Guerrilla Girls’ Definition Of Hypocrite
- Artist: Guerrilla Girls
- Date: 1990
- Medium: Screenprint on paper
- Dimensions: image: 430 x 560 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “Guerrilla Girls’ Definition Of Hypocrite” by the Guerrilla Girls. It’s a screenprint from 1990 that packs a punch in a single bold line: an art collector who buys white‑male art at liberal charity events but never supports women or artists of colour. The piece sits on a bright, pop‑pink background with striking black block text that feels like a headline from a street flyer. Behind the words, the Guerrilla Girls—anonymous female artists who hide behind gorilla masks—use simple statistics and a sarcastic tone to expose hypocrisy in the art world. Their origin story dates back to 1985, when they began fly‑posting in New York to highlight the stark gender imbalance at MoMA, showing only 13 women out of 169 artists. Since then, their posters have become iconic tools of feminist activism, turning public spaces into canvases for social critique. This particular poster is part of their “Guerrilla Girls Talk Back” portfolio, a testament to their ongoing mission to hold institutions accountable with wit and raw honesty.
See it in person
Guerrilla Girls’ Definition Of Hypocrite is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
