POST 4: Five Women Artists

Contemporary women artists today still have a lot to address in today’s society, specifically in the world of women. Unfortunately, but not so shockingly, women are still living in a patriarchal society where they must adhere to the roles we see and have been seeing through women artists of the past. As said by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who is a novelist and also a feminist: 

“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important…” 

Adichie speaks out about the whole aspect of what the female experience has been all about, yesterday and today but hopefully not tomorrow. Starting from a young age, girls are taught that they should be thin, to watch their figure and if they didn’t, they would be body shamed. Girls are taught to be submissive and obedient because if they step outside of the box that society has confined them in, they are simply crazy, or she is rebellious. It is never that she is just expressing herself in her own way, but rather because she is not adhering to society’s rules, she must not be normal. To illustrate this theme of oppression of women, I have chosen five contemporary women who make themselves heard through their art that pushes against these patriarchal values that have been embedded in our society for decades. 

 Anna Jonsson is a Sweden-born, living and working in Spain, artist who focuses her work on the female roles in society. One interesting work that she created was in 2010, Perdón, meaning I’m sorry in Spanish. Perdón is a 5 minute long video of a woman constantly asking for forgiveness. Anna Jonsson works with a performer to bring her art to life. In the video, the performer repeatedly says “perdón, perdón, perdón…” without stopping. In the screenshot of the video below, we can see the performer paints on a weary makeup look to portray how fatigued she is of saying sorry all the time. Anna Jonsson’s message deeply resonates with something many women can relate to, which is having to apologize for doing something out of the societal norms. Basically, just having to be sorry for being a woman. Because women are so restricted and closely supervised by society, one small wrongdoing can make a woman victim of prejudice.

Anna Jonsson, Perdón, 2010

Polly Nor is another contemporary artist who mainly focuses on digital illustration to create her works. She is best known for her drawings of women and their “demons”. Based in North West London,  Polly Nor has created many of these satirical images that portray women who take off their skins at the end of the day and lounging around as their inner demons. In the particular illustration below, Polly created Long Days & Short Nights to represent a woman’s agency when she is freely being herself. These two “demons”, or women, shown in the illustration are seen in their bikinis, beers in one hand and cigarettes and a phone on the other. They seem to be posing in ways that society might deem “unlady-like”. The woman sitting on the chair is posing with her legs in a 4-figure, resting one foot over the thigh of the other, which is something that we see only men doing in society. But who’s to say that it’s a “man” thing, when it’s simply just a sitting position? When we look at the woman laying on the beach towel, we can see that she is not wearing a bikini top and is letting her breasts be exposed to the audience. She even faces us and smiles widely as if unapologetic about herself. After all, it is her body! Polly Nor demonstrates the bright and fun side of living comfortably in a woman’s own skin, rather than the skin that society has built for her.

Polly Nor, Long Days & Short Nights, 2017

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is a painter and illustrator based in Brooklyn, who we came across earlier in the semester. She is most known for her project, Stop Telling Women to Smile, where she addresses issues of street harassment through drawn portraits of actual women who tell their story to Fazlalizadeh about their experience with street harassment. She hangs these portraits in many neighborhoods to speak out against this issue that many women face just walking down the street. Tatyana makes every poster personal, but at the same time making it relatable to every woman experiencing the same thing. Her work empowers these women and allows their voices to be heard rather than keeping quiet about the issue. 

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Stop Telling Women to Smile

Another contemporary woman artist that creates work to portray a woman’s experience of oppression by society is Frances Goodman. Frances is a South American based artist who works a lot with materials used in the beauty industry. She has created many sculptures made by fake nails used at nail salons to put together pieces that all together look mystical and something that came out of a book. One particular work, Medusa, which she made in 2013-14 is put together by different colored acrylic nails, which seem to represent the ancient Greek mythology of Medusa, who is known to have locks of hair that is made up of snakes. Frances Goodman’s use of the story behind Medusa can be used to represent the ways in which women are often met with double standards. The tale of Medusa is that, who once a beautiful woman, was punished by Athena and given snakes for hair because she was raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple to which she became a hideous monster. Although she was the one who was raped by her male counterpart, she is still the one being crucified. Many women can relate to this, maybe not in the same way, but in implicit ways. As seen in Tatyana Fazlalizadeh’s work, men feel like women owe them something in return for their compliments (which no one asked for). When they don’t say thank you, they are called a bitch. If they willingly give themselves into the man, they’re easy. Often, if not all the time, society blames the women, the victims. Rather than pointing to her perpetrator, society blindly turns their eye and blames the woman because it’s easier because she is seen as weak. 

Frances Goodman, Medusa, 2013-14

Works Cited

“About.” Frances Goodman, www.francesgoodman.com/about.

“About.” POLLY NOR, www.pollynor.com/About.

“Biography.” AnnaJonsson, annajonsson.weebly.com/biography.html.

Garcia, Brittany. “Medusa.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Apr. 2019, www.ancient.eu/Medusa/.

Stop Telling Women To Smile, stoptellingwomentosmile.com/.

TheSupervioleta. Perdón, YouTube, 5 Sept. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMIgVoQSaKE.

“About.” Frances Goodman, www.francesgoodman.com/about.

“About.” POLLY NOR, www.pollynor.com/About.

“Biography.” AnnaJonsson, annajonsson.weebly.com/biography.html.

Garcia, Brittany. “Medusa.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Apr. 2019, www.ancient.eu/Medusa/.

“Stop Telling Women To Smile.” Stop Telling Women To Smile, stoptellingwomentosmile.com/.

TheSupervioleta. YouTube, YouTube, 5 Sept. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMIgVoQSaKE.

“About.” Frances Goodman, www.francesgoodman.com/about.

“About.” POLLY NOR, www.pollynor.com/About.

“Biography.” AnnaJonsson, annajonsson.weebly.com/biography.html.

Garcia, Brittany. “Medusa.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Apr. 2019, www.ancient.eu/Medusa/.

“Stop Telling Women To Smile.” Stop Telling Women To Smile, stoptellingwomentosmile.com/.

TheSupervioleta. YouTube, YouTube, 5 Sept. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMIgVoQSaKE.

5 Women Artists: Censorship

5 Female Artists: Censorship

Throughout the evolution of art and the progression of time, censorship of art has played a significant role in the production of content. In my opinion, censorship is defined as the removal or suppression of an image, object, or person due to society’s political, social, moral, or cultural practices. Female artists have not only been told how to live their lives, but they also have to deal with being objectified by men of the creative and real world. To combat this recurring issue and constant obstacle, female artists have chose to embrace their bodies; no longer are they living to please men or abide by their rules, but now they are taking control of their bodies, sexuality, and identity. Artists, such as Katya Grokhovsky, Rupi Kaur, Rhiannon Schneiderman, Rebecca Morgan, and Marilyn Minter, have been advocates and proud ambassadors of feminism. Art is a form of communication in which these artists are able to create narratives and provide a means for the world to receive the message of inclusiveness and equality for all.

Katya Grokhovsky is an artist whose mediums consist of photography, performance, sculpting, painting, and drawing to express her ideas on gender roles, gender identity, and the self. In her words, Grokhovsky is “interested in the histories of migration and displacement, whilst enacting the bodies of the historically oppressed, in relation to the preconceived social order. Many of her projects deal with protest and freedom through failure, via radical and humorous actions, personas and costume: reclaiming the body through pleasure, chaos and refusal, residing in the space between kitsch and grotesque.” The feminist idea is one that emphasizes that men and women are individuals and should be treated as such regardless of their natural differences. As we can see in her piece “One Fine Day,” society, particularly through social media, forces upon us “body goals” and ideal looks that seem unnatural to many. She uses this work as an affirmation to women all over to love yourself and to find happiness within your own life rather than seeking approval from the masses.

Katya Grokhovsky, One Fine Day, 2014

Another artist who is seeking change to the rules on censorship in the art world is Rupi Kaur. Kaur is an author, illustrator, and photographer who has always had an affinity for the artistic side of life. She began drawing and painting at the age of five, and after receiving her degree published her first set of poems called “Milk and Honey” in 2014.

One of her latest university photography projects focuses on the conversation restraint of people in reference to the female menstrual cycle. She decided to post one of the flicks--her fully clothed laying on a bed with blood-stained spot in between her legs and on the sheets--on Instagram. Instagram, then, deleted the post and stated the post violated their Terms & Conditions. Unfazed, she posted the portrait again, and it was deleted. At this point, she was furious because her post was being deleted without a response or feedback of why--despite Facebook leaving the post up. Therefore, she took her words of frustration to Facebook and posted her dissatisfaction detailing the outreach and influence the post had on the network. Instagram responded then added the post back. Her advocacy and fight for the selective censorship is what many of us as individuals are not recognizing or are afraid to speak up about. Instagram allows women to be half-naked, “twerking,” etc. but won’t embrace something as natural as the female menstrual cycle because of how uncomfortable people get. She describes it as the “pride of misogynist society.” Her intention was to expose censorship for what it is; her intents were geared towards “forcing viewers to look and tackle their fears head on” (Kaur).

Rupi Kaur, Period, 2017

Next, Rhiannon Schneiderman is a photographer who also highlights the importance of self-confidence and continues to stretch the boundaries of censorship. One of her works is titled the “Lady Mane” series. This series is evidently about women empowerment. Nowadays, women are shamed and cast away if they do not meet the societal standards of beauty. In 2019, women are pressed to be shaven, hairless, slim waist with large bosoms and bottoms. Schneiderman allows her platform to speak itself. Her using her own body in her own pieces is empowering women to be proud of who they are and reclaim beauty for themselves. Entitling her series” Lady Mane” is also impressive in my opinion. A mane is usually seen on the heads of lions and horses--animals seen as majestic and strong--and can now reference the pubic hairs of a woman.

Rhiannon Schneiderman, Part of the Lady Mane 

In conjunction, we have Rebecca Morgan who paints, draws, and deals with ceramics. In a TOH! magazine interview, Morgan responds to a question regarding the manner in which the characters are drawn in comparison to today’s norm:

For me, the characters represent a real kind of blissful ignorance — they're totally happy living in the country and doing their own thing. They're totally fine with looking so hideous and awful, it’s of no consequence to them. It doesn’t matter- most of the time they are smiling away. In my mind, that gives them power- to be so confident and content, although covered in acne, wrinkles, and blemishes, is the ultimate love of one’s self and self-acceptance (Morgan).

Morgan’s statement sums up the mindset of what many of these contemporary artists are looking to address in their pieces.

Her vibrant colors and exaggerated features are signatures of her works. Minter is a firm believer in never settling. In her paintings, she has many unorthodox aspects that contradict the norm of art today--the nudity, the “ugliness,” a society-accepted beautiful girl--which all show her courageous and leader mentality to ignite the feminists and supporters of the movement to do as they please. She, in turn, challenges the “rules” of censorship by being daring enough to put out masterpieces such as the following:

Rebecca Morgan, I Love New York, 2011

Rebecca Morgan, Prize Jugs, 2011

And finally, Marilyn Minter, a painter and photographer, who is also a user of the hyperrealistic style of paintings and photographs. Her works are intended to help understand our culture’s traditions and challenge the emotions towards feminism and the woman’s body. The nudity in this photograph is celebrated and embraced.

Steam 3

Vapor, 2016

Nebulous, 2018

    

   In conclusion, gender identity, equality, objectification of women and many more issues we deal with are being brought to this society's attention in various ways. Protesting and speaking in front of large crowds may not be the way to solidify fairness. Allowing the creatives to lead a movement that is attacking society's norms head-on gives us a better, more in-depth explanation of the injustices today and how our communities continue to suppress individuality. For instance, "The Dinner Party" had the input of 39 women and creating art involving nudity, beauty, and uniqueness while challenging the norms already set in place. 

Works Cited

Dazed. “Why Instagram Censored This Image of an Artist on Her Period.” Dazed, 27 Mar. 2015, www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24258/1/why-instagram-censored-this-image-of-an-artist-on-her-period.

“Marilyn Minter.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/marilyn-minter/?type=prints-and-multiples.

“Rebecca Morgan - Exhibitions.” Asya Geisberg Gallery, www.asyageisberggallery.com/exhibitions/rebecca-morgan2.

“Rebecca Morgan.” Rebecca Morgan, rebeccamorganart.com/news.html.

“STATEMENT.” Katya Grokhovsky, www.katyagrokhovsky.net/statement

Modernism / Post-Modernism

           

Carrissa Evans-Person

April 13, 2019

Art and Women

Post #3

Modernism, somehow or another, developed out of nineteenth-century Romanticism, particularly in France. Modernism is a philosophical development that emerged and vigorously described craftsmanship before World War II. Modernism is as often as possible characterized as a state of mind that trusts people can make and reshape their own condition through cognizant experimentation and logical strategy. In any case, innovation in craftsmanship was to a great extent a response to the disgust of present-day fighting, ruthlessly in plain view amid World War I. “Some wanted to change the world, others just wanted to change the art. In Western art, movements and “isms” appeared, one after another: impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dada-ism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, etc. Put them all together and what do we get? Modernism” (Guerilla Girls, 59).

Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait with Monkey, 1940

Women artists in Europe helped impact the systems and improvement of Modernism. They had a gigantic effect amid innovation, particularly with style. They began including distinctive hues, examples and theoretical structures in planning garments. Further, women artists in Europe affected numerous developments, for example, developments of reflection, German Expressionism, Dada, and surrealism. For example, the reflection is a kind of workmanship that doesn't need to be principally engaged and is normally made by various hues, shapes, and surfaces. It tends to be seen in blankets, blinds, dresses, and different items utilized around the house. Sonia Delaunay helped make construct conceptual craftsmanship. She was known for her strong utilization of examples utilizing shading. “Delaunay’s work with textiles and embroidery encouraged her to break down forms and emphasize surface structure” (Chadwick, 261). She was a powerfully gifted craftsman amid her time. In this depiction, she utilized the shades of dark, white, and dim to mean the world.

Sonia Delaunay, Coverture, 1911

Surrealism was another development during the 1900s which enabled craftsmen to express their thoughts inside the oblivious personality. Numerous female artists during this time chose to utilize female figures delineating that the female body was not constantly overwhelmed by the male look. They had the capacity to be responsible for the picture they needed ladies to have. Louise Bourgeois was a solid impact in the surrealist development. Her illustration ordinarily showed the body of a female and demonstrated how the lady had no voice amid the time. While Frida Kahlo delivered work with Surrealism attributes yet she was painting her world. Her craft communicated a feeling, occasion or her own sentiments. The Broken Column demonstrates all the agony and enduring she experienced yet she is as yet remaining steadfast. At the same time, there are women like Suzanne Valadon, who had painting like The Blue Room. Her Venus is a modern woman.  She smokes, she reads, her breasts sag and she couldn’t care less.

Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room, 1923

Postmodernism was created after world war two. World War two implied the start of innovative headway which affected art. Postmodernism and modernism comprise of some comparable thoughts however regardless they're viewed as inverse types of art. For instance, Modernism concentrated more on unreasonable abstract thoughts while postmodernism is about the real world and the genuine encounters of those communicating their work of art. While modernism concentrated on finding an answer, postmodernism addressed it. Basically, postmodernism is about pluralism and incorporation of everyone and all works of art. Workmanship and art extended to incorporate a wide range of structures. In this way, this called for diversity and contradiction. In general, Modernism and Postmodernism both had a typical push for women's rights. The two of them were time spans that included substantial ladies association. Likewise, postmodernism articulation was utilized to wreck the male patriarchy that was held with art before.

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Your Gaze Hits the Side of My Face) 1981

Five Women Artists

Throughout our art history course, we learned about many female artists. Some of the themes that we come across are the patriarchy, feminism, and the concept of the “male gaze” vs the “female gaze”. Before I took this class, I was unable to name any female artists right away. However, now I am able to choose five female artists that I believe share a common theme throughout their work.

One of the first female artists would be Barbara Kruger. She is an postmodernist artist born in Newark, New Jersey. Her earliest artwork began in 1969, where she began by making large wall hangings with various materials. These materials included beads, feathers, sequins and beads. She began to pick up photography in 1977. Two years later, she published a book named “Picture/Readings”, which was a collection of works that captured concept ideology and female consciousness. By the early 1980s, she began to be known for her signature agitprop artwork. This included large black and white photos that were cropped and covered with blocks of text that contain feminist or ironic statements. Her artwork touches on the feminist theme, where she places ironic or empowering statements on portraits of women.

Untitled, 1989

Another female artist who incorporated feminism into her artwork was Cindy Sherman. She was born in New Jersey, and used her photography to convey the instability of gender. Most of her artwork consisted of using herself as the subject of the photographs, often depicting female stereotypes. She used her artwork to challenge society’s gender roles. She created a series of photographs that she titled as “Untitled”. This series depicts the stereotypical roles that women had to play.

Untitled, 1977

Another female artist who was best known for her performance art was Marina Abramovic. She was born in Yugoslavia. Her most famous piece of work was titled ‘Rhythm 0”, and it is considered to be one of the most terrifying works of art in history. This piece was a six-hour long performance art done in Studio Morra, Naples. It consisted of Marina standing completely still and emotionless, similar to Yoko Ono’s famous performance art titled “Cut Piece”. She allowed the audience to do whatever they wanted to her.  This was meant to comment on society and the way patriarchy enables men to dehumanize women.

Rhythm 0, 1974

A lesser-known and extremely controversial performance artist is Milo Moire. She is a Swiss conceptual artist who is known for her nude performances and the use of her body in her art. She has an Art Academy background and a master's degree in Psychology. Her well-known artwork include pieces titled "PlopEgg", "The Scriptsystem No. 2", and "Mirror Box". Plopegg was performed at Art Cologne in 2014, when she expelled paint filled eges from her vagina onto canvas. It created a abstract art piece that has been compared to a womb and a Rorschach test. She stated that "To create art, I use the original source of femininity - my vagina". Her most controversial piece was called "Mirror Box", for which she got arrested for while performing. She would walk around various European cities with a large mirrored box covering her body. She invited strangers to stick their hands in the box, and touch either her breasts or vagina for 30 seconds. She stated it was based on feminism and the reinforcement of consent. By using a mirror, the audience that volunteer to touch her are forced to view themselves and the others watching them. 

Mirror Box

Shirin Neshat is another feminist female artist known for her works in photography and videography. She is an Iranian artist who lives in New York City. Her artwork focuses on femininity and masculinity, and the contrasts between Islam and the West. One famous piece of hers is a video titled "Turbulent" done in 1998. It depicts a woman and man split into two different sides of film. The man is singing an Iranian folk song on a well-lit stage, surrounded by a captivated audience. On the other side, the woman is singing similar to a siren. She sings and creates a sad eerie rhythm on a dark stage, with no audience watching her. This comments on gender roles, specifically in Islamic society. She uses the piece to show how different women and men are treated in society, and how a woman's pain is often in secret and unacknowledged. 

Turbulent, 1998

Post 4: Can You Name Five Women Artists?

Vanessa Beecroft, Marina Abramovic, Kara Walker, Beatriz Milhazes and Jenny Holzer are five contemporary artists that have impacted and improved my life in such a short period of time. Four of these five women were introduced to me through the blessings of this class, almost as if they were put in the slides specifically to leave an imprint on my life, and they did. I came across the fifth on this list by accident, but I am so glad I did. These five women have influenced the way I interpret and experience art, each of them influencing me in a different way.

The first time I came across the work of Vanessa Beecroft’s work was when I was witnessing Kanye West’s Runaway Music Video. The almost 10-minute video was constantly played in my house by my older sister and the dancing models show the distinct touch of Vanessa Beecroft. She was on my radar but sadly, I was still not appreciating her work. When Yeezy Season 1 and 2 came around I knew I had to take a dive into Beecroft’s art. Her art was politically and socially challenging, as well as influential and hard to look away from. Her “live paintings” are often performed by nude models which also challenge the expectations and depiction of the female nude. She is most famous for VB61 Still Death, Darfur, Still Deaf? which was a performance that reacted to the Darfur genocide that started in 2003 and is still ongoing today. To this day, Vanessa Beecroft is creating and influencing people with her creativity.

VB 61  Still Death, Darfur, Still Deaf? 

Marina Abramovic is another artist that is influential in the art community with her performance art. Her most popular works include Rhythm 0 and The Artist is Present, both pieces where the audience was allowed and encouraged to interact with Abromavic and get no reaction from her. In Rhythm 0, Abromavic set down 72 different things that could be used on her body, including roses, knives, and even a loaded gun. In The Artist is Present, viewers were waiting in line to sit across from her with only a table in between their complete silence. Abramovic's work tested the bounds and restrictions of the human body not only psychically but emotionally as well. Her work was crucial to the postmodern push of new ways to create art and continues to be influential to this day.

Kara Walker is another contemporary artist who is starting to receive the well-deserved recognition she earned. Kara Walker works with silhouette installations that challenge the norms and push viewers out of their comfort zone. She is known for exploring the crossings of race and gender as well as sexuality can be seen through the constant theme in her work. Her work is sometimes too emotional for some viewers but that’s the beauty of it. The contemporary feels of her work push us outside of our boundaries and force us to face it. Face the reality that is told in her work. Her work is often scenes of slavery, violence, or conflict. The intersectionality of her work gives you an uncomfortable feeling completely worth it. 

         Beatrix Milhazes is a Brazilian artist famous for her colorful paintings and prints that challenge Brazilian culture while still referencing modernist themes. Her most famous works include Carambola and Jamaica, where she challenges the peaceful expectations of viewers. In an interview she spoke about how she needed her art to show struggle, “There should be some struggle on the surface [to] create some activities for your eyes.” She currently works out of Rio De Janeiro but has works and collections all over the world. Most importantly to me, I sat next to on a flight to Brazil when I was 9, where I got to meet a great woman who is doing great things. She was a tremendous influence for me that summer after telling me to view things from two perspectives and continues to impact my life to this day.

     

Jenny Holzer is another American artist who continues to create today. Her work with neon lights creates a magical feeling that can only be described as incredible. Her art is often produced as anonymous instillations including her series Truisms, where she published provocative one-line phrases all over places that would be purposely seen by many people. Her art is so easily appreciated that it has been made into many other forms of art including t-shirts and posters you might have in your own bedroom. The public installations of her work are still happening today as she continues to question the social norms expected of her by the patriarchy.