Free At Last - Women And Art

Free At Last - Women And Art

Since early 70’s women have come out of their isolation and are now free to practice art.
Women’s movement has set them free to have their own styles in making art. They don’t need to strive with men any more. They can go to art schools and have their own professional practices. It has not always been that way.

For many centuries women in the western culture were excluded from art world. Their input in professional art was minimal. This did not prove that they were less talented than men, although some may have drawn that conclusion. The problem was that they were not allowed to attend art schools and thus develop their skills. In order to become a great artist a person needs to have training and freedom to practice. Interaction with other artists is also essential. If there was a woman somewhere, she would have been a sitter or a muse, a mistress or somehow a less respectful member of the community. It was man’s world.

The male viewpoint was accepted as a norm among artists, art historians and art dealers. When terms like ‘universality’ or ‘humanity’ were mentioned, women were not included in them. If there ever were courageous enough women to step out and be artists, their works would be put in a separate box and labeled as ‘feminine’ instead of being understood as part of the universal expression of humanity in their historical or social context.

Women’s place was at home. They were mothers, sisters or daughters. Domestic duties kept them busy for most of their time. There were some great female artists such as Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt among the impressionists. They painted exquisite and delicate domestic scenes. These works will always hold their value. Portraiture and landscapes and floral paintings were regarded as suitable forms of art for women. Italian Artemisia Gentileschi painted extraordinary portraits in 1600’s. Adelaide Labille-Guiard and Elisabeth Vigee-Le-Brun were famous French portraitists in 1800’s.

It has taken women a long time to overcome the barriers and remove the obstacles from their career paths as artists. It has been a rough road. Women have suffered and sometimes rebelled. They have finally come to realization that in order to become a great artist, they do not need to compete with men in an aggressive way. They are now finding their own value and setting their own goals.

A new feminine consciousness has triggered a positive process towards developing a specific feminine aesthetic. It is not any more about typical feminine imagery such as shapes like circles, domes or spheres. Women tend to involve their person more wholly in their art, which makes it autobiographical, Men are often more rational or logical. Women’s experiences are leading them into rich expressions and imaginations, which are unique. Women are developing a feminine aesthetic also through collective endeavors. According to Silvia Bovenschen, they are not to draw back but to stay on stage. I believe this is happening right now. Talented contemporary women artists will not draw back. They have come to stay at the forefront in today’s art world. They have a lot to give.


Bibliography:
Lippard L. (1976) ‘What is Female Imagery?’ in From the Center: Essays on Women’s Art. New York: E.P. Dutton

Nochlin L. (1971) ‘Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists in T. Hess & E.Baker (eds), Art and Sexual Politics: Women:s Liberation, Women Artists and History, London

Gisela Breitling : Speech, Silence and Discourse of Art in Ecker (ed.) Feminist Aesthetics, London: Women’s Press


Bovenschen S. !1985) ‘Is There a Feminine Aesthetic?’ in G.Ecker (ed.) Feminist Aesthetics, London: Women’s Press.