What is Feminism and Art?

This post for is for Maren.


When I first heard about feminism, I had an idea of what it was but I never really thought about it. It turned out that feminism is the equality of men to women in the political, social, and economical rights. Women such as Oprah Winfrey and Hilary Clinton fluttered in my mind because they elevated the standards of women equality with men through their achievements. Conversely, my assumptions of feminism and art were nonexistent due to the lack of artistic women activists I knew of. My mind quickly changed after visiting the National Museum of Women and Art and the National Museum of American Indian which opened my eyes to a new category that I like to call feminist art.
The National Museum of Women and Art express feminism and art as its main priority. It is clear that this art venue is feminist because it is the only museum in the world that is dedicated exclusively to recognizing the contributions of women artists. As you walk through the museum, you are enthralled by the beauty those women activists call art. Paintings and portraits are erected from the stereotype of quilts and knitting. Women are now prone to building sculptures and abstract art, something that was absurd in early years. Throughout the museum, you saw, read, and heard about the interpretations of the artifacts posted. Key artists that were mentioned were Frida Khalo, Paula Rego, and Barbara Hammer. Frida Khalo’s self-portrait symbolized Mexican love giving to a refugee running from the reigns of Stalin during 1929 to Leon Trotsky. The painting interpreted heritage and love with the features of pain and life sorrow. Frida started her artistic values after a tragic accident thus making beautiful art. Paula Rego is another aspiring artist who uses anger, pain, sarcasm, and humor with sketches. Her sketches are sometimes inspired through other books and cartoons with her own twist. She uses dark colors to perpetuate the emotions of suffering and light colors for happiness. I believe that her art differed from most men artists because you can feel more of the pain and emotion; however, men do have the trait in expressing the beauty of women in the features that exhilarates their true beauty. Still, Paula Rego’s painting of Snow White and the Poisoned Apple appealed to long suffering and deceit as you see her grasp for her throat. This type of art has analyzed different perspectives in the masculine and feminine view. Lastly, Barbara Hammer did an exhibit called WACK. This exhibit had millions of feminist activist paintings, portraits, sculptures, and so much more. WACK was the Art and Feminist Revolution that started in 1960-1980. Early time artists included Chantal Akerman, and Eleanor Antim who changed women history. Barbara was a lesbian who performed abstract and reality lesbian identities of homosexuality. She geared her artistic views talking about the female body with her lover. This exhibit was the most profound and vital in the feminist movement because you encountered art that was explicit and previously unheard of. Thus, the National Museum of Women and Art substantiated its value of feminist activism that changed my viewpoint on feminist art and its meaning.
Another museum that contained feminism was The National Museum of American Indian. As I first walked in, my assumption was that you couldn’t link feminism to art because there wasn’t anything feminist about it. However, as I went through the place, the small things the museum displayed actually established some type of feminist art. Chief Anne Richardson was the first woman positioned as a chief in over 300 years. Her legacy was posted on the second level expressing her achievements. The Changing Exhibitions of Gallery was the main exhibit depicting the feminist side. This exhibit described with women defined as their art: designer dresses. This art was taken from the 19th, 20th, and 21st century of the Native women from different regions. What they comprehended as art was the aesthetic expression of cultural identity. This exhibit articulates the gifted women artistry combined with the loyalty that benefited the entire community. Each dress conveys a different story of women experiences. They are accompanied with beads and other exported materials from various parts of the world. Each generation gets passed down with the tradition of designing dresses to uphold the culture. I believe this museum does portray some form of feminist art because in the Our Lives exhibit one wall descriptively talks about the equality of men and women. Also, the Changing of Gallery exhibit is a more concrete feminist art that ties together its creativity and tradition. Every exhibit focuses on the Native people and how they survive in America. Most importantly it establishes the roles of women thus making it feminist.
In spite of these artistic institutions, some other institutions required a deeper analysis of whether feminism actually existed. At a first glance, The National Museum of African Art didn’t appeal to the question of feminism at all. Primarily, the focus was on the cultural artifacts that were to impact people on the continent instead of how feminism has evolved through the years. The artists were in groups such as the Mali’s instead of individuals. Nevertheless, the pottery exhibition was what made the feminist quality stick out. The Continents master potters are women with their decorative form of art. Vessels such as water jugs and bowls were the fine art that families and neighbors cherished. Decorated to suit their tradition and beliefs, it was a creative mastery of their art. On the other hand, certain artifacts that were art showed the equality that women and men had. If feminism is the equality of women to men, then some of the masks and female figures attributed to this theory. The Oshugbo and the Ogboni society is a sculpture of the prominence king and queen which serve equal duties. Also, both men and women confided in the creation of spiritual beings such as the medicine staff. All in all, feminist art can be discovered even in the depths of cultural history.
The National Hirshhorn Museum wasn’t all that feminist to me. The exhibits were more prone to show the beauty in women such as in the Peacock Room. This room was designed to fit a wealthy ship owner and the art in it showed a beautiful portrait called The Princess from the Land of Porcelain hanged in the center of the wall with a gold and blue theme. This objectified women because they are shown only as the subject of the painting and not the creator. Other galleries rarely focus on women except for the tributes Anne Ellegood presented. She found multiple artifacts, including paintings by Miranda Lichtenstein and Nikki Lee, and posted them in her exhibit. This is a feminist move that portrays weird and outspoken art. This “Hip hop project and Quiet Room” symbolizes a black culture of creation. I believe this displays the only feminist role this museum could play because Anne Ellegood, being a women artist and having her own exhibit, selects collections that justifies women creativity and achievements.
In conclusion, feminism has defined itself separate from the norms and broadened the horizons to high-art. These museums have impacted women to change the stereotype that women have no artistic backgrounds. Feminism now means more to me through art because of what the women artists felt, and strived for in order to convey that feeling to others.