"Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?"
A question asked by the Guerrilla Girls in the early 1980s, parading the later of the feminist movement in art.
Tradition. I believe in tradition. A woman is a beautiful concept, the fragile picture, the sophist emotions. Often, that is how one is portrayed in art and
"novels in which the female was beloved because of certain mysterious womanly qualities. Always mentioned but never displayed."F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bernice Bobs Her Hair.
But maybe, because of this illusive perception, it has become a fascination of objectifying rather then displaying women.
So when exactly did the feminist movement begin?
There were many feminist artists without the movement to push their virtue. Like the illusive female concept, feminism is timeless.
"A painting to me is primarily a verb, not a noun, an event first and only secondarily an image.”Elaine de Kooning
Moderation. I believe in moderation.
How is this possible?
Our imagination only grows through watering the apex of our desires.
Was the point of feminist art (or feminism for that matter) to advance female equality by placing females upon a pedastool?
I met Mary Pratt once, who was the female baseball player the lead in 'A League of Their Own' was modeled after, a film depicting the creation and rise of woman's league baseball. When asked if women should play baseball with men, she answered "No.", "Women are built differently."
So where are women in the playing field and how can they play equally?
The answers to these questions you just may find a beyond the looking glass.
My Signed Baseball Card (Mary Pratt)
Elaine de Kooning Fairfield Porter 1954
Here is a man being objectified by a female artist.
Nayland Blake Heavenly Bunny Suit, 2003
A sculpture used to "challenge the constructions of masculinity".
"By stitching together the bunny costume out of fabric, a gesture to traditions of Women’s Work and craft, the piece is basically a manifestation of the artist’s take on the complications of gender and masculinity. "
- (Maura Reilly, Brooklyn Museum)
Carrie Mae Weems's Untitled (Man Smoking/Malcolm X), 1990
The vantage point of an African American female. The feminist movement began during a time when African-Americans were blocked off the political streets. Although this was made in the 1990's, it is interesting to see a woman being forced through the same emotions in an underground world of the bandwagon.
Frida Kahlo, Flower of Life, 1943
In Flower of Life, Frida Kahlo paints about her obsession with infertility in her own life.
Frida Kahlo's honesty was what made her a 'modern woman.' She dissected her own emotions as a woman without the objectifying looking glass. A woman's emotions are now as real and as candid as ever....
Look at it this way, when Oscar De La Renta creates a gown, he creates it the way he wants to see a woman wear it. When Diane Von Furstenberg creates a gown, she creates it the way she wants a woman to feel in it. A man's perception of a woman is limited, so through the cracks, an illusive perception of women grew.
And I ask you: If you are a female artist, does that make you a feminist artist?
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Personally, I feel as though you don't necessarily need to challenge a traditional view to be seen as a reformer.
ReplyDeleteAnd the art from the reformer is the same as the reformer themself, so I do feel as though a female artist is a feminist artist, but am willing to hear opposing opinions.
I too think that a female artist is a feminist artist. The thing is that it is true that women have been supressed all over the world for thousands of years- their thoughts, their views, their existence. And when a girl or woman decides to make art, which can be described at the most basic level as a vessel through which the artist shows the world his, or rather 'her' views, she is defying those many many years and standing up for herself and all other women. And art can be anything- modern or traditional...
ReplyDeleteNo,
ReplyDeleteI don't think a female artist is a feminist artist. Here in India we have many women who made pictures of the gopis adoring Krishna.The gaze of the gopis devotedly on Krishna.Krishna enjoying their company.(Krishna was a Hindu god-a bit like every woman's fantasy figure and the gopis were women who cooed over him).
Why should feminism be about a woman objectifying a man?Feminism is a positive concept-yet we want to make it the female equivalent of misogyny.
I think people fail to understand that there are girls who have a very poor opinion of themselves because they are girls.So they show no sympathy towards other women.They don't like their gender so obviously they don't like other women.If someone like that decides to paint she will show women satisfying the man.
BTW,Elaine de Kooning's Fairfield Porter is delicious!Every straight girl likes a hot guy.....
Lovely post,really deep Lillian.I really enjoyed reading this.
xxxx
Zehra
This is true, I suppose when I think of a female artist, I think of a modern woman.
ReplyDeleteHer thought and feeling are not feminist, however, is it feminist that she is displaying her true thoughts and feelings?
Yes, a woman objectifying a man is not the nor my 'idea' of feminism. Feminism is becoming like a race almost, women feel they need to race men, and the objectifying was setting the bar higher rather than setting it at an equal length.
A lot of feminists don't have patients, so I'm beginning to believe that patients is what makes a female artist, and inpatients is what makes a 'feminist' artist by the standards of the media.
Patients?
ReplyDeleteYou meant patience,right?
I agree its more like a race now.We want to better at everything,somehow the essence is lost,don't you think?
Love
Z
Wrong spelling.
ReplyDeleteThe essence of a woman, or the essence of the female's standing?
That's funny, I was just watching Miss. India 1994 explaining the essence of a woman. I actually agreed with her! She said to show men about love and caring because that is what they have..they are mothers and all that...
I love impatient woman, I value a little impatience in a woman.
The foremothers (I made that word up) in woman's rights were by all means not patient. This is because, woman's rights is not evolutionary by any means, it is revolutionary. It requires impatience.
But the essence of a woman isn't to push men off to the side, it is to show men how to act without a 'race'..and that does require patience..so there has to be a balance. Maybe that 'patience' is the 'essence' of a woman.
The essence of both-a woman's soul and her standing in society.
ReplyDeleteMiss India?Did Sushmita Sen win Miss India in '94 or was it '93?
I agree with the impatience part.I once read a Hindi poem talking about the value of impatience.
Yes! Sushmita Shen! I love her haha. What is India's opinion of her? She is my favorite Miss Universe by far..I know I'm a dope for beauty pageants.
ReplyDeleteI was standing in my pajamas with unbrushed hair crying for her as she won.
ReplyDeleteReally?Wow.
ReplyDeleteEven I love Sushmita Sen.She's really cool.Not the best actress but a total diva and she's a single mom with two adopted daughters! India loves her and is even a bit in awe of her independence and outspokenness.Most people admire her.Did you know that she's an actress?Its amazing that people so far away know about her.
I doubt many other people my age in America know of her. I'm just a Miss. Universe fan, so I happened to have stumbled upon her and looked her up on youtube. Yeah, but in Bollywood I never really thought it was so much about acting. When Aishwaryia Rai came to Hollywood, all I could think was how horrible her acting was. Although I love her in Bollywood.
ReplyDeleteAishwariya Rai isn't a great actress.She does decent work under decent directors.She is intelligent enough to do many bad films.Though sometimes she sparkles.Do you watch bollywood?If so, who are your fave actors?
ReplyDeleteI never watch Miss Universe.Not that I don't want to,I just don't end up watching it.Then most Miss India contestants are really annoying.
BTW Love the Van Morrison song.
I always thought that Bollywood favored sparlkles over tattoos. Hollywood seems to favor the more histrionic types.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't watch any particular Bollywood films, just songs and such. I like Aishwaryia Rai, Sushmita Shen, and I have heard of Deepika Padukone. Which explains why I feel Bollywood favors the beauty over brains.
And yeah, modern Miss Universe actually can be really annoying haha. You cant help but make fun of some of them and nobody has much talent. I like watching the older ones on youtube like Alicia Machado and Sushmita Shen.
well firstly, i think the definition of feminism is so muddled i have trouble knowing what its meant to stand for. so i usually go for the simple concept of equality. and i would argue that most women, or most people in fact, at least in theory, believe in equality (even if we all sometimes fail to carry it out in practice).
ReplyDeletebut i suppose that feminism in this sense could only be achieved by even statistics, which seems slightly pointless. its regrettable that so few women were good enough artists for their work to adorn museums, and while it's not their fault (as they were encouraged to do landscape after landscape or take up embroidery instead), it is probably safe to say that the work of men from the past was simply better, or (as that's such a subjective idea) more interesting. on the other hand, it's lovely that so many women are creative nowadays. which isn't to say that taking care of ones kids and husbands isn't admirable. or that being a subject of art isn't an art from in itself.
so, i don't know, maybe my apathy on the subject of gender differences comes from the fact i'd never been in an environment where i'd be discriminated against for being a girl, but i must say i'm dreadfully bored with all the gender talk. i just prefer to ignore it (but should probably be more grateful that i'm able to, yes). xx
Yes, as Reinhold Neibler once wrote in his book Moral Man and Immoral Society, society's highest moral ideal is justice (or fairness) while and individual's would be unselfishness. These two contradict eachother at times.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics presented by the Gorrila Girls I wouldnt necessarily would say were to point out..'this is how far we need to go for feminism to be put into place', but merely to show the unequal lengths of women.
When you say that mens' art is 'better', it of course depends how to you judge 'better'. By means of fame or the subject matter (women) or whatever.
I have to say after a while it does get boring because it can get very confusing. It's much like trying to dissect Pete Doherty haha. After long hours you finally end up with a string leading into a mousehole. And you just confess the string goes into the spheres of an unknown universe.
Basically, I think women need to paint more. And that's it. Then they will be equal..not statistic wise but showcasing-their-thoughts -and-feelings wise. And thats a faint, but my own accurate definition of equality I think most people agree with.