How Long Did It Take to Loot South Central L.A.?
- Artist: Guerrilla Girls
- Date: 1992
- Medium: Lithograph on paper
- Dimensions: support: 425 x 554 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “How Long Did It Take to Loot South Central L.A.” by the Guerrilla Girls, a bold lithograph from 1992. The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous collective of women artists formed in 1985, use gorilla masks and pseudonyms of deceased female icons to shout out institutional bias. Their posters are quick‑fire, text‑heavy, with pop‑pink and yellow backgrounds that make the statistics pop. This particular sheet tackles the question of why and how long looting of South Central Los Angeles went on, turning the city’s racial and economic inequality into hard data and pointed rhetorical questions. The format is a stark, single‑color lithograph that delivers punchy lines and stark facts. It’s a call‑out: who benefits, who suffers, and why the spotlight is so delayed. The work exemplifies the group’s sharp blend of wit, research, and uncompromising activism.
See it in person
How Long Did It Take to Loot South Central L.A.? is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
