Women, Art and Feminism

Written: Here is my six and a halfish page rough draft essay. I still have to add two sources from our text book, but I included the reference for the anthology itself. I know there will be some, I just have to get around to looking them up and plugging them in somewhere. The references at the end look right in the paper... I just can't indent with the blog... anywho... This is by no means finished, and as typical of my drafts, it is very rough. I need to elaborate on certain spots and edit.

Design: As for the design portion, I'll probably choose some photograph or painting by a woman artist, one that displays some if not all of these themes. Then I'll do a little write up on how it relates to the topic. However, if I have time, I would like to make something! Perhaps postsecret style. However I don't see myself finding the time, but it could happen.

So... enjoy?

Women, Art and Feminism

Women have been denied the joys of many spheres throughout history. Up until recently have women finally been able to leave the house and go out into the public sphere. There are women doctors, athletes, soldiers and women out in the workforce. But what about women in the world of art? Think of your favorite artist or any artist for that matter. Is the artist you’re thinking of a woman? Chances are he’s not. If she is a woman, chances are she’s not that famous or even famous enough to be in a museum like the Met, according to the Guerrilla Girls “Less than 3% of the artists in the Met. Museum are women, but 83% of the nudes are female” (Guerrilla Girls). In this paper I will explore women in art, paying specific attention to feminist art. I will go over the history of women in art, discuss the current problems women artists are dealing with today, and point to where the future of feminist art and women in art is heading.

History of Women in Art and Feminist Art

As was the current ideology of women, their main sphere was in the home. This notion of womanhood has been around what seems forever. Since a woman’s place was only in her husband’s home with her family, she was not allowed to seek out work outside the home. One example of an early well known painter is Sofonisba Anguissola who lived from 1532 through 1625. As typical of an early woman painter, she was mainly able to do this because of her father who was a painter himself and a member of the nobility (Farber). Through her father, Anguissola had the family encouragement, as well as institutional help.

Institutional help is one of the main complaints, which Linda Nochlin discussed in her prominent article “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” She first begins by asking the titles very question, which leads her to the two possible answers: the question of class and genius, which she both dismisses (157-8). Nochlin looks over etiquette books which depict women’s homely duties, which reinforce the notion that a woman’s place is in the home. She may have hobbies, which can include painting and embroidery, but her first priority is her family. So she cannot attend colleges, it would be a waste of time and money. Plus, if she did was ever allowed to take courses, there was one aspect or skill she could never attain.

Speeding forward to about two centuries ago, women began to question and try to enroll into art classes and schools. It wasn’t until 1827 that the first set of women given membership to the National Academy of Design School, and then four years later the school began to enroll women in courses (Ledes 26, 28). However, there was just one thing missing from these young women’s course loads, and that was life drawing. In life drawing courses, a nude model would pose for the students, which was inappropriate for women to see and study. However, it was deemed appropriate for females as well as males to pose in such classes. Nochlin states it best, “Deprived of encouragements, educational facilities and rewards, it is almost incredible that a certain percentage of women did persevere and seek a profession in the arts.” It was not until 1847 that women were able to attend such classes (Ledes 28).

Getting women into the academic world was the first step and one of the larger hurdles to overcome. This made way for other women to follow in the footsteps of other women. For the most part feminist art mirrored a lot of the issues feminism brought up throughout the years. However, feminist art didn’t come onto the playing field until the 1970s. Carey Lovelace gives the best description of feminist art, as a “gendered-based art with a political edge,” which makes complete sense (91). Thus the issues most women were grappling with at this time, included exposure, women’s experience, and the gendered-body. All of these can be grouped into one theme for the 1970s, and that is identity. The taken for granted notions of womanhood were questioned, and women artists displayed this in their art. Through the exposure of such feminine devices as tampons to everything pink, it was put on the easel.

Of course, as with 1970s feminism, the experience of African American women was one group which was not being represented. Before overcoming sexism, African American women needed to overcome racism, so the art they produced was different as it related to their additional form of inequality felt through experience. “It was not until the spring of 1971 that black women artist, as a whole, began to finally make a breakthrough,” stated Kay Brown in her article from 1998 “The Emergence of Black Women Artists: The 1970s, New York (45). This is not to say that racism is in the past, as well as sexism, these are still current issues felt even today.

The 1970s gave way for the 1980s, where the idea of “representation became the dominant focus” (Lippard 77). This was a more refined view of the identity crises felt in the 1970s. Representation encompassed questioning gender in other ways, such as the idea of “queer art” as well as looking over the older greatly visited themes but through a new lens. On a somber note, current politics and issues such as the introduction to the AIDS epidemic played a large role in art, as well as “many of the original feminist issues were reframed” (Lippard 77).

Next, the 1990s was characterized as a backlash period for feminism. Lies that women and men were equals, in the workforce for instance became a widely disputed fact and reaction to feminism. Thus artists looked back to earlier works for inspiration, and to delve into the issues and prove that there is still a lot of ground to be made in the movement. This is displayed in Lovelace’s comment that critics professed that the problem with feminist art was “victim art” (93). Clearly artists were not displaying themselves as empowered beings, and critics noticed this, and in a way critics felt that artists were just reiterating old themes of sexuality, gender issues, submissiveness and femininity. Following the 1990s, this leads us to the 21st century with the current issues and problems within the art world.

Current Themes and Problems in Art

As with the previous decade, currently artists in the 21st century are beginning to looking back at the earlier works of women artists for inspiration. However, as feminist art is a gendered art with political insights, whatever is going on politically will be addressed and reflected through their works. Issues artists are concerned with include “the global class struggle, with racism, with peace. . .” (Lippard 78). Currently we have been at war, for the past eight years, and so the issues of peace have been brought back to the attention of artists. The issues of class struggles within the third world, discrimination and peace have been analyzed by previous artists, but the emphasis on global issues will continue to be found in art, as our consciousness expands.

Another current hot topic is the environment. Going green is the new thing lately, and it is reflected through art, and feminist artists are noticing this as well. With global warming on the rise and alternative energy sources being a popular subject, the environment has been getting a lot of attention. As in the political spotlight environmental issues and the emergence of “eco-art” is being to make waves, as it is “all about claiming space for alternative value systems” (Lippard 78). It’s about exposure, and getting the word out so to speak and making people think about how they are using their resources and about the effects nature is facing. Issues like the ownership of water sources, recycling, and reducing air born emissions are just a few which have been addressed.

One of the last issues Lippard addresses is the fact that women’s bodies are still areas of dispute, even today, “created in the midst of religious fundamentalism, nationalism and war. Our bodies are still battlegrounds” (79). This is not surprising, as the issues of pro-choice/pro-life have been currently at odds, and have been prominent issues in our latest election. With this happening politically and nationwide, it is no surprise that the body and women’s rights are still at odds to be disputed and it is reflected in works of art. Artists are still grappling with these issues, because of current turmoil.

Lastly, there is still problem that Nochlin noticed three decades earlier, of the fact that there are no great women artists. Event today, well-known woman artists and feminist artists are really only known within a certain group, that being those within the field which pays particular attention to them. Women artists like Judy Chicago, Faith Ringgold, Cindy Sherman, Nancy Spero and Lorna Simpson have only become known to me because of this project. I never would have been able to delve into their work and as a result I would have never been able to recognize their names and subjects and each woman’s specific focus. Even today, women artists still need to be noticed, and placed in prominent museums, instead of having to create their own galleries like “WACK!” So have women really picked up much ground, or have we not really addressed the root issues if we’re still examining old feminist art topics?

Future Solutions and Where Feminist Art is Heading

Talk about body issues and the reexamination of old issues is particularly insightful from Christabel Wiebe in her article “What’s a Girl to Do?” After viewing the “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution” art exhibit, she had a few things to get off of her chest, “We may like to entertain the notion that we have moved beyond body issues, identity politics and a patriarchal world order, but let’s not kid ourselves” (Wiebe 114). While women have made waves of improvements, the issues are still there, but we’ve taken in what we’ve learned and are now looking at the issues through a different lens so to speak. Wiebe states that our feelings on things like makeup have changed; they’re now viewed as empowering and as a pleasure, “our values have shifted a little” (114). So are we really past the issues brought up in the past, certainly no, but we’re till facing them and learning.

One last great point Wiebe makes is in her discussion of perspectives and incomplete histories. She states that galleries and shows “raise more questions about how the presentation of those histories is imperfect, so that other artists come to light and more work is done” (116). Later artists pick up where the previous ones left off, and in turn help add more to the history and mural of women’s experienced lives. It is this idea that history seen through women’s perspective is a continuing journey and will always be rewritten, and reexamined. In a way it is not static but always changing and discovering.

As for the future of feminist art, looking towards the current issues such as the environment, global issues of poverty and world hunger, as well as those felt at home are developing subjects for artists, which they are currently grappling with. The idea of the world or a global perspective has already been hinted at recently. Most notably there has been a call to concentration on “the insecurity of labor in the global economy” (Lippard 79). Globalization has been a hot topic as well as the internet and cyberspace. One other aspect that has brought about globalization, and the issues that follow it, has been the topic of many which is our ever reliance on technology and how fast we have advanced these technologies. As history has shown, art in general follows a nations political and social issues, and so will feminist art.

Conclusion

After going through the past forty years of art in relation to women and feminism, there is one overriding theme which connects them, and that is that these issues of women’s bodies, identities, power and femininity never seem to go away. There is also the theme of art mirroring current activist projections and political concerns. It has been said that artists are able to pick up on social changes and are the first to question such institutions. Overall, as a whole with each decade, the questions and topics of concern are thought about through a different set of eyes, which perhaps is taken for granted at times. Hopefully this mini review of the history of women in art and feminist art, current issues and problems and future projections of women in art and feminist art has been helpful.

References

Brown, Kay. “The Emergence of Black Women Artists: The 1970s, New York.” International
Review of African American Art. 15.1 (1998): 45-52.

Farber, Dr. Allen. Language of the Visual Arts. Sofonisba Anguissola. Fall 2008. Dept. of Fine
Arts, State University of New York. 1 Dec. 2008. <http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth200/artist/sofonisba.htm>.

Guerrilla Girls. Do Women Have to be naked to get into U.S. Museums? 2007. Guerrilla Girls, Inc. 1 Dec. 2007 .<http://www.guerrillagirls.com/posters/getnakedshanghai.shtml>.

Kesselman, Amy, Lily D. McNair, Nancy Schniedewind, and Suzanne Kelly, eds. Women: Images and Realities, A Multicultural Anthology. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Ledes, Allison Eckardt. “Women Artists in New York City.” The Magazine Antiques. 164.3 (2003): 26, 28.

Lippard, Lucy. “Issues & Commentary: No Regrets.” Art in America. 95.6 (2007): 75-79.

Lovelace, Carey. “Feminist Group Shows: Girls, Girls, Girls.” Art in America. 95.6 (2007): 88-91.

Nochlin, Linda. “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” Women, Art, and Power: and Other Essays. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.

Wiebe, Christabel. “What’s a Girl to Do?” Border Crossings. 26.3 (2007): 112-117.

A feminist postsecret

I absolutely love this. It is a youtube video similar to what the postsecret project does, but is exclusively for women. The video entitled “What are Your Dreams for Women?” asks for postcard art which to answer the question stated. The video shows some examples of what people have mailed into the Vancouver based group Antigone Magazine. This video brings up a lot of the issues we’ve discussed throughout our course in Women’s Studies, from images of femininity and beauty, gender, women’s bodies and health, women in politics, rape and violence. Through drawings, clippings from magazines, paint and decoupage a single postcard can be dramatically changed to point towards social action and a message. If you check out the Antigone Magazine website you can see even more examples. As you scroll down you’ll come to a scanned image of a typed letter, you can read about how this project has been used as a form of therapy for girls at an eating disorder hospital. Also, donations are taken to promote young women to be aware of politics and civil rights. I feel that this is the perfect post to end with, as it includes art and women’s issues all in one.

Lastly, in relation to our final project which needs some form of artistic muse or creation of our own, this could be an example of what you could come up with. I have also included the postsecret link for those of you who are interested. Enjoy!

Not for the faint of heart: The Penis Project

Straight from Okemos, Michigan, we have Sue Long, an artist who has embarked on a project centered on the penis. Click this link to check out her artist’s statement about why she’s constructing a lot of ceramic penises. What she seeks to accomplish through this is to treat the male sex organ the same what that women’s have been treated through media. It’s an interesting concept. If you would like to, click on the gallery at the right of the page and scroll down to the project link to check out the ceramics. You may be uncomfortable looking at them at first, because it’s something that isn’t seen a lot in the media. This of course is the point Sue Long is making, that unlike women’s breasts which are flaunted, the penis is kept under wraps. She asks if this is a form of power, and I can see how it is. After looking at them, you can see that she uses humor in her work, through the names of the pieces as well as a variety of glazes and types. Yet, I wonder does exploiting men the same way women are really help equalize the situation? Something to think about.

And lastly, Sue Long is the mother of a friend of mine.

“GENDER ALARM!” and “Brain Child” Canadian Exhibitions

This exhibition takes place in La Centrale Gallery in Montreal, Canada. The gallery was created by three women in 1973 who placed a billboard ad calling for women artists. Their goal was to meet and discuss the difficulties women artists face in being recognized in the art world. Now the gallery is one of the foremost feminist galleries and has recently reached out to include masculine studies, Third-World feminist and an emphasis on race, class and sex. Brain Child is the most recent exhibition, by Allyson Mitchell, which includes 1980s ceramic figurines, like Strawberry Shortcake displayed on the page. She uses these figurines to delve into our society’s notions of women’s intelligence. While seemingly innocent and childish, these toys and precious breakable figurines have a lot to say about the creation of childhood. Growing up I remember owning a few breakable dolls, and placing them on pedestals. I wish I could find more photos of these two exhibits, but they’re too current. And as I’ve discovered all semester that women artists such as these aren’t really sought after and recognized even in today’s media. Check out the links!

La Centrale Gallery website
Link to the current programs for the year

Another exhibition “Through Feminist Eyes”

I have been posting a lot of videos for this week, a little change from the usual webpages of article/artists. This exhibition entitled “Through Feminist Eyes” made possible through the University of New Mexico, occurred a little over two months ago. Judy Chicago and Meinrad Craighead actually juried the exhibition which is interesting to note. Go ahead and click on the actual university website and look over the winning pieces. Then click on the video of the actual exhibit. I’m sorry that it’s so loud and hard to hear at times, but take from it what you can. There you will see a few of the artists and their pieces. I think this is pretty amazing that they have an actual Feminist Research Institute on campus which is available to faculty, student and graduates and reaches out to other disciplines, such as art. The exhibition also includes some male artists, which proves that men can be just as important as women are in the feminist movement. I really liked Julianne Harvey's "The Nine Muses" and Julia Sapir's "Irene At The Beach." Enjoy!

She’s burning down the house: Edwina Sandys

“Burning Down the House: Building a Feminist Art Collection,” is an exhibit of more than fifty works at the Brooklyn Museum. This link will take you to an interview with Edwina Sandys, an artist featured at the exhibition. Here she talks about feminism and one of her on going pieces which is of a marriage bed. It is not just an interesting looking bed; it is so much more than that. Through this mixed media piece, you see both the cruel and loving sides depicted through the bed. For some marriage is sometimes bliss, but it can also be a nightmare for many. Sandys goes on to discuss how a woman’s purpose in life was created through her marriage to a man. Only through her husband was she given an identity, and that was an identity of companionship or servitude. I have also included the link to the Brooklyn Museum website where you can read more about the exhibition. You can click on “VIDEO” on the right to view more videos with other artists in the exhibition, the videos of Ida Applebroog and Tracey Moffatt were interesting to look at. Enjoy!

A very brief overlook of women artists

The link I have posted is entitled “Highlights from the National Museum of Women in the Arts” and is through the Washington Post. This short video is narrated by Judy L. Larson and shows a total of twelve works from the past and present which are included in the gallery. After you watch the video, click on the bottom where it stays “View Individual Images and Captions” so you can read a little about each piece and see who the artist is. Several of them are wives of famous artists like Pollock and de Kooning. Frida Kahlo is included also, as well as some newer pieces and newer mediums. The second piece in the slideshow is a place setting for Emily Dickinson from Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party.” (I did a post on “The Dinner Party” earlier this semester) Another piece I thought was interesting is the tenth painting entitled “A Gentleman’s Table” which shows an arrangement of “male” indulgences such as liquor and gambling. So enjoy, it’s a quick clip.

Photographer and film artist Lorna Simpson

While you don’t have to read the entire article I poseted on her work, do check out the pieces of her artwork that are displayed. It gives a really good overview of her work. I always struggle with which part of an artist’s career I should point out to you, either past or present work. But this shows just about everything she has done. A lot of the themes and topics Lorna Simpson focuses on include race, sex and gender. Violence and racial profiling are also a focus in her work. At first glance, some of her photographs resemble the line ups found in police offices, where a victim looks over the line. Other times there is a subtleness found in her landscapes or photos, like “The Staircase” and “Cloud.” My favorite are the “Corridor (Phone)” and the haunting “Untitled (2 Necklines)” which includes photo and text. The text “feel the ground sliding from under you” really adds to the piece, as her head and body are missing only her neck is present. Very moving.

Here is the article/review.
And here is a link to her personal site where you can view her current work. Enjoy!

Cindy Sherman, a photographer

Cindy Sherman is another well known woman artist. Her medium is photography, and in particular she began by photographing herself in what she deemed the “Untitled Film Stills.” In these stills she depicted herself in varying roles, and they’re set up like film stills. The link I provide comes from the MoMA website, or the Modern Museum of Art in New York, about their recently acquired photographs from the series in 1997. Through these photographs you see vivid portraits of how femininity was imagined and what women strived for around post WWII. She depicts many different scenes and many different characters in these photographs. From their poses to dress, a lot can be examined in her black and white photos. Her work with stills ended in 1980, and she began work using materials such as prosthetics and sex dolls to explore the almost grotesque through use of elements of disgust and decay. She is one to know.

Here is the link for the MoMA website. Click on the #s in the text to view some of her photos.
I don’t know why, but I am drawn to this photograph. It’s a little disturbing, but I can’t help myself.
Here are some other famous ones. Untitled 96, Untitled 21, and Untitled 86.

Nancy Spero is being honored...

via the National Women’s History Project (along with other women artists such as Faith Ringgold and Judy Chicago). She is best known for her participation with protest against the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement and the women’s movement. Her work relates back to the idea of the “male gaze,” which showed films and other media from the male perspective. Nancy Spero has tried to move away from the “male gaze” to create a “woman’s vision.” However most of her work is seen as a protest against war and male dominance. She later uses the images of Medusa and Greek goddesses in her art. From animal rights to the abuse of women and the poor, she has done it all. Enclosed are links to the actual article for the women being honored at the National Women’s History Project site. The other link is to a collection of her artwork which spans from 1952 to 1996.

Link for the NWHP site.
Link for a viewing of Nancy Spero's work.
Youtube video of Spero talking about her work.

This has been a popular poster for sometime now

Even from the 1980’s it is still around and well known in the art world. I keep finding this when I would search for articles and videos to post, so I figured it was about time to put it up. This is another poster made by the Guerrilla Girls, and this one is very similar to the article in our text Women: Images and Realities by Kesselman, McNair and Schniedewind. The list in the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” found in our text by Peggy McIntosh lists similar things to this post. This list is significantly more sarcastic in tone compared to the McIntosh article. From 1988, “The Advantages of being a Woman Artist” has only listed a few advantages, but these are powerful by themselves and have a lot to say about women regardless of being an artist. Take for instance “Having the opportunity to choose between career and motherhood” this one is felt by many women, as well as “Seeing your ideas live on in the work of others” can be felt by other women too. “Working without the pressure of success” is the one that bothers me the most, like she’s just painting for the fun of it. If it is “good” then that’s just by accident and its nice benefit, but it wasn’t expected. I feel that these can be applied even outside of the art world.

Here is the link for the poster.
Enjoy!

Pinaree Sanpitak

Pinaree Sanpitak, a sculptural artist from Thailand, has focused her energy into her recent installment which includes breast stupas, vessels and what she deems as “temporary insanity.” Her main focus is on the female body which encompasses themes of desire, sensuality, sensitivity, and the breast which has been the focus of taboos throughout history (like in the case of breastfeeding today). The “breast stupas” is an interesting title she uses for her fabric breast shaped sculptures. I had to look up the word “stupa” and found out that it is literally means a mound or “dome-shaped monument, used to hold Buddhist relics” or used as a place of worship. The stupas are similar in shape to Pinaree Sanpitak’s breasts; if you check them out at answers.com link it becomes apparent. The pull between the two terms “stupa” and “breast” is an interesting contrast. I found a video which presents the breast stupas as molds for French cuisine from the artist. It’s neat that the chef used these as a theme for his menu. It’s kind of long, but near the end he ties up each meal with an idea about women’s breasts which is pretty note worthy and the molds are just neat to look at. Also the background music is Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual” which should appeal to some.

Click here to check out the article on Pinaree Sanpitak and her work.
To see the answers.com entry on "stupa" click here.
Lastly, the link for the youtube video on the molds.

"The Furious Gaze"

With a title like The Furious Gaze, this exhibit really did sound exciting. It is a combination of many different artists from around the globe, and includes women from Ireland, Australia, Japan, Afghanistan, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the USA, all culminating together in Spain. Issues of gender, sexuality and questioning the relationships between women and men are some prevalent issues examined in their work. What I like best about this exhibit is that they take it another step further, not only including artists of different backgrounds and races, but on a global level which crosses the borders of nationality and language. I also like the title of the exhibit it’s self. It is a play on the concept of “the male gaze,” which is a term used in feminist theory to critique films, and it describes how audiences are forced to view a film from the male’s perspective. The male gaze focuses on women, and places them in the position of objects. The Furious Gaze turns this around and gives women the right of gazer and lets them focus on things which upset them in their realizations of the glass ceiling found in the world of art. Clearly there is something still wrong in the world of art, as women still need to make exhibits which focuses on the experiences of women which aren’t being incorporated into the mainstream art world.

Click here to view the site exhibit.
Click here to view one of the exhibit's artists Lida Abdul's work on youtube.

Icon as art, Barbara Kruger

Of all of the information I found on Barbara Kruger, this was the best source I could find even though it is not a professional site. Still, it is a site dedicated to the artist and I have the artists own website as back up. When you look at her artwork one of the first things you notice is the colors and text which pop out. She typically uses the stark contrast found in the colors of black, red and white. She also uses a layering effect in her art using found pieces to create a collage type look. Her art can be found on billboards, posters and in ads. Her main subjects include power and relations between men and women, violence, feminism and consumerism. Attached is a popular icon of hers, which was actually a billboard if I am not mistaken. Clearly this is questioning relations between males and females, and stating that we’re in a time in history where women can take care of themselves and don’t need men. Check that image out here.

To check out some more of her art click here.

Faith Ringgold, quilting as art

As someone who’s grown up with quilts and has been working on one for a couple of years, but can’t get around to working on it, I was excited to read about Faith Ringgold. As an African-American artist she uses “rich textiles, gorgeous colors and complex designs-a transgressive hybrid if there ever was one-to make mordant points about the politics of race and gender.” Ringgold is a prominent woman in Contemporary art, and through her work with quilts she made “women’s work” a valid form of art. One quilt which caught my attention was the quilt entitled “We Came to America” from 1997, click here. It shows a burning ship in the background of the quilt, and surrounding are slaves are trying to stay afloat and swimming desperately. In the foreground is the Statue of Liberty, holding a child. What is interesting is that the torch that Lady Liberty is holding is creating a cloud of smoke which drifts over towards the flaming ship. The images of the drowning slaves and the expressions on their faces are haunting, as they were forced from their homeland to come here.

The quote above is from the book Bad Girls by Marcia Tucker which was an exhibit at The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York.

You can check out the rest of her work here.
I thought this was interesting. I also found a video of Faith Ringgold talking about her children's coloring book which is about attempting to be color blind entitled, How the People Became Colorblind.

Women Only! In Their Studios, an exhibit

“Women Only! In Their Studios” was an exhibit which included fifty different types of art from sculpture to photographs to quilts. Each of the women artists included had a great effect on modern art today. What makes this grouping of artists special is the fact it is made up of a diverse group. The following entries I will after this will be two women artists I found from this exhibit. The fact that these women artists are hardly know to the greater public is a sad reality. One thing that I like about this exhibit is the inclusion of different materials the artists used in the work, Eleanor Flomenhaft states that “works were created with fabric, wallpaper, sequins, beading, and anything that referred to their lives without apologies and without stint” (from the wall panel text from the exhibition). I also like this little wall panel because it gives a brief history of what women in the art industry felt.

Here is the link for the exhibit.

An interesting combination, an artist and feminist therapist

This is a little outside of my topic area, but still kind of still inside the boundaries. Mary Kay Neumann who is a master of watercolors, one of the most difficult mediums to use (at least I think so), creates beautiful watercolors of flowers, nature and water. I felt that Neumann was noteworthy because of her work as a psychotherapist and founder of Women’s Psychotherapy Centre of Wisconsin. While helping not only women, but also men and other family members, those at WPCW seek to help trauma victims deal with a diverse list of struggles, from combating depression to confronting various forms of violence. As a feminist therapist, Neumann challenges the viewpoint of "the norm" and embraces the differences among us. She understands the differences of perspectives and that everyone has a “unique life story that is intertwined with the larger social, cultural and political world.” Through her work, these questions and exploration bring about change in the lives of clients. In her art, Neumann is inspired by her patients and the bravery they display through her work with them. This is a kind of the idea of art at work.

Check out her website here.
And check out WPCW here.

Peace cranes and war

Shannon Benine is a photographer whose main purpose for art is to help create a dialogue based on her work. Her photos and subject matters are politically charged and based around our current energy crisis. Past subjects included our nation’s necessity for foreign oil and the hardships faced by families caught in war. Her current project entitled 03.19.03, created in 2008, is made of “unfolded photograms of peace cranes” used to represent the number of causalities of the war in Iraq. What initially caught my attention to this instillation is the fact that she is using unfolded cranes to create the piece. I did a project in high school on folding cranes and as there is a tale that states that whoever folds 1,000 cranes would be granted a wish from a crane. In representing the casualties of war, the unfolded cranes were an appropriate choice as they are objects that can be used for peace and that could grant happiness. The fact that the cranes are unfolded is also interesting as they provoke images of “bullet holes” and “Islamic screens” as discussed in Benine’s synopsis of the piece. 03.19.03 stands as a memorial for those lost soldiers and as an outcry to our relaxed reception of this war.

You can see photos of her exhibit and the little synopsis of the piece by going to the website and clicking on “WORK” at the top left of your screen and then clicking on “2008” at the top. The seven small boxes at the top are links to the photos of the piece.

Not a ball of yarn, but a ball of bras?

In recent news from a few years ago, we have a project called the BraBall by Emily Duffy. It is part art and part time-capsule, you can see the artist's statement here. Finished in 2001, it is a ball made from interlocking bras with items in the center of the ball. The outside if filled with colorful bras while the inside is made out of plain colored bras. All bras used to create the piece were donations. Donations came from many sources including victims’ families, survivors of cancer, those who wanted to be a part of a woman focused project and from those who were outraged by the projects beginnings (Duffy originally collaborated with another artist, Nicolino, who was giving up his collection of bras and who eventually wanted to run off with her idea.. well that’s what Duffy said). I’m not sure who to believe. Anyway, the BraBall does bring up some interesting discussions on women’s clothing, is a bra’s main purpose for support? While it does support, it also constricts. Or is it for beauty? And for whose notion of beauty? Duffy describes the BraBall as “a physical manifestation of the way women support each other.” I can see that too. I like that it was made by women for women, using used women’s “unmentionable” garments. In a way she is addressing cultural taboos of dress and women’s sexuality.

To see the herstory of the BraBall click here.
Also, here is the BraBall's main website.

Depicting desolation through photography, Melody Golding

Photography is another kind of medium in the art world. One way it is used, is to illustrate our world as it is and to document history. One example of this is the book and exhibition “Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember: Photographs by Melody Golding.” Melody Golding’s book/exhibition depicts the vast amount of devastation created by hurricane Katrina. Along with photographs of participants, Golding also includes stories from the victims, some of who just happen to be artists themselves. The book includes 68 photographs along with 50 accounts from Mississippi women. The book and exhibit give a real sense to the destruction and the experiences of a diverse group of women. This is a way of preserving the history of the hurricane as well as that of women’s voices. The exhibition will continue to move throughout Mississippi and Louisiana on through 2009.

Click here to view the article. The website includes a slide show of her work as well as some background music, the song “Song for Katrina” by Lucia Lynn. To see more of her slideshows click here. Enjoy!

Sofonisba Anguissola, painter

One artist of the artists discussed in Meryl Zwanger’s article was Sofonisba Anguissola. She was an Italian painter, who worked with and even critiqued some of Michelangelo’s work; one could say she was pretty good at painting. She is best known for her portrait paintings, and eventually became a court painter. You can see some of her work here as well as a biography and analysis of her work. Looking at some of her self portraits, critics account for her “governess” like attire to portray her virtuous side as well as chastity. I wonder if critics would go so far as to say that this makes her sexless? It is interesting that in every portrait she’s wearing black, and critics account this to her virtuous and modest side. All of these are attributes to how women should behave, I’m not sure if it’s that easy to tell just by looking at an outfit. Clearly she was an amazing painter, and much of her work is still can still be found today.

“Women and Art in the Renaissance”

Check out this article.
Then read the following.

Switching from discussion on contemporary issues, I thought this article by Meryl Zwanger was interesting as it discusses women artists who created around the time of the Italian Renaissance. It asks the question, “Did women have a Renaissance?” Zwanger first notes that women artists were around, however very few, mostly because the vocation of artist was primarily a man’s. Most women artists during the Renaissance were daughters of noblemen or artists. While their talent was apparent and their work was praised for, they were described as “exceptions to their gender” or “miracles of nature.” She also noted that most women who did create art, stuck mostly to portraits or scenes depicting women’s work. That makes sense though, paint what you know. Zwanger also noted that most women artists eventually had to give up their work once they married to care for children and the home. The article also describes various images of women, like that of the Virgin Mary and Eve which depicts the virgin/slut dichotomy. In her conclusion, Zwanger states that women in the Italian Renaissance were under so much pressure that conforming to the prevalent social roles was necessary to survive, but that some women could do so if they had the means to rise against these pressures.

***Zwanger's article is posted via Columbia University through their feminist magazine Sister.

More than just pretty plates

Ms. Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” isn’t new, in fact its over 30 years old! I stumbled upon this article entitled “Ms. Chicago, Party of 39? Your Table’s Ready in Brooklyn” celebrating its permanent home in the Brooklyn Museum. The article can be found in the Feb. 1, 2007 edition of the New York Times by Robin Pogrebin. “The Dinner Party” is a triangular shaped table which has 39 dinner settings for prominent female figures throughout history. Each setting includes a goblet, eating utensils, a decorative table runner and an elaborate plate (again vulva inspired, or butterfly). Ms. Chicago did this as a way of reclaiming women’s history. Since this was such a large piece, it took a lot of help, and encompassed the work of many artists. What I love about this project was that it was inspired by painting china, and as Ms. Chicago states she wanted to “tell a woman's story through a woman's craft.” This is the idea of promoting "herstory" instead of "history," as "history" was documented by men who left out women's experiences and accomplishments.

I have enclosed some videos for you to look at. The first is from a clip from the documentary of the making of “The Dinner Party,” and the second is more recent which shows all of the place settings at the Brooklyn Museum.

So I found this article about 52 bronze vulvas...

With a title like “Tea, ladies? Oh, and by the way ...: an artist invited women for an unusual party: the result is a collection of 52 bronze vulvas” you just can’t help but be curious. The article by Julia McKinnell, published May 21, 2007 in the Canadian journal Maclean’s, discusses the creation of Toronto artist Deb Wiles’ idea for her bronze vulvas. The idea began as Wiles was sipping tea, after she had made an impression of her own. She enrolled in to art school at the age of 37, and begain inviting friends over for tea where she would ask if they would allow her to cast their vulvas. Of course participants would cast their own, and many eventually did. The reason the vulva casts are so interesting is because the vulva is a hidden part of women’s bodies, its something you don’t look at every morning. I mean, how many women have actually seen theirs? What participants took from this was a greater understanding of their bodies as well as the beauty of others. The bronze vulvas came in a range of sizes and shapes, and as a collection each was unique and beautiful in their own differences. I think it would be amazing to have mine cast and then display it in my home, or even use it as a paperweight.

Click here to check out Wiles’ website and the bronze vulvas.
The article can be found by searching at Academic OneFile or by checking out Deb Wile's website here.

Wearing fur and showing that feminists can be funny

One of the basic issues faced in the art world is the lack of women artists and artists of color in museums. One of my favorite places to get information on this issue is by checking out the Guerilla Girls website. The Guerilla Girls are a group of women artists who take on the names of departed women artists, like Frida Kahlo, as pseudonyms and wear gorilla masks at public appearances. They create humorous posters and books to help fight discrimination and call that changes be made to the system. Probably one of the most widely known of the posters is the one asking “Do women have to be naked to get into U.S. museums?” and then states that “Less than 3% of the artists in the Met. Museum are women, but 83% of the nudes are female.” Now doesn't that sound just a little bit unequal?

The Guerilla Girls website can be found here.
And you can check out that poster by clicking this.

A little bit about this blog

For Women's Studies 101 our class is using blogs to explore contemporary women's issues. I chose women and art. Art in all of its forms has always sparked my interest throughout my years. It has been said that artists can see our world more clearly and can sense things still to come. It is here where I hope to promote some discussion on women’s role in art and to also dive into issues women artists question with their work.