Synopsis

Sexual violence became a burning issue in the 1970s, when feminism made it possible to speak about what had long been unspeakable. In Unspeakable Acts, Nancy Princenthal investigates how a generation of women artists responded to this new cultural moment, creating works that grappled with rape, incest, and domestic abuse in ways that were raw, politically charged, and formally innovative. Surveying a wide range of media — including performance, video, sculpture, painting, and photography — the book examines work by artists such as Ana Mendieta, Hannah Wilke, Nancy Spero, Adrian Piper, and Joan Jonas, among many others. Drawing on archival research, critical analysis, and interviews, Princenthal shows how these artists challenged the silence around sexual violence and transformed it into art that was both deeply personal and broadly political. The book also addresses the reception of this work — how it was shown, reviewed, and sometimes suppressed — and traces its lasting influence on subsequent generations of artists. Unspeakable Acts is an essential account of a critical chapter in the history of feminist art and of the ongoing struggle to bear witness to violence against women.