On the Intersection of Art and Feminism
by Veronica Clements
Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?
In her 1971 essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” Linda Nochlin addresses the misconceptions surrounding this question along with the mythological concept of male genius. She goes on to ask, “What if Picasso would have been born a girl?” and argues systemic misogyny has excluded women artists throughout history. Despite these barriers, feminism and art have been intersecting for as long as women have been creating art … so basically forever.
A Persistent Problem
A 2018 study of 13 major US art museums found that their collections are 87% male and 85% white. Just 24% of the 27,000 artists shown at art fairs in 2018 were women. Also, according to The National Endowments for the Arts, nearly half (46%) of artists are women, while they still are earning; on average, 74 cents to every dollar made by a male artist. This is despite the fact that women earn 70% of bachelor of fine arts and 65–75% of master of fine arts degrees in the U.S.
Women Artists That Shaped History
In fact, there have always been women artists influencing history despite not getting the recognition in the canon that they deserve. Unfortunately, because history has been mostly written by rich white men, we do not have accurate accounts of how prolific and influential women artists have been.
One of my favorite women from art history is Suzanne Valadon, who started out as a figure model and circus performer and became a well-known post-impressionist artist who exemplified the bohemian woman in The Blue Room. In this notable work, her subject takes a drag from a cigarette as her body drapes across a blue couch in a familiar yet revitalized pose. I love this painting because Valadon is flipping the typical reclining female nude and giving her a sense of independence. She doesn’t look longingly at you, she is simply taking a break from reading the stack of books alongside her to smoke. She is portrayed as smart and confident. Despite her influence, she is only briefly mentioned at The Art Institute of Chicago as a “friend of Toulouse-Lautrec” (eye-roll!).
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Artemisia Gentileschi, an early 17th-century Italian Baroque painter who, in Judith Beheading Holofernes, takes on an intense subject and leaves Carravagio’s version of the same story in her bloody dust. And, this badass was a feminist before the word was even invented, having written, “I will show Your Illustrious Lordship what a woman can do.” Unlike other depictions of this moment in painting, Artemisia shows the brute strength required to commit this act and puts the courage, and the power of violence, in a woman’s hand, something that was not celebrated during her lifetime.
Another artist that immediately comes to mind is Hilma af Klint, the pioneer of abstract painting and a mystique that hosted seances and painted her spiritual encounters in giant meditative works of art. A lot of people, art historians included, credit Wassily Kandinsky with the creation of abstract art, but Hilma’s work predates Kandinsky by years. Her larger-than-life paintings are invitations into another world and the inspiration behind her work is mesmerizing.
Finally, I would like to mention Carmen Herrera, who recently passed away at the age of 107. Carmen spent her entire life fighting for representation as a Cuban immigrant and abstract painter. At the age of 89, Carmen sold her first painting. Since then, her paintings have been acquired by museums like the Whitney, MoMA, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and Tate Modern. "It is time for her to rest.” As I leave, I ask who is her all-time favorite artist. She thinks long and hard. “Carmen Herrera,” she eventually says. She tilts her head back and rocks with laughter. “Yes, Carmen Herrera is my favorite.”' I think about Carmen Herrera a lot as I persist through my art practice. I strive to be my own favorite artist.
Current Chicago-Area Women Artists to Look Out For
Great women artists aren’t a thing of the past. In a city as vibrant as Chicago, women artists are at the forefront and making an impact every day. One artist that I was introduced to during my undergrad at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana was Yvette Mayorga whose work deals with the effects of militarization within and beyond the US/Mexico border through a multidisciplinary process involving lots of pink frosting-like paint. I am also loving the work of Cindy Bernhard who paints cats and joints with holographic-looking colors. The work of Caren Helene Rudman, my friend and mentor, explores the dichotomies between mind and body and self and others through layers of silhouettes from old photographs. Artists Brooke Raven and Caterina DeRousse were both in my recently curated exhibition, Hot Pink Platter, and I love how their work confronts viewers with humor, feminist concepts, and, in Caterina’s work, lesbian love. Also, I have been loving the y2k aesthetic ceramics by Rachel or Handheld Ceramics. And in the spirit of Carmen Herrera, I would like to mention that my digitally inspired oil paintings are making headway.
Resources for Women Artists
One thing that really helped me as an emerging woman artist was joining an organization of women artists in Chicago. In 2019 I joined the Chicago Chapter of the National Women's Caucus for Art, which is an organization that provides opportunities and communities for women artists. I quickly became very involved and became their social media manager, a curator and board member, and the President of the Young Women's Caucus for Art. Through my involvement, I have developed my love for curating and have gained a supportive community of women artists that have been working in the field for many years. For me, online communities felt even more isolating and competitive, so an organization of experienced women artists that were working to impact the Chicago community directly was integral to my sustained practice.
In terms of showing your work, Woman Made Gallery is an awesome Chicago gallery highlighting the work of women artists through various juried shows throughout the year.
If you want to find out more about women artists from throughout history, the National Museum of Women in the Arts is a great resource to find out more.
