Esther Ferrer prefers the phrase “making things” to “making art” to refer to her creative work. This language preference shows her discomfort with the term and category of “artist”, even when she uses this word to tell people what she does and make herself understood. Her approach to art and life is guided by her desire for freedom and her efforts not to go against her ideals. This principle has enabled her to tear down barriers, opening countless artistic possibilities for her. A staunch feminist, Ferrer transformed her own body into a tool to criticize the patriarchal society and vehemently claim for the visibility of women in the Spanish and the international art scene she was part of, dominated by men. In Intimate & Personal (Íntimo y personal), a performance she has staged on numerous occasions since 1973, the artist measures her body and those of other women and men in an effort to condemn beauty ideals in fashion and advertising.

Esther Ferrer
Intimate & Personal (Íntimo y personal)
Performance
Palais de Tokyo, Centre d’art contemporain, Paris, France, February 14-16, 2014
© Esther Ferrer, VEGAP, Bilbao, 2018
Palais de Tokyo Photo Archive, Paris