (REX 1)


Tags
beauty, pleasure, housework/carework, sexual violence, stereotypes