Joyce Wieland (1931-1998) is one of the most accomplished and versatile Canadian artists. She achieved a level of commercial and critical success in her lifetime that was exceptional for a woman during an era in a male-dominated field.

Notably, she was the first female artist to have a solo exhibition at the National Gallery (Ottawa) in 1971 and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto) in 1987.

Although Wieland was an artist who was always drawing, she launched her career as a painter. Always experimenting, her art practice expanded to incorporate a range of media and materials, from textile works to film. In New York City, she was best known as an experimental filmmaker.

In the mid 1960s Wieland began to embrace more representational and narrative elements in her work. Inspired by comic books, and her background in film as an animator, Wieland embraced figuration albeit clearly influenced by Pop Art.

One of the reoccurring motifs in Wieland's oeuvre is playing with and subverting icons of femininity. In this work Wieland presents icons inspired by the French Queen Marie-Antoinette: a jewelry or hat box, a hairbrush, a medallion. The artist seems to be willing to give a make-over to the Queen. In the "nice medallion painting" on the left the profile of the woman seems sagging and doughy. An arrow points to another medallion where the subject has a sculpted sleek hairdo, a slim neck and precise features.

This playfulness coupled with informal satire is classic Joyce Wieland.

Joyce Wieland works can be found in numerous public collections across Canada including the National Gallery, Museum London and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto) to mention a few.