1998

The Forbidden Room is a series by Attie that focuses on photographs from crime scenes dating from 1914 – 1918. The imagery is referenced from a book by Belgian writer Luc Sante. Haunted by the images of the women, and their connection to systemic violence against the female body, Attie began to include them in her work. The print shows a lifelike drawing of a photograph in mirror relief on either side of darkly poetic text. The poem suggests an ambiguous narrative that may, or may not, correlate to the crime scene depicted.
Primarily known as a feminist painter, Dotty Attie’s portraits are often arranged around a central female figure and illustrate themes of feminine identity, specifically calling attention to the vulnerability of the female body through the art historical gaze. Attie is the co-founder of A.I.R. Gallery, the first allfemale cooperative art gallery in America.