POST 4

Despite the many obstacles women face throughout centuries, many women artists drew strength from within and chose art to battle social, political, and psychological issues despite the fear of an uncertain outcome. Several artists used art as a tool to self-reflect on themselves or society’s unspoken rules and ugliness. Today many artists still use art to expose truths that continues to ripple through time.

Marina Abramovic

Famous for her performance art, Marina Abramovic is known to repeatedly apply art to her body by placing herself in a range of danger from cutting to pushing her body for the sake of themes such as trust and endurance. Abramovic tries to break the barrier between the canvas and the artist and tries to connect with the audience on a more spiritual level. In The Artist Is Present, Abramovic is seated quietly for 8 hours a day with the audience and an empty chair facing her allowing those who dare sit in front of the artist staring at each other. This performance art is particularly appealing because of it gives the viewer a reflection how easy it is to not communicate in today’s society. This performance piece also allows the audience to connect and self-reflect.

“Through Performance, I found the possibility of establishing a dialogue with the audience through an exchange of energy, which tended to transform the energy itself. I could not produce a single work without the presence of the audience, because the audience gave me the energy to be able, through a specific action, to assimilate and return it, to create a genuine field of energy”

Cindy Sherman

Is another artist that examines the dynamics between the audience and the artist with the use of photographs that paint a narrative of solitary women.Some photographs appear to be a scene from a Hollywood movie with the subject adorned with make up and other items. Despite the setting, Cindy Sherman captures a story familiar and frightening to the audience of an unspoken truth hidden in Hollywood film and advertising that is deeply embedded in the American culture. The fascinating things about Cindy Sherman's photographs being able to become just as lost as some of the women in the photographs as she envelopes you in the illusion of photography.

Cindy Sherman. Untitled (Luicille Ball). 1975.

Barbra Kruger

Barbra Kruger is famously known for her black, white, and red photographs. Kruger uses the language of graphic design to communicate her messages visually to the audience. " I Shop therefore I am" exposes consumerism and how vulnerable we are as an American society when it comes to valuing yourself based on what you buy.In addition, Kruger demonstrates how we are measured in nothing else but consumerism and choose to ignore those who don't follow the trend such as the homeless whether we are walking down the street or flipping through the channels.

Barbra Kruger. " I shop therefore I am".1990.

" You are not yourself" is another example of how we see ourselves based on societal judgement. Kruger reminds us that you are never allowed to be yourself because from an early age you are forced to assimilate into a set of rules that is psychologically ingrained in your mind. And for those who attempt to go outside the box are left disoriented and are considered outsiders by society's unspoken laws. Barbra Kruger uses advertising and marketing to combat the capitalist structure that still dominates daily lives.

Barbra Kruger. "You are not yourself".1981.

Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono is known for her performances where she instructs the audience on what to do and allows them to psychologically wander while they use her body portray what their subconscious tells them."Cut Piece" was one of her signature works. Yoko Ono knelt on the staged with a pair of scissors and allowed audience to cut parts of her clothing while she silently watched. The audience was able to watch themselves unravel and see that women give things up very easily, in the beginning some female members would cut very small pieces. But by participating in this act they allowed other members of the group to participate in the ritual and freely allowed themselves to cut and behave more savagely.

Yoko Ono, "Cut Piece",1964.

Works cited

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-ono-yoko-artworks.htm#pnt_3 https://www.moma.org/collection/works/64897 https://www.artsy.net/artist/cindy-sherman/works http://www.theartstory.org/artist-abramovic-marina.htm https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/marina-abramovic-marina-abramovic-the-artist-is-present-2010 Marina Abramovic. The Artist Is Present.2010.