The 1st and 2nd Wave: The Fundamentals

The metaphor of the wave when thinking about the history of feminism has its pitfalls. It can be reductive, instigate intergenerational disagreement and even suggest that women's rights fall in and out of fashion. However, as a historical construct, it has shaped the way we think about the timeline of women's rights and had a deep cultural impact that shows through even into contemporary art. This first grouping of artwork taps into ideas that have been stereotypically considered pertinent to first and second wave feminism. While first and second wave feminism are largely considered unique movements at separate moments in history their basic principles of recognizing inequalities between the sexes and fighting for that equality create a link.