Ahead of its Feb. 6 issue, The New Yorker released a sneak peek of its upcoming cover ― a tribute to the Women’s March that attracted over 3 million protestors around the world.
Familiar at first glance, the cover features a collared-shirt-clad woman flexing her arm in the style of Rosie the Riveter, the WWII-era feminist icon. Though a few details set this Rosie apart: She’s a woman of color, for starters. And instead of a bandana, she dons a “pussy hat,” the reigning symbol of the Jan. 21 march.
Maine-based artist Abigail Gray Swartz created the image after attending a march in Augusta, at which she wore a hand-painted cape decorated with the words “Equality for Womankind.” The following week, Swartz decided to send her updated portrait of Rosie to The New Yorker unsolicited, not anticipating a response. It’d been a longtime dream to have her work accepted by the magazine, she told The Portland Press Herald.
Unexpectedly, art editor Françoise Mouly responded asking Swartz to send a few more variations of Rosie. Seventy-two hours later, Swartz learned that her work had made the cover. A new image of feminism ― intersectional, DIY, unapologetically pink ― was solidified.
Ahead of her cover’s official debut, we checked in with Swartz over email to learn more about her radical art, her dedication to activism, and why she believes the revolution will be handmade.
For the complete article and interview, visit TheHuffingtonPost.com/Voices.
