Janet Cooling was a pioneering figurative painter known for integrating lesbian and feminist themes into her work during the 1970s and '80s. She received her B.F.A. from Pratt Institute in 1973 and an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1975. Cooling began her career at Artemisia Gallery in Chicago, immersing herself in feminist and lesbian art circles. As one of the first openly lesbian artists in the American art world, she gained recognition through her participation in the 1982 New Museum exhibition "Extended Sensibilities: Homosexual Presence in Contemporary Art."
Her early work, associated with the "Post-Imagist" movement, featured erotic drawings of women and apocalyptic large-scale paintings. Cooling's art evolved in the 1990s to include vibrant depictions of female bodybuilders, showcased in exhibitions like the New Museum's "Picturing the Modern Amazon'' in 2000. She taught at San Diego State University from 1984 until 2013, influencing many through her dedication to feminist and LGBTQ+ visibility in art. Cooling's work is celebrated in key feminist and lesbian art publications, cementing her legacy as a transformative figure in contemporary art.
