Art & Women
Professor C
April 18th, 2017
The New Age of Women In Art
I am the object.
During this period I take full responsibility."
Evolution is defined by Webster as "the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form." To identify the metamorphosis that women have undergone throughout history, simply as an evolution, is a great understatement. Economy, society, politics; the very building blocks of life where altered by beings with vaginas. Women now make up a percentage of the work force world wide. Today marriage is a dissolvable contract instead of a lifelong condemnation. Just last year, we had a female presidential candidate running for office. Sorry to announce it, but the times have changed boys. Women are no longer being confined to the gender rules given to them by society and even religion, but establishing themselves in the history books. Art is no exception. In a world that once forbid women from painting, now flourishes with female artist of varied races, backgrounds, sexualities, who express themselves in all forms of art.
Marina Abramović is one such contemporary artist that is taking advantage of the freedom women have earned thought history through her art. Abramović was born in 1946 in Yugoslavia to communist parents who supported her art. She went on to study at numerous art schools throughout her early career including, the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. As a performance artist, Marina Abramović used her body as the focal points of her pieces, often staging herself in dangerous, and potentially life threatening positions. The artist has explained the extremity of pieces, explaining, "All my work in Yugoslavia was very much about rebellion, not against just the family structure but the social structure and the structure of the art system there... My whole energy came from trying to overcome these kinds of limits." (Abramović) Her art explored the limits of the body, the power of the mind, and society. One of Abramović's most recognized and moving pieces is Rhythm 0. An endurance piece, the artist stood in a room with 72 objects on a table and instructions to the people that read:
"There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired.
Performance.I am the object.
During this period I take full responsibility."
The true nature of human society was exposed during the 6 hour performance. First the audience was kind, offering her flowers and friendly gestures, but as time went on the environment became more hostile. Her clothes were ripped from her body, her blood was drawn, and her life was threatened. When the performance was over, all avoided her as she returned from a still object to a moving human being. Marina Abramović earned her fame as the "grandmother of performance art" through her pieces that examined the limits of the human body, mind, and social structure in ways that were not previously done before.
Marina Abramović, Rhythm 0, 1974
Marina DeBris is another contemporary artist who continues to create art today. Originally from Bondi Beach, Australia, she has travelled the world as an "eco artist" and currently resides in Sydney, Australia. Her career began when she moved to Los Angeles, California and began to explore some of the world's most beautiful beaches. She recalls being struck by the condition of the beaches and the amount of trash that ended up on the shores from the ocean. Initially she would collect the trash in an effort to clean the beach but soon realized that was not assisting her in her true goal. Debris' goal is to "The goal is to encourage people to rethink their use of disposables and provoke them into thinking about the consequences of our habits and how we can change them." (DeBris) Her pieces are formed almost entirely out of trash and used in sculptures, fashion, and photography to force the audience to become aware of the environmental issues of land and ocean pollution due to improper recycling or disposal of waste. She uses whimsical ideologies and bright colors to portray in a playful way, the serious issue of trash in our oceans and landfills. Marina DeBris' art is for all; no matter gender, race, ethnicity, or location. Environmental destruction via waste is a worldwide phenomenon that effects everyone and her message can impact all be cause we've all seen trash on a beach or on a sidewalk. Her hope is that next time we do, we don't just walk past it but react in a positive manner.
Marina DeBris, Sugar Coated, N.D
Lorna Simpson is a African American contemporary artist whose chosen form of art is mixed media, including photography and text. Born in the year 1960, making her only 57 this year, is an accomplished artist with the Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami Art Museum, Walker Art Center, and many more under her belt. Her work is a comment to man topics considered taboos. She focuses the purpose of her art on sex, identity, race, and culture. As an African American female artist, her life as a triple minority gave her experience and allowed her to create impressional work that takes the audience into those difficult to have conversations. She has been quoted saying, "I do not appear in any of my work. I think maybe there are elements to it and moments to it that I use from my own personal experience, but that, in and of itself, is not so important as what the work is trying to say about either the way we interpret experience or the way we interpret things about identity." (Simpson) One of her most stand out pieces is Wigs II. A collection of 21 different wigs on panels with texts depict African American hairstyles such as braids and afros, and the blonde wigs. With these piece, Simpson is challenging the conventional standards of beauty in America and portraying that African American hair is beautiful, African American hair is empowering. "Through the texts and images, Simpson refers to the body without including it, inviting the viewer to create narratives about who might wear these hairpieces."(N.A)* Lorna Simpson's work is empowering, and controversial, and everything that powerful art should be because it goes beyond pleasing aesthetics, but its about the message being portrayed. She continues to create work today and can be found living in Brooklyn, NY.
Lorna Simpson, Wigs II, 1994-2006
Marylin Minter is an American born feminist artist who, if i do say so myself creates some of the most badass and female empowering images to be formed. Born in Louisiana but raised in Florida, Minter's art can now be found throughout America and even has been incorporated in one of the most recognized clothing brands in the world, SUPREME. Her style is extremely unconventional and blunt. The erotic images in her photography and paintings focus on sexuality, sexual empowerment, and the body. The subjects of her art pieces include nude bodies, sexual acts, and women in their true forms. Marylin Minter commented on her art to Vogue magazine stating, " I was reclaiming sexual imagery from an abusive history, and it really frightened a lot of feminists; they couldn’t wrap their brain around it. Well, why won’t you make images for your own pleasure?" (Minter)** Her comment were in relation to being seen as somewhat of an anti-feminist artist because of the way she displayed the female body. But in truth, she aims to desexualize the way society views the female anatomy, and wants to create images for women to enjoy in the same way that the world is filled with images to please the male gaze. Marylin Minter has shown all who view her art that the female body is not a sexual object to be had, but women are their own people how define themselves. She is a true supporter of women; a true feminist. She continues to create empowering pieces.
Marylin Minter, Porn Grid 2, 1989
Jordan Casteel, is an artist currently based in New York City. She has not yet achieved the same level of recognition as the previous four artists but is well on her way. Born in 1989 in Denver, Colorado, she is still extremely young turning 28 this year. She represents the future of art. Casteel's art expression is done through bright and vivid paintings. She herself has labeled her art specific focus as, "I am most interested in sharing sensitive, humanistic, and honest stories of my community." (Casteel) Most, if not all of her paintings display what she calls "the protagonists" of the streets; men of color. Her subjects are a nod to society, poverty, and racism. Often times, if people think of the streets of New York, and more specifically of the black men on the streets of New York, the thoughts that arise are laced with negative connotations. Drugs, violence, gangs, poverty. Casteel's art is breaking the stigma that men of color in lower income communities carry. She depicts them with bright colors on huge canvases, in pairs, and in positive situations; bothers holding a basketball, fathers with their children. Jordan Casteel is showing all those who lay eyes on her pieces that there is more to men, there is more to the streets, there is more behind everything, nothing is black and white. Casteel is undoubtedly following the footsteps of all great artists before her, and should making her name in the art community. Her studio can be found on 125th Street New York, New York.
Jordan Casteel, Three Lions, 2015
WORKS CITED:
Gorshman, Rachel. "Marina Abramović Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Contributors, n.d.Web
N.A. "Marina DeBris." Women Eco Artists Dialog. Women Environmental Artists Directory, n.d.Web
N.A. "Lorna Simpson Studio." Lorna Simpson Studio. Hauser & Wirth, n.d. Web.
*N.A. "MoMA Learning." MoMA | Lorna Simpson. Wigs. 1994. N.p., n.d. Web.
N.A."Marilyn Minter." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Apr. 2017. Web.
**Regensdorf, Laura. "Artist Marilyn Minter Talks Beauty Norms, the Return of the Full Bush, and her New Retrospective." Vogue. Vogue, 01 Feb. 2017. Web.
Casey Lesser. "These 20 Female Artists Are Pushing Figurative Painting Forward." Artsy. N.p., 10 June 2016. Web.
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