Artwork Description
Judy Chicago – Potent Pussy/Homage to Lamont 001
Dimensions: 12.5 x 12.5″ framed / 12 x 12″ paper
Year: 1973
Medium: lithograph on paper
Edition: ed. 7
Judy Chicago’s “Potent Pussy / Homage to Lamont (1973),” marks the first time that Chicago’s central core imagery overlapped with her love of cats. “The association between women and cats dates back to the inquisition when cats were seen as witches’ familiars and the church encouraged people to burn them at the stake,” says Chicago. “Black cats were particularly suspect and Lamont was a black cat.” This body of work explores women’s agency, sexuality and feline companions. Chicago did not grow up with cats. At 23, when she was mourning the sudden death of her first husband, she moved into a house in Santa Monica owned by Frank Gehry. A black kitten, who she later named Little Puss, showed up on her doorstep and won her affection. Through the decades, Chicago’s cats became muses and ciphers for the mystery of identity.