HERESIES is an idea-oriented journal devoted
to the examination of art and politics from a
feminist perspective. We believe that what is
commonly called art can have a political im-
pact, and that in the making of art and of all
cultural artifacts our identities as women play a
distinct role. We hope that HERESIES will stim-
ulate dialogue around radical political and es-
thetic theory, encourage the writing of the his-
tory of femina sapiens, and generate new cre-
ative energies among women. It will be a place
where diversity can be articulated. We are com-
mitted to the broadening of the definition and
function of art.

HERESIES is structured as a collective of fem-
inists, some of whom are also socialists, Marx-
ists, lesbian feminists or anarchists; our fields
include painting, sculpture, writing, anthropol-
ogy, literature, performance, art history, archi-
tecture and filmmaking. While the themes of
the individual issues will be determined by the
collective, each issue will have a different edi-
torial staff made up of contributors as well as
members of the collective. Each issue will take
a different visual form, chosen by the group re-
sponsible. HERESIES will try to be accountable
to and in touch with the international feminist
community. An open evaluation meeting will
be held after the appearance of each issue.
Themes will be announced well in advance in
order to collect material from many sources.
(See inside of back cover for list of projected

issues.) Possibly satellite pamphlets and broad-
sides will be produced continuing the discus-
sion of each central theme.

As women, we are aware that historically the
connections between our lives, our arts and our
ideas have been suppressed. Once these con-
nections are clarified they can function as a
means to dissolve the alienation between artist
and audience, and to understand the relation-
ship between art and politics, work and work-
ers. As a step toward a demystification of art,
we reject the standard relationship of criticism
to art within the present system, which has
often become the relationship of advertiser to
product. We will not advertise a new set of
genius-products just because they are made by
women. We are not committed to any particu-
lar style or esthetic, nor to the competitive
mentality that pervades the art world. Our view
of feminism is one of process and change, and
we feel that in the process of this dialogue we
can foster a change in the meaning of art.

THE COLLECTIVE: Patsy Beckert, Joan Brader-
man, Mary Beth Edelson, Harmony Hammond,
Elizabeth Hess, Joyce Kozloff, Arlene Ladden,
Lucy Lippard, Mary Miss, Marty Pottenger, Mi-
riam Schapiro, Joan Snyder, Elke Solomon, Pat
Steir, May Stevens, Michelle Stuart, Susana
Torre, Elizabeth Weatherford, Sally Webster,
Nina Yankowitz.

HERESIES: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics is
published in January, May, September, December by
Heresies Collective, Inc. at the Fine Arts Building, 105
Hudson Street, New York, New York 10013. Subscription
rates: $10.00 for four issues ($16.00 for institutions; $12.00
outside the U.S.). Single copy: $2.50. Address all corres-
pondence to HERESIES, P.O. Box 766, Canal Street Station,
New York, N.Y. 10013. HERESIES, #1, January 1977 © Her-
esies Collective. Application to mail at 2nd-class postage
rates is pending at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing
offices.

Frontispiece (traditional status values of the village . . .):
poster by Australian artist Mandy Martin.

This issue of Heresies was typeset by Myrna Zimmerman in
Optima and printed by the Capital City Press, Montpelier,
Vermont.