Merrilyn Duzy
| Merrilyn Duzy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🏫 Education | Chouinard Art Institute |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Painting, feminist art, teaching |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Howard Bentkower |
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Merrilyn Duzy (born 1945) is an American painter, feminist artist, and educator whose career spans over six decades. Her work has been exhibited in national juried shows, feminist art collectives, and academic galleries since the early 1970s, contributing to the development of West Coast feminist art. Duzy is also one of the artists featured in Feminists Who Changed America, 1963–1975 (University of Illinois Press, 2006; ISBN 978-0252031892), a reference work documenting influential women in the American feminist movement.[1]
Biography
Duzy was born in 1945 in Los Angeles, California. She earned her B.F.A. in 1968 from the Chouinard Art Institute, which later merged into CalArts. Following graduation, she began teaching painting and drawing at Los Angeles Valley College, where she remained a faculty member for over 30 years.[2]
Duzy was a participant in the early feminist art movement in California. She exhibited with Womanspace in the 1970s and was affiliated with the Woman's Building, both pivotal institutions in the history of feminist art.[3]
Work and Themes
Duzy's work centers on the female body, mythology, environmental decay, sexuality, and archetype. Her figurative realism integrates symbolic and surreal elements. Critics have noted the psychological intensity of her paintings and her distinctive style that merges personal narrative with social critique.
In a review in Artscene (March 2001), critic Betty Ann Brown described Duzy's work as "visual autobiography" combining sensuality with feminist political commentary.[4] Writing in Artweek in 1989, Suzanne Muchnic noted that Duzy's treatment of the nude emphasized power and presence rather than passivity.[5]
Exhibitions and Recognition
Duzy has exhibited at venues including:
- Womanspace Gallery, Los Angeles (1973–1975)
- Woman's Building, Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
- Brand Library & Art Center
- Cal State Northridge Art Galleries
- Los Angeles Valley College
- Los Angeles Art Association / Gallery 825
She was selected for the Momentum national juried exhibition sponsored by the Women's Caucus for Art in 2012, juried by Rita Gonzalez, curator at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition was held at Gallery 825 in Los Angeles.[6]
In 2022, Duzy was a semi-finalist in the 17th ARC Salon Competition, organized by the Art Renewal Center.[7] Her work, Becquerel Martian Center, was also selected for inclusion in the Lunar Codex Polaris archive, a time capsule of global contemporary art being sent to the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.[8]
Publications and Appearances
- Featured in Feminists Who Changed America, 1963–1975 (University of Illinois Press, 2006), edited by Barbara J. Love.[1]
- Interviewed in conjunction with her exhibition "The Great Passion" (2023), reviewed on Quival.it.[9]
- Subject of artist profiles in the Pasadena Weekly, Ventura County Star, and the Los Angeles Times.[10]
Teaching
Duzy taught figure drawing, life painting, and advanced studio at Los Angeles Valley College from the early 1970s through the early 2000s. She was an advocate for feminist pedagogy in the arts and helped mentor a generation of women artists in Southern California.[2]
Legacy
Duzy is considered part of the first generation of feminist artists who helped establish alternative exhibition venues, challenged the male-dominated art historical canon, and foregrounded the female perspective in contemporary figurative painting. Her inclusion in national juried exhibitions, academic publications, and feminist anthologies underscores her ongoing impact on American art.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Barbara J. Love (ed.), Feminists Who Changed America, 1963–1975, University of Illinois Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0252031892.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Artspace Portraits: Merrilyn Duzy," Los Angeles Valley College archives.
- ↑ Betty Ann Brown, "Womanspace and the Woman’s Building," ArtScene, March 2001.
- ↑ Betty Ann Brown, "ArtScene Review: Merrilyn Duzy," ArtScene, March 2001. https://artscenecal.com/articles/merrilyn-duzy
- ↑ Suzanne Muchnic, "Review of Merrilyn Duzy exhibit," Artweek, 1989.
- ↑ Momentum: WCA National Juried Exhibition, Women's Caucus for Art, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9831702-3-5.
- ↑ "17th ARC Salon Finalists: Merrilyn Duzy," Art Renewal Center. https://artrenewal.org/17thARCSalon
- ↑ "The Lunar Codex," LunarCodex.com. https://lunarcodex.com
- ↑ Lauren Raine, "The Great Passion: Merrilyn Duzy," Quival.it, 2023. https://quivala.it/merrilyn-duzy-the-great-passion
- ↑ Feature on Merrilyn Duzy, Los Angeles Times, 1996.
External links
- The Lunar Codex project homepage
- ArtScene profile on Merrilyn Duzy
- Interview and review on Quival.it
- ARC 17th Salon listing
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