Essay on Women in Art History

Feminist Art: Empowering Women in the Art World

Feminist art production commenced in early 1970s in the United State of America after a long period of feminist activism[1]. Women remained and continue being an important part of school of art despite facing opposition in the art world in the traditional narrative of art history. Women have encountered problems owing to sex preferences and faced hurdles in training coupled with selling and acquiring recognition and appreciation in their art work. The first recognized campaign of feminist started in the middle 19th century and proceeded until 1920 when women secured the right to vote[2].

Before then no women art was produced which necessitated foundation for activism across the world. Most notable contribution of Judy Chicago’s include development of The Dinner Party art that remained the most famous feminist monument seeking to address social, political and economic rights of female. However, women’s concern about their responsibility and role in the community remained in their heart. The United States had a well-established gallery and museum systems. Women were concerned with equal representation in art institution centers. Females formed various women arts campaign organizations to agitate for feminist artist rights and concerns in the society. The organizations objected museums which were biased and exhibited few or no female artists. The protests were fruitful since they registered a percentage rise in representation of women artists. In some areas like Califonia women channeled their effort and focus on creating new and separate space for women art work and avoided competing for existing systems which led to establishment of women’s workshop studios[3]. For example in 1973 a Feminist Studio Workshop was created with two year program for feminist artists that covered women studio practices, theory and criticism. The art critics played a significant role in women art movement in early 1970s by focusing its attention to the isolation of women artists from the principles of art in the United States[4].

Additionally, it focused on addressing and rewriting the men established criteria of art critics and aesthetic. Moreover, women authors launched critic essays on why there was no great women artists who played a vital role since it critically questioned classification of greatness in men and initiated women revision of art narrative ultimately resulting in inclusion of more female artist in art history publication and books. For example in England art critics founded women art history collective in 1973 that further addressed issue of women omission in western art historical canon[5]. The end of 1970s brought to a halt the period of radical idealism in history of art theory. However, in 1980s women artists geared their efforts on mental analysis and postmodern theory which viewed and examined the body in a more intellectually isolated manner than the female experience that dominated in understanding of art canon history in the society in 1970s[6]. The female activists continued compelling expansion of feminist art but were not always aligned to firm society beliefs, however they expressed need for gender equality in art work in the western. Despite pressure exerted by activists in 1970s there were loop holes since women had not realized equal representation in established art systems.

Continued discrepancies led to emergence of Guerrilla Girls group in 1985 that sought to fight racism and sexism in art world through demonstration, speaking and performing at various platforms putting on guerrilla masks. The association usually used to conceal their real identity using masks to evade subsequent repercussions for speaking against biased art institutions[7]. The group managed to pursue their demands by moving a step ahead using plastered posters of feminist arts across the New York City coupled with buying advertising space for their images. Such posters conveyed their demands and applied humor and designs to express political concerns to the administration. Additionally, other feminists’ activist used mass communication and utilized difficult political statement and catchy slogans to demand equal representation in the art works in the established museums. The female activists sought to demolish male dominance in social perceptions and focused less on differences between men and women which was rampant in 1970s feminist art[8].

Examination of the impact of feminism helped understand the fundamental beliefs regarding what was excluded in the art world. As observed in 1970s the artwork in United States of America governed by regulations and aged hierarchical structures were still strong and rampant[9]. The art world followed the belief that males were superior to females and that men were universal. For example when a man artist communicated, he spoke for the whole world but when a female artist talked, she spoke for herself. Logically, the statement meant that women were discriminated and incapable of addressing the universal world relative to their male counterparts. The notion limited representation of feminist artists in established museums in New York. The belief made females feel isolated and hence commenced demanding for consideration on equal basis. [10]However, following the deeply embedded opposition to feminism and feminist movement, their campaigns earned little attention from the regime. Feminism was better understood in the context of artistic works as opposed to the intellectual context which made the society attach no or little value to women artistic works. Feminism was viewed as an irritating gesture outside the mainstream of art; however, some artist could still perceive something new.

Feminism continued rebranding and widening its boundaries. Unfortunately, its leaders who best worked for female artwork were downgraded almost at the same time in the art past. The only artists who benefited were males[11]. However, presence of women in art alarmed the art world that there was a high possibility that many other talented artists were being sidelined and denied opportunity to explore their talents. Unfortunately women of color failed garner support and good organization back-up to penetrate in the world of art unlike white women. However, in 1980s some light shed on women of black hence making them be recognized though not fully through initiation of multiculturalism which became fashionable in the world of art[12]. Museums and galleries continued discriminating against women. In spite of incorporation of female and non-whites in the academic and rational world, the world of art remained an obstacle consequently denying many artists entry in the closed systems. Therefore women who became prominent artists in 1970s did so by moving to new fields or installation arts that were less desirable. Additionally, the rising significance of female artists and people of color in the art world owe remarkable effort to particular female activists rather than the powerful and known white artists’ mainstreams that existed in that era.

About 20 years down the line, some of the artists were able to criticize servitude through employment of difficult whites’ books on captivity. Owing to the benefits from their knowledge and awareness on artwork viewers, females depended on their audience to fathom the subject of slavery and inequality biasness. Another remarkable feminist art work by Beyoncé made an artwork publishment in January 2014 where she penned a short essay that Gender Equality was a Myth. The artwork sought to shed some light on how the human kind continued to discriminate women even in the 21st century.

Notably, feminism art led to emergent of a first-hand call for a more detailed content geared to subject issues. Feminism artwork has stopped being univocal and changed to a movement of many voices across the world comprising of male, female, westerns and non-westerns[13]. In the modern society rarely would one find a young women identifying themselves with feminism owing to fear of undesirable generalization associated with women art. However, females have benefited from the effort of feminism movement since 1970s. Notably, had been prevailing injustices against females in the art world. Surprisingly, there are great women artists who hardly get one individual show in large museums.

In 1980s females in America experienced discrimination despite continued fight for their role in the society. In 2007 A Little Taste of Love monument was built seeking to mimic the figure of Ingres Grande Odalisque which asked the audience to imagine an art that upheld black female figure as the highest standard of beauty in the world[14]. However, some relevant gains have been observed; for example from 2008 and 2010, there was a female in the 3rd rank from the president[15]. Moreover in 2008 a female declared her candidature and competed for the presidency in the United State of America. Women have indeed been given opportunities to hold public offices across the world hence demonstrating their recognition and responsibility in the community. Today, a fresh group of women artists continue showing progress as they speak directly about gender biasness in their art work. Such artists serve as good examples. In the 1970s many female artists would yield art centered on personal issues thus providing little on broad women concerns[16]. Additionally, female artists rarely feel obligated to identify themselves with women artists coupled with communicating general women’s perspective. Most often contemporary artists focus on personal narratives and use nontraditional materials.

Conclusively, the goal of feminist artists aimed at reclaiming position of women in the society. The art played a significant role in addressing gender biasness hence enabling woman to take an active part in development. Female activists indeed managed to create an ideal picture of a woman with intellectual capacity that can be harnessed by the community. The feminist movement helped eradicate the firmly held traditional beliefs which diminished women in the society ultimately transforming people’s mind to viewing a woman as an asset. Contribution feminist activists enabled women to earn trust from public offices. The movement played an integral role in elimination of discrimination based on gender, race, and ethnicity hence bringing a revolution in art.

Bibliography

Brodsky, Judith K. The power of feminist art: The American movement of the 1970s, history and impact. Edited by Norma Broude, and Mary D. Garrard. New York: HN Abrams, 1994.

Meskimmon, Marsha. “Chronology through cartography: mapping 1970s feminist art globally.” © The MIT Press, 2007.

Mierle Laderman Ukeles, ‘Maintenance art manifesto’ in Harrison and Wood, Art in theory 1900-2000, Oxford: Blackwell, 2003, 917-19

Schapiro, Miriam, and Melissa Meyer. ”Waste Not Want Not: An Inquiry into What Women Saved and Assembled--FEMMAGE (1977-78).” Heresies 1 1977: 66-9.

[1] Schapiro, Miriam, and Melissa Meyer. ”Waste Not Want Not: An Inquiry into What Women Saved and Assembled--FEMMAGE (1977-78).” Heresies 1 (1977): 66-9.

[2] Mierle Laderman Ukeles, ‘Maintenance art manifesto’ in Harrison and Wood, Art in theory 1900-2000, Oxford: Blackwell, 2003, 917-19

[3] Meskimmon, Marsha. ”Chronology through cartography: mapping 1970s feminist art globally.” © The MIT Press, 2007, pp.24-46.

[4] Brodsky, Judith K. The power of feminist art: The American movement of the 1970s, history and impact. Edited by Norma Broude, and Mary D. Garrard. New York: HN Abrams, 1994, pp.53-87.

[5] Meskimmon, Marsha. ”Chronology through cartography: mapping 1970s feminist art globally.” © The MIT Press, 2007, pp.24-46.

[6] Schapiro, Miriam, and Melissa Meyer. ”Waste Not Want Not: An Inquiry into What Women Saved and Assembled--FEMMAGE (1977-78).” Heresies 1 (1977): 66-9.

[7] Meskimmon, Marsha. ”Chronology through cartography: mapping 1970s feminist art globally.” © The MIT Press, 2007, pp.24-46.

[8] Brodsky, Judith K. The power of feminist art: The American movement of the 1970s, history and impact. Edited by Norma Broude, and Mary D. Garrard. New York: HN Abrams, 1994, pp.53-87.

[9] Schapiro, Miriam, and Melissa Meyer. ”Waste Not Want Not: An Inquiry into What Women Saved and Assembled--FEMMAGE (1977-78).” Heresies 1 (1977): 66-9.

[10] Mierle Laderman Ukeles, ‘Maintenance art manifesto’ in Harrison and Wood, Art in theory 1900-2000, Oxford: Blackwell, 2003, 917-19

[11] Brodsky, Judith K. The power of feminist art: The American movement of the 1970s, history and impact. Edited by Norma Broude, and Mary D. Garrard. New York: HN Abrams, 1994, pp.53-87.

[12] Schapiro, Miriam, and Melissa Meyer. “Waste Not Want Not: An Inquiry into What Women Saved and Assembled--FEMMAGE (1977-78).” Heresies 1 (1977): 66-9.

[13] Mierle Laderman Ukeles, ‘Maintenance art manifesto’ in Harrison and Wood, Art in theory 1900-2000, Oxford: Blackwell, 2003, 917-19

[14] Schapiro, Miriam, and Melissa Meyer. ”Waste Not Want Not: An Inquiry into What Women Saved and Assembled--FEMMAGE (1977-78).” Heresies 1 (1977): 66-9.

[15] Brodsky, Judith K. The power of feminist art: The American movement of the 1970s, history and impact. Edited by Norma Broude, and Mary D. Garrard. New York: HN Abrams, 1994, pp.53-87.

[16] Meskimmon, Marsha. ”Chronology through cartography: mapping 1970s feminist art globally.” © The MIT Press, 2007, pp.24-46.