Alexis Hunter
Alexis Hunter was an artist, feminist activist, and writer known for her provocative photo-narratives exploring the exploitation, sexualisation, and objectification of women. She studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts (1966–9) in Auckland, New Zealand. In 1972, Hunter moved to London and became an active member of the Women's Workshop of the Artists' Union. Interested in the psychology of advertising, the human body, particularly the hand, are distinctive motifs in her practice as a means to explore gender-based issues. Although best known for photography, Hunter turned to more expressive painterly compositions in the early 1980s. Her inclusion in the exhibitions 'WACK!, Art and The Feminist Revolution' (2007) at MOCA, Los Angeles, and ‘Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970–1990’ (2024) at Tate Britain is testament to her strong ties to the Women’s Art Movement and feminist organising. Alongside her artistic practice, Hunter lectured at art schools in the UK and abroad, including as a visiting Associate Professor of Painting and Photography at the University of Houston, Texas (1986).
Further Reading
Alexis Hunter Trust (artist website). .
Hoare, Natasha (ed.). Alexis Hunter: sexual warfare. London: Goldsmith’s Press, 2019.
Hunter, Alexis. Photographic narrative sequences. London: Edward Totah Gallery, 1981.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6GS-cYxL7A.
Young, Linsey (ed.). Women in Revolt!. London: Tate, 2023.
Selected Collections
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Tate Modern
Touchstones Rochdale
Work by Alexis Hunter
Fear of the Intellectual Wife
City Chimera
Approach to Fear XI - Effeminacy Productive Action (6)
Approach to Fear XI - Effeminacy Productive Action (5)
Approach to Fear XI - Effeminacy Productive Action (4)
Approach to Fear XI - Effeminacy Productive Action (3)
Approach to Fear XI - Effeminacy Productive Action (2)
