Right Out of History: The Making of Judy Chicago's Dinner Party

A documentary about the creation of an elaborate work of art: 'The Dinner Party', made not only by Judy Chicago but by 400 volunteers, is an immense table with place settings designed to commemorate great women from history whose achievements have been pushed 'right out of it' (hence the title). The film is perhaps even more interesting than the finished 'Dinner Party', since it raises some tricky questions about the relations of production on this 'cooperative project', and reveals the complexity of its history. Skilled women with no pretensions to being 'artists', such as china painters and embroiderers, slave away on a labour of love; but even more fascinating than the vast and detailed organisation of traditionally feminine skills is the enormity of Judy Chicago's ego, as she hectors mild-looking co-workers about their ignorance, clinging to her authorship to the end.