Art & Women
Professor C
April 4th, 2016
The 19th century was a era of oppression for women, both social and artistically. It was believed to be common knowledge that women were just less then their male counter parts in all ways. Thankfully, these social stigmas were being challenged in the 20th century; and so modernism began. Women were granted suffrage, fashion become "healthier", and art was increasingly becoming more out of the box, literally. "In western art, movements and 'isms' appeared, one after another: impressionism, postimpressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dadaism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, etc. Put them all together and what we get? 'Modernism'"( Guerrilla Girls p.59) Female artist began pushing the limits of their medium, ignoring their formal art training which stressed realistic visuals and angles. Modernism was dictated by art innovation.
During this time of breaking every art rule possible, abstraction arose as an even greater extension of impressionism. Abstract art is a simplistic form of art. The subjects are simplified and depicted by simples shapes, lines, and dots. It is often colorful, with thick paint strokes. Art done using this technique offers a glimpse of a composition that may exist but not a complete visual. Sonia Delaunay was a French artist who explored this form of art throughout her life. She painted along side he husband, Robert, who in his early worked did not commit to true abstraction. But her influence over his artwork can not go unnoticed. When compared, it can be seen that he took inspiration for her abstract pieces and incorporated them into his own. Ironically enough, Sonia could be labeled a "renaissance women" for her exploration into other mediums of artistic expression. Chadwick explains that Sonia, "...began to make simultaneous dresses, in reaction against the drabness of current fashions. Their patterns of abstract forms were arranged both to enhance the natural movement of the body and to establish a shimmering movement of colors..." (Chadwick, 262) Yet, her recognition for her works were over shadowed by the success of her husband until after his death; a nod to patriarchy.
Sonia Delaunay, Prismes électriques, 1913-1914
Robert Delaunay, Hommage Bleriot, 1914
Dada-ism is a movement that began around the beginning of the 20th century, and was innovative in it's own right. Dada-ism was one of the first forms of art that was not about creating pleasing aesthetics, but was focused on the deeper meaning of the piece. Dadaism creations often question society, the purpose of the artist and of art itself. Collages were a popular form of expression for dada artists. One such artists who excused these insightful montages was Hannah Höch. A German artist, Höch took pieces from multiple medias and place them together in a manner that would depict a powerful message to the audience. Her piece, "Marlene" is a prime example of the dada-ism movement. The purpose of these piece in specific was to criticize Hollywood's portrayal of women and to highlight societies acceptance of the male gaze. Photos of actress Marlene Dietrich's legs and lips are the subjects. Dietrich's legs are on a display, and most of her face is hidden only exposing her lips, while there are men gawking at her legs seemingly calling out to her. Artists like Höch were revolutionaries in the sense that the art was no longer just for visual pleasure but was now being used as a platform for real life occurrences.
Hannah Hach, Marlene, 1930
Influenced by dada-ism, surrealism arose during modernism and pushed the limits of pre-existing standards, not only artistically but socially. Surrealism is an imaginary based form of art. The artists imagination, dreams, and conscious are depicted. This created wild, unconventional artworks that pushed the bounds of art and society. Frida Kahlo, arguably one of the more popular female artist, was a surrealist artist based in Mexico. Her life and art alike were out of the norm. She was sexually promiscuous with both men and women, a communist supporter, and held a publicly tumultuous relationship with fellow artist, Diego Rivera. Her art was derived from her dreams and feelings and the way she saw the world. So the images depicted were not possible. Claude Cahun was another surrealist, who demonstrated this technique in her photographs. She challenged social norms in the manner in which she staged her photos. She broke gender roles and glorified female sexuality which was previously considered a taboo. One of her most, at the time, controversial photos would be one thatch took of herself and entitled, "Self Portrait". Although physically a women, she appears masculine, and poses confidently gazing at the camera. This was revolutionary. A women was defining her own sexuality, and commanding the power a man held. She refused to conform to the social standard society held on women. In fact she resisted so effectively that, "... some books on surrealism list her as a man," ( p. 62) Both Kahlo and Cahun are women that successful took the impossible and visually made it possible through their works.
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939
Claude Cahun, Self Portrait, 1928
Sources:
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. Londres: Thames & Hudson, 2012. Print.
The Guerrilla Girls, The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion To The History of Western Art. New York: Penguin Books USA, 1998. Print.
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