Dotty Attie (born 1938[4]) is an acclaimed feminist painter, and the co-founder of the first all-female cooperative art gallery in America, A.I.R.
[2][7] While in college, Attie was primarily an Abstract Expressionist painter, but often realistically recreated the likeness of photographs on her canvases.
[10][11][12] As an early artist-member, Attie helped the group to choose a gallery space and recruit members.
[7] Later, she was an integral part of the gallery's establishment of an international presence, and helped to secure shows in Paris, Israel, and Japan.
[13] While still a member of A.I.R., Attie began to solidify her personal style,[7] which remained fairly consistent throughout her career;[5] she typically deconstructed existing images—such as Old Master paintings[5][13] and early 20th Century black-and-white photographs—and her works often included text to create a narrative.
[7] The text and pictures are related, but do not contribute to a clear narrative, allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks left by the artist.
"[9] These ideals are present in her work, which often contains manipulated images of women that accentuate their vulnerability,[5] often featuring lewd acts of a sexual nature.
What Would Mother Say (2009) featured children engaging in actions which, while innocent, may be construed by adults as provocative or shameful; each work is accompanied by two panels of text.
[18] More recently, The Lone Ranger (2013) served as a follow-up to What Would Mother Say and included a photo of a boy kissing a horse.