5 Women Artists

Rahmeh Abdulaal
Women and Art History
Post 5 (Extra Credit)

 Women Artists 

              Ever since the beginning of time, women throughout all cultures and countries struggled deeply connecting with the rest of the world around them. Looked at as someone who is not worth the time or energy, or someone who only has one job; serve the men, and etc, urged women to create rebellion movements. For that reason, contemporary female artists were finally able to break through these walls and stereotypes that the society has put on women, and have stripped the label that was put on us, women. Female artists have used their artistic power and ability to shed light on issues that have haunted and plagued women for centuries Through the use of different artistic techniques and mediums, female artists were able to create a commentary on injustices related to controversial and/or taboo topics such as sexuality, race, class, women's health, and etc.
           
             Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party" is a reinterpretation of the last meal from the point of view of the "ones who've done the cooking throughout history" (Chicago, Youtube). This artistic work, not only took time and energy, but it also needed many hands on deck to complete it perfectly. For that reason, Chicago employed 400 volunteers, both men, and women to help her complete it. "The Dinner Party" is very unique, in terms that there was nothing like it, till this day. Therefore, it consisted of 39 settings, each place setting represented women throughout history. Not only was this art on the place setting, but she took it to the point where she honored and appreciated 999 women's names from history on the flooring. The goal and purpose of this exhibition is to celebrate and honor "feminine work" by featuring needlework, which is usually seen as just a craft or hobby but she turned it high art. Adding on to that, this art represents the equality of all these women, and Chicago shows that by adding a chalice, flatware, and napkin to each place setting, all of the same exact size. In fact, the triangular shape of the table works to represent the "equalized world we want" (Chicago, Youtube). The triangle also represents the ancient symbol for the goddess. Finally, 1,038 women are honored and appreciated at "The Dinner Party".

              Another important female artist who uses art to make a statement about issues that are extremely related and specific to today's topics is Jen Mann. One of her recent paintings in a collection demonstrates how social media and technology has affected one's self. Most of her paintings usually feature the color pink in some way to show that her art and painting do not shy away from femininity and its a constant message in most of her paintings. In an interview with Art Maze Magazine, Mann spoke about how all her paintings are connected in a certain way, "These themes of existentialism, feminity, feminism, surface v. substance (beauty vs. content) and identity, are integral to my overall body of work" (Mann, Art Maze Magazine). Jan is really intrigued and mainly interested in learning deeply about the ways we present ourselves through texting and social media vs. in real life.

          Sarah Lucas, another female artist from Britain who became known in the 90s, used different mediums in her art to criticize and mock the gender stereotypes and sexuality that existed at that time. However, Lucas is different from other artists in terms of artwork, because unlike Mann and Chicago, Lucas uses everyday items and things to create art. She has said, "Things acquired, a kind of powerfulness to them" (Lucas, Artsy.com). Her work usually incorporates or includes women's body parts, such as breasts or genitalia. Even though her artwork seems to give a serious message, however, she approached it with a sense of humor. According to an interview in the New York Times, "Ms. Lucas said she sees sex as a way to make her art as accessible as possible while also getting to viewers most intimate feelings". (Smith, NY Times). Therefore, even though some members in the audience might feel a certain way or uncomfortable with the nudity in her art, they can always relate to it in some way and end up formulating their own opinion.

Lucas’ bronze 1999 sculpture entitled “Beer can penis” takes a mundane object and turns it into something erotic. 

           Maya Lin, a female sculptor, and architect that used her work to spread a certain message. One of her best-known works is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was designed while she was an undergraduate student at Yale University. Adding on to that, many of her audience describes her as a minimalist because her work mostly consists of themes of environmentalism. According to Micheal Kimmelman in a New York Times article, "Minimalist abstraction, with its allegorical pliancy, turns out to function in a memorial context as the best available mirror for a modern world aware of its own constantly changing sense of history". She was also awarded the national Medal Art by president Barak Obama. 

Lin’s sculpture, “The Women’s Table” was commissioned by the president of Yale in 1989 to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of coeducation at Yale. 

            Finally, last but not least, Betty Tompkins used art as a way of escape and self-expression. Most of her topics focused on sexuality and feminism. Most of her work included big photorealistic paintings of a close-up of genitalia and intercourse. "Women Words" her most recent collection, used phrases about women that people brought her at the top of images, including "Mona Lisa". The 4 most repeated words she received were "bitch, cunt, slut, and mother"

This piece entitled “Women Words #53 (Ingres) by Betty Tompkins” features phrases such as “Unequal Pay!!!” and “When I fuck you from the back you look more like a woman.”