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 Canadian artist trio The Clichettes (Louise Garfield, Janice Hladki, and Johanna Householder) developed a groundbreaking practice at the crossroads of performance art and feminist satire. In hundreds of performances and four full-length plays between 1978 and 1993, the artists adopted dozens of personas–from love- sick girl to metalhead to femme fatale–as they scrutinized the tropes of femininity and masculinity. Their sources and reference points included Greek mythology, art history, B movies, science fiction, 1960s fashion, Motown, and hard rock. Their characters were just as eclectic: Medusa, a quail hunter, a beanbag chair, a turtle, Fidel Castro. Unequivocally experimental, playful, and humorous, The Clichettes’ work was–above all–political, exposing the structures that define power under patriarchy. 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.

This publication is available for purchase in person at McMaster Museum of Art. It is also available to purchase in person and online at the McMaster Campus Store.

ISBN: 9781926632247