Ilona Granet

Ilona Granet began working, not in the studio, but in the market place of mass culture. She made her living as a sign painter; her work was to be found "skied" on billboards and buildings around the city of New York. Granet is still working in the streets, trying to make them more tolerable for women. In 1986 she became infamous for her Emily Post Street Signs, "regulations" for etiquette in public places. The injunctions are written in English and Spanish: "No cat calls, whistling and kissing noises" or "Curb your animal instincts." The image on the latter sign is of a beast straining on a leash towards a woman. Her work raises the obvious point that if there is a city ordinance against dog shit and horn blowing, why isn't there one against harassing women in the streets?

About the Artist:
Ilona Granet was born in 1948 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She received a B.F.A. from Tyler School of Art and an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1989 she received the Susan B. Anthony award from the National Organization for Women. She now lives and works in New York City.

Introductory Essay by Jo Anna Isaak / Pictures from the Exhibition / List of Works / Excerpts of Essays included in the Catalog / History of the Exhibition / How to order a print copy of the catalog / About the Curator / Website Credits