Modernism was meant to overthrow the conventions of the past, emphasizing on innovation, where art is an intellectual pursuit, an elite- not for everyone. “In Western art, movements, and “isms” appeared, one after another: impressionism, postimpressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dada-ism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, etc. Put them all together and what do we get? “Modernism.”” (Guerilla Girls 59). From the late 19thcentury to the mid-20thcentury, modernism was in full effect. Within the 20thcentury, women received the right to vote, which empowered them in ways like never before. Because women were given such power, they used this power to coexist with white male-dominated culture- the art industry. The typical white male artist, whether they’re from Paris in their teens or New York in the 40s and 50s, all had something in common – they drowned, in what seemed to be an indestructible ego. Women artists in Europe influenced the techniques and development of Modernism and the movements of abstraction, German expressionism, dada, and surrealism and other movements in modernism by integrating parts of societal gender discrimination into their artwork. Women are upheld to a certain standard of being a housewife more than anything else. The limitations given are clearly exemplified by Sonia Terk Delaunay. Her first painting show occurred in 1908 but didn’t have another one well after 40 years. This was because the shadow of her husband, Robert Delaunay, cast over her. Although her husband received most of the credit, they developed the theory of color – referenced as simultanism. Having said that Delaunay was overshadowed, this didn’t stop her from creating new ideas for the betterment of her and her husband’s development. “Her work pushed the envelope between art and life” (Guerilla Girls 60). The expectation of Delaunay to uphold the role as a housewife didn’t stop her from creating artwork. Rather, the role as a housewife gave inspiration to her work. “She designed book covers, posters, lampshades, curtains, cushion covers, and other objects for her home” (Chadwick 261). Forcing to be a stay at home women, Delaunay included her stays at home into her artwork. She turned their home into an exhibition of simultanism. Women were integral in applying the techniques of design and craft in these new approaches to art because their view was different than men. Male artists preferred to stay safe and in the zone of what they’re comfortable with. Female artists were innovative.
With Modernism, comes postmodernism. Postmodernism occurred in the mid to late 20thcentury, consisting of concepts that were opposable to modernism. Postmodernism emphasized on pluralism – the idea that there are many perspectives coexisting simultaneously, where art is playful and for everyone. Postmodernism allowed for female artists to depict the female body in ways they deemed necessary, away from the male gaze. “The term Postmodernism has been used to characterize the breaking down of the unified traditions of Modernism” (Chadwick 380). Cindy Sherman, 1954-present day, is best known for “Complete Untitled Film Stills.” Sherman’s photographs reveal the very much approachable and debatable topic of gender in the art industry- where female sexuality wouldn’t be as sexualized without the male gaze. “In 1978, she began placing her own body in the conventions of advertising and film images of women. Many of them were drawn from the 1950s and 1960s; their use enabled her to act out the psychoanalytic notion of femininity as a masquerade- that is, as a representation of the masculine desire to fix the woman in a stable and stabilizing identity” (Chadwick 383). The thing about female body parts is that males tend to view them as the focal point in feminism. But feminism, in short, is the support of women’s right to be equal. Sherman’s photographs allow others to view women as something other than sexy and their body parts aren’t up for fetishization. Women artists have been instrumental in the development of this theme because we are given something that men aren’t- the power to depict women’s body in ways other than what men see. Another reputable artist, who depicts women’s body’s in ways other than what men see is Claude Cahun. She used herself against the male gaze. Unlike Cindy Sherman, who photographed others, Claude Cahun photographed herself. Claude’s sexuality was so prominent that she would occasionally be referred to as a man. “Instead of pressing herself as a passive object ready to be consumed by a heterosexual male gaze, she defiantly presents herself as both object and subject of her own sexual fascinations” (Guerilla Girls 63).
A more modern-day artist who clearly exemplifies the idea of Postmodernism is Judy Chicago. Judy Chicago, 1939-present, is an American feminist whose known for her art pieces about birth and creation images, which examine the role of women in history and culture. Chicago’s most well-known work is The Dinner Party, which is installed in the Brooklyn Museum. The Dinner Party clearly represents Postmodernism because of the way that it is expressed. The art piece can be categorized into a piece that is playful and for everyone. It is playful in the sense of variation of the colors. The understanding of, “for everyone”, to me, is the idea that art is now inclusive of men AND women. “In 1981, British feminists Griselda Pollock and Roszika Parker argued that the iconography of Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party (1974-79), specifically its vaginal imagery, was retrograde because it set itself up for exploitation” (Chadwick 379). I, for one, disagree largely with the Pollock and Parker. The vaginal imagery depicted in Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party does not treat women unfairly because the structure of art in Postmodernism states that all art forms are equally valid – art can be made by anyone and made out of anything. The feminist movement was represented in artwork, largely during the Postmodernism era but women weren’t subject to ill-treatment. Rather, they took the objectification, given by the male gaze, as well as the pressures of being a housewife, and incorporated it into their art pieces.
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| Judy Chicago, Dinner Party |
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| Sonia Delaunay, 1914, Prismes electriques |
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| Claude Cahun |
Works Cited
“Judy Chicago.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Chicago.
The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. Penguin Books, 2006.
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, art, and society. Londres: Thames & Hudson, 2012. Print.
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