Art has long been associated with white cis-hetero normative male artists and art theory and practices that enforce their status, often leaving out women artists. The rise of feminism confronts the art establishment and is used as a tool to tear down socio-political structures. Feminism began in the early 1900s and, over the span of 120-plus years, would challenge and protest for political rights for all and further extend the focus on all areas of socio-political life, the inclusion of women of color and minorities, and trans-genderism. While much has changed, there is still a large contrast in representation, exhibition, and sales between men and women artists. “The highest price paid for a painting was $91 million by a male artist; in contrast, the highest price achieved by a contemporary female artist is $12.4 million " (Chambers, 2023, p.5). Modern art history textbooks are often lacking in women artists, and H. W. Janson’s History of Art, a textbook still used today, didn’t mention women until the 5th edition in 1995 (Freeland, 2003, p.38). There are successful women artists like Georgia O'Keeffe, who has a museum dedicated to her, and the National Museum of Women Artists in Washington D.C, but still the gulf remains.
Modern feminist artists have
argued that building on preexisting art structures is still rooted in colonialist
and white hetero norms. Modern education is more accessible and accommodating
to female artists, with 70% of female art students, but exhibitions and sales
are male-dominated. In 1984, The Museum of Modern Art had an exhibition of over
200 artists, of whom only 17 were women and even fewer artists of color (Tate,
2018, 01:05). With most art school students being female, why is there a huge
disparity between representation and opportunity between the sexes? When the
art establishments are confronted, it is often met with the reply that the
women were just not good enough and that women’s art doesn’t sell, and the art
collector responds that they would buy women’s art if it were available, which
creates a catch-22. Trying to reinvent and create a place for women artists in the
preexisting white hetero-male art model has issues, and modern feminists are
reevaluating and challenging the structures through forms of artivism, social media,
and education.
Feminist artists often use new media to deconstruct art structures and confront the male gaze with mediums such as photography. The artist Cindy Sherman used this medium in a series of photographs called the " Untitled Filmstills," in which she posed in different situations reminiscent of old Hollywood movies. The photographs were heavy with tension and dread, with Sherman objectifying the spectator, turning the male gaze upside down. She has no “essence” but is a construct of the camera that alludes to mystery and suspense, which controls the image and confronts the viewer with the social expectations of gender. Groups like the Guerrilla Girls have adopted various strategies to confront the lack of equality and representation for women in the arts. They use humor, numbers, and facts to bring attention to these issues and challenge the male-dominated Western canon. Their efforts are not just about raising awareness but also about deconstructing the contemporary art model that is centered on white male heterosexual normative. Modern feminist artists focus on this deconstruction, which examines gender identity and its social role in art. By dismantling the “historical “image of women and its associated gender roles, they demonstrate that gender is a performative cultural act that is learned and performed (Butler, 1988, p.522). This shift in perspective on the performative roles of gender reveals the fluidity of gender and the liberation from constructed cultural gender norms. To build a new system, it is necessary to change how artists are viewed, recognizing that they range across a spectrum of gender identities. This allows for creating an environment where the artist is truly based on their artwork and not their constructed gender performances.
Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Still #14, 1978
Cindy Shermen's Untitled Film Still #10, 1978
References
Butler, J. (1988). Performative Acts and Gender
Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Theatre Journal,
40(4), 519-533. https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/1650/butler_performative_acts.pdf
Chambers, E. (2023). “Who can do something, do what they can.” Art Journal, 82(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043249.2023.2194800
Freeland, C. (2003). Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press Academic UK. https://tiffin-bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780191579325
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