CURRENT EXHIBITION
The Clichettes: Lips, Wigs, and Politics
Artists: The Clichettes (Louise Garfield, Janice Hladki, and Johanna Householder)
Bridging theatre, lip-sync, dance, drag, costume, and comedy, the renowned Canadian artist trio The Clichettes developed a groundbreaking practice at the crossroads of performance art and feminist satire. This exhibition focuses on The Clichettes’ collaboration from 1978 to 1993, when Louise Garfield, Janice Hladki, and Johanna Householder performed to fervent audiences in Toronto and internationally, animating galleries, bars, cabarets, concert halls, festivals, benefits, rallies, and the streets. They produced four full-length plays, performing sold-out shows at theatres and alternative venues across Canada.
Over a fifteen-year period, and hundreds of performances, The Clichettes adopted dozens of personas—from love-sick girl to metalhead to lounge lizard to femme fatale—scrutinizing the tropes of femininity and masculinity as they sought to invert the archetypes so embedded in our cultural landscape. Greek mythology, art history, B movies, science fiction, 60s fashion, Motown, and hard rock: these were just some of their sources and reference points. Their characters were equally eclectic: Medusa, a quail hunter, a beanbag chair, a turtle, Fidel Castro. Unequivocally experimental, playful, and humorous, The Clichettes’ work was always—above all—political, exposing, challenging, and dismantling the structures that define power under patriarchy.
In the group’s first-ever retrospective, the McMaster Museum of Art celebrates The Clichettes’ many dynamic collaborations with artists, writers, designers, and directors. The exhibition brings together over 150 costumes, props, videos, photographs, drawings, scripts, and archival materials that attest to The Clichettes’ radical vision for a better world.
Opening Reception & Publication Launch
Thursday, September 19, 5 – 8PM (Remarks at 6PM)
The opening reception will also include the launch of the new publication. Published on occasion of the group’s first retrospective, this fully-illustrated catalogue presents The Clichettes’ many dynamic collaborations with artists, writers, designers, and directors and celebrates their radical vision for a better world. Including essays by Ivana Dizdar, Marni Jackson, John Greyson, Alexandra Schwartz, Mark Kingwell, rl Goldberg, Lillian Allen, and Wanda Nanibush.
Exhibition Catalogue: The Clichettes, Lips, Wigs, and Politics
The Clichettes: Lips, Wigs, and Politics: A Conversation with Curator Ivana Dizdar
Video produced and edited by Vuk Dragojevic.
GOBSMACKED: A virtual panel with The Clichettes featuring John Greyson and Syrus Marcus Ware
The Clichettes: Trending in the 2020s
In conversation with Maya Ben David and Syreeta Hector
Vtape provided curatorial support as well as restoration and digitization expertise in creating The Clichettes retrospective.
Didactic and Show Descriptions
Alternative Text Descriptions for Costumes and Ephemera
Thank you in advance for your patience while we pilot this new approach to providing descriptive exhibition information. If there is an accessibility issue with the documents above, or you would like to make a request for materials, please email museum@mcmaster.ca
Curated by: Ivana Dizdar
May 21, 2024 – November 22, 2024
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
PAST EXHIBITIONS
We Remain Certain
Arenhátyen tsi ní:tsi teyottenyonhátye’ kwató:ken tsi nī:tsi yonkwa’nikonhrayén:ta’s
Read More
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
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The Clichettes: Lips, Wigs, and Politics
Published on the occasion of the exhibition The Clichettes: Lips, Wigs, and Politics held at the McMaster Museum of Art (M(M)A) in Hamilton, Ontario in 2024. With essays by Ivana Dizdar, Marni Jackson, John Greyson, Alexandra Schwartz, Mark Kingwell, rl Goldberg, Lillian Allen, and Wanda Nanibush. Bridging theatre, lip-sync, dance, drag, costume, and comedy, the […]
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self/same/other
Barbara Astman, Carl Beam, Meryl McMaster, Sorel Cohen, Joseph Beuys, Bidemi Oloyede, Christina Leslie, Jeff Thomas, Micah Lexier, László Moholy-Nagy This exhibition brings together artworks drawn from the M(M)A permanent collection that present diverse ways of exploring self-imaging and subjectivity through different types of photo-based media. Expanding the genres of portraiture and self-portraiture, selected works […]
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Coins in the McMaster Museum of Art: The Greek and Roman Collections
Ancient Greek and Roman coinage represents the intersection of politics, economics, and art; no other medium in the ancient world more closely reflects the decisions of administrations, the expectations of civic bodies, and detailed craftspersonship. Coins are among the most ubiquitous artifacts from Classical antiquity and despite their small size, are among the most instructive […]
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IMMUNE NATIONS
This catalogue documents a multi-year art-science project called Immune Nations, produced on the occasion of its exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Initiated in 2014 and co-led by Steven Hoffman (York University), Sean Caulfield (University of Alberta), and Natalie Loveless (University of Alberta), Immune Nations brought together scientists, policy experts, […]
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Peripheral Vision(s)
Peripheral Vision(s) includes scholarly essays by some of the most prominent Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices within the fields of Indigenous art history and art criticism today.
SUBMISSIONS & ASSISTANCE
SUBMISSIONS:
The McMaster Museum of Art is presently not accepting artists’ submissions for exhibitions at this time of leadership change at the museum. Our Interim Director will be undertaking a review of the museum’s forward exhibition schedule, as well as our policies and procedures, in the coming months. Our present focus is the ongoing maintenance of our permanent collection and storage needs for future collection activities.
The museum remains committed to our collecting priority in the continued support of early career, mid-career and established Indigenous artists, artists of the Black diaspora and racialized artists through purchases and commissions. Donations will be welcomed and reviewed at a future date which will be posted on our website.
ASSISTANCE:
The McMaster Museum of Art is a third party recommender for Ontario Arts Council (OAC) Exhibition Assistance Grants.
Please note that there has been a delay in the OAC opening the 2024-2025 program. This webpage will be updated with our deadlines as soon as possible.
Priorities:
Artists who demonstrate an interest and consideration of art as a medium for social change and action.
Please follow the guidelines established by the Ontario Arts Council, apply directly through their website, and submit the following with your applications:
Brief artist statement
Confirmation letter from the gallery/museum/venue
Budget
CV
Digital images of work
