Work Text:
Mccormack poses an essential question that many people avoid addressing. How does objectifying women through art impact the female viewer? (Mccormack 147) She then goes on to say that how we are seen, as well as what we see, has the power to “change our fate”. (Mccormack 137) Another important point that she touches on is that whoever tells the story gets to decide who the “monster” is. (Mccormack 181) This means that people not only need to learn about diverse communities but also need to learn directly from those cultures, instead of some watered down version told by someone from the outside. Catherine suggests that the power lies in engaging with our collective histories and challenging what we perceive to be the norm. (Mccormack 217) The Guerilla Girls communicate an important message through their poster “You’re seeing less than half the picture”. This art piece contains a quote that reminds the audience that without the voices of minorities, nobody gets the whole story (Figure 1). A good example of female artists painting women is “Derica’s LA Loft” by Debra Cartwright. This image also plays an important role in this topic because it paints women in a restful light, where they have their own space to recharge. This reclaims the power that women have lost (Figure 2). Another great example of regaining control of female identity is Elisabetta Siranis’s “Timoclea kills the Captain of Alexander the Great”. This painting illustrates female power because the woman in the picture, Timoclea, was raped by the man she is shown pushing into a well. This not only depicts revenge but also shows the woman in a respectful way (she is not exposed or in discomfort). (Figure 3). I have always felt uncomfortable when people make inappropriate comments about women and felt safer in an environment that included women’s history as well as just men’s.
Images below↓
(Figure 1)
(Figure 2)
(Figure 3)
Florine Stettheimer was a fashion designer, poet and painter. Family Portrait, II contains strong symbols of femininity, such as the flowers that dominate the space (Gotthardt). Many art historians suggest that the flowers represent her and her two sisters, constantly growing and changing (Figure 1). In the past, society has kept women from being artists. This left a significant gap in art history, which makes it even more vital to have women in this space. Another relevant example of feminist art is Dollhouse by Miriam Schapiro. At first glance, this dollhouse looks like any other. Looking closer, it challenges the things that are expected of women. In contrast to most dollhouses, this one explores themes that women have been kept from discussing, such as menstruation and domesticity (Molesworth). A monster fills the cradle in the nursery and a huge spider climbs on an egg (Figure 2). Schapiro creates a playful expression of the often stifling role of women in society (Schor). She keeps the piece lighthearted, while simultaneously incorporating symbols of fear and oppression. The house was nicknamed “Womanhouse” because of its focus. Women like Schapiro challenge conventions and speak out through their work. Another powerful woman artist is Joan Mitchell. Because women so often internalize their anger towards the systems and people that mistreat them, seeing Mitchell painting to express her rage was difficult for many people to grasp at the time (Figure 3). When introduced to Joan’s work, the male art audience could not comprehend her talent (Nochlin 267). Mitchell often remembered landscapes in her mind and gravitated towards large canvases (Zohn). Her style and personal expression is what made her such an influential artist. The importance of female artists lies in the need for representation of women in the art world. The more women that make art, the less sexism will remain, and the more diverse the art world will be.
Figure 1 (Family Portrait, II by Florine Stettheimer)
Figure 2 (Miriam Schapiro, Dollhouse)
Figure 3 (Joan Mitchell in a Paris studio, 1957 Life magazine photo by Loomis Dean)
Sources:
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-flamboyant-feminism-cult-artist-florine-stettheimer
https://hyperallergic.com/283426/miriam-schapiros-road-to-feminism/
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/dollhouse-35885
https://www.culturezohn.com/culturedpearls/tag/Joan+Mitchell
Women Artists: The Linda Nochlin Reader