Born in 1932 in New York City, Joan Semmel graduated from Cooper Union and Pratt, and lived in Madrid Spain for seven years in the 60’s. She currently lives in NYC.
Feminist Artist Statement: "My intention has been to subvert the tradition of the passive female nude. The issues of the body from desire to aging, as well as those of identity and cultural imprinting have been at the core of my concerns. Sexuality for women has changed radically in the last century, and the possibility for female autonomy is connected to these changes."