The following is an excerpt from a report on the study of the language of more than 3,400 gallery press releases from 2006 and 2007:

In the press releases sent out by Chelsea galleries in 2006, the words “his” and “he” were 48% more common than “her” and “she.” The following year, 2007, the gap had grown to 64%. The same trend holds for the more specific word combination “his/her work.” In 2006 “his work” beat “her work” with 38%, in 2007 the difference was 56%.

The forecast for 2008 was no brighter at the time chelseaartgalleries.com published its findings. “With only 282 press releases to analyze,” the report stated, “it’s still too early to tell, but it doesn’t look like an improvement – currently the gap between his/him and her/she is 78%.”

There’s something particularly ironic about gender-based inequality in the art world, draped as it is with tacit ideas of itself as a progressive, if not revolutionary, counterculture. “There’s no excuse for it anymore,” said Emma Gray, curator of Bitch Is the New Black. The group show at Honor Fraser in Los Angeles brings together painting, sculpture, photography, and performance art by 14 LA-based women whose work is too imaginative, gutsy, and important to ignore.

The show is kaleidoscopic in nature, visually and thematically, with pieces often sharing space in ways that provide context for each other. Through this skillful use of space, Gray draws attention to the distinctiveness of each artist’s contribution and – more to the point – the individualism of the artist herself. A convergence of work, Bitch Is the New Black reveals a colorful divergence of attitudes and perspectives. The exhibit is not simply a triumph for its ability to communicate this heterogeneity; rather, the artists and their curator have triumphed in communicating it together.

Here Gray shares her thoughts on the show.

Describe how “Bitch Is the New Black” came about.
The whole thing started a couple years ago when I started covering artists as an arts writer and editor. I don’t normally look at work by gender, I just look at what appeals to me. I was fascinated and interested [in work by some of the artists in this show], and I came to realize that a lot of the better work I was looking at was made by women artists. From there I sort of explored further and connected some dots. That was the genesis. I originally thought I might do a book and that curating a show might be a good way [to work towards that]. My friend Honor Fraser had a space open up for a summer show and was interested in the concept.

What was your intent as curator?
Hopefully to get a platform for the artists – to start a dialogue and make a really loud noise about how talented these women are. There’s a wealth of brilliant artists here in LA, both male and female, and there’s a lot of talk at the moment about how women artists are underrepresented in the artworld. I really just wanted to ring that bell. Quite a lot of the work was made specifically for the show; it packs a punch. I wanted to hone in on their experiences as women and how that was manifesting itself in the work, or not. I was reading a poem by Anne Sexton called “Conversations with Angels”, which explores ideas of getting beyond gender. I gave it to the artists to read and explained my thinking, and told them it was a footnote to think about.

What has the experience been like?
A lot has happened. There’s been a lot of chat and controversy about the title. My intent with it was really to communicate that “these women artists are the next new thing” – but that really doesn’t have much ring to it.  The phrase is a fashion/tongue in cheek reference – “bitch is the new black” was a catchphrase that was first heard on Saturday Night Live election coverage, uttered by Tina Fey. It caught fire on the internet and people seemed to like it as it became a logo on t-shirts and bags. I knew it would appeal to a wider audience, more than just the local art scene and that it would not go unnoticed. I stuck my neck out to do this, and at this point [if people have a problem with the title] then so be it. I am focused on the work and the larger message. I wanted to get a lot of people in the door and be stimulated by the art. With the artists there’s just been an incredible dialogue. I think it’s empowered us all in a lot of ways. One of the things that have come out is what a luxury it is to have a voice, and to be able to say things. One of the artists mentioned Neda, the young lady who died in Iran on her way to protest. The whole process has been an interesting one. It has got people talking a lot. There’s a feeling that LA has no dialogue, and I think that this show has proved that LA is not entirely absent of dialogue.

Any future plans for the show?
I initially wanted to do the show in London or New York. Many of these artists are well known here, so there was some fear of preaching to the choir. Some are very established in the larger art capitals, but doing a show like this and grouping them as such would establish them in a larger context and give an overview of Los Angeles. However, the recession knocked on the door and suddenly shipping costs looked ominous. Local was the way to go! And I was fortunate enough that it worked out with Honor Fraser, who has been an incredibly generous and supportive art dealer to work with. That said, I have been talking to a gallery in NYC and I think we can create a new show with the same artists and concept, but different work – beef it up a bit. I am ironing out the details now. If not, I’ve got some pretty good material for a book!

Bitch Is the New Black. July 11, 2009 – August 29, 2009 at Honor Fraser

Artists: Cathy Akers, Kathryn Andrews, Rosson Crow, Krysten Cunningham, Pearl C. Hsiung, Annie Lapin, Shana Lutker, Ruby Neri, Catherine Opie, Amanda Ross-Ho, Anna Sew Hoy, Mindy Shapero, Kirsten Stoltmann, Bari Ziperstein

Honor Fraser | 2622 S. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034 | 310.837.0191