Saint Gloria and The Troll, 1974

Ed Paschke and Roger Brown are perhaps the best known members of group of artists who came out of the School of Art Institute of Chicago and became known as the "Chicago Imagists." The movement drew upon mass media images to create their own brand of Pop Art. Paschke's work is notable for its use of atomic colors and confrontational tone to create a sense of unease. The artist has said: "The 1960s were sociologically a time of confrontation, with the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. Both those issues had a lot to do with forming who I am. My early paintings were characterized by the attitude of in-your-face confrontation. My theory is that good art should provoke and challenge you to evaluate your beliefs. Otherwise it's just Muzak played in the background" (E. Paschke, quoted in artist's statement, edpaschke.com).
Paschke's style is heightened in the present work by his choice of subject, the feminist Gloria Steinem. Steinem, who once infiltrated a Playboy Club and worked as a bunny, faces the viewer head-on, in her own clothes. Confident, standing with hands on hips, she is flanked by other anonymous women in various states of outlandish dress and positions. She has an unmistakable air of authority, a commanding presence compared to the quirky, sexy appearances of the others. The juxtaposition of these different women speak volumes about the issues of gender, culture and counter-culture that dominated the era.