Anne Zhao's Paper

LIST OF ASSUMPTIONS
I assumed that art that was created by women would be much more traditional and uniform.
I assumed that art he would have been created by women would have been done with light, soft and even warm (feminine) colors.
I assumed that the National Museum of Women in the Arts would not embody the stereotype of 'women'.
I assumed that women would work with les messier media like oil paints and pencil.
I assumed that women would not realy make pottery because it is rather difficult.
I assumed that women would not create large scale sculptures.

Anne Zhao
Women Studies 250
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Feminism and Art
I assumed that art that were created by women would be much more traditional and uniform; there would be not much differentiating between each piece of art and artist. I had imagined that women would only paint fruits and/or flowers in garnished bowls or portraits of women and babies, kind of like the painting of Roses, Convolvulus, Poppies and Other Flowers in an Urn on a Stone Ledge by Rachel Ruysch. The paintings would be simple, somber and elegant. However I didn’t expect women to paint what they thought of the supernatural like Hollis Sigler in her painting, To Kiss the Spirits: Now, This Is What It Is Really Like. In that specific painting she has a long radiant light painted from the top of the painting to the bottom and in that light people, more specifically women were depicted as if they were leaving their uniform lives and going into another world, or even century where women have more rights and individuality then back then, because other than the light, everything else is dark and dreary, almost black and white even.
I assumed that art that would have been created by women would have been done with light, soft and even warm colors (red hues, yellow hues, orange hues, etc) because normally when you associate a woman with colors, you wouldn’t necessarily picture her in dark, mournful colors, instead they would be depicted in brighter, softer colors like pinks, oranges and even yellow. Normally you would imagine them like Rosalba Carriera’s painting of America, where she depicts a gentle faced woman in pink and white. Whereas on the other hand Clara Peeters’ painting, Still Life of Fish and Cat, the colors are dark and dank like those that I would have expected to come from a man’s paintings instead of a woman’s painting.
I assumed that the National Museum of Women in the Arts would not embody the stereotype of ‘women’. Pink Marble walls, soft golden flowery frames, gorgeous upper class interior (like a woman’s dream mansion). I expected the National Museum of Women in the Arts to show a little more of the individuality and uniqueness that separates women from men, instead I was a little disappointed in that fact that instead of portraying women as a single, they decided to portray women as the stereotype that they have always been linked with.
I also assumed that women would work with less messier media like oil paints, not sculptures, mixed media, chalk pastels and etching. For example, I expected most art created by women to be like Marguerite Gerard’s painting Prelude to a Concert, where the art is less everywhere and more uniform and simple. However when I saw Eva Hesse’s Mixed Media art, Study for Sculpture, I was a little shocked at the idea that she would use so many different medias to portray her idea of art. That is definitely unique.
I assumed that women would not really make pottery although some would think that they do, especially intricate pottery with very detailed designs. In the National Museum of the American Indian it was almost all women made, pottery, paintings, woven baskets and cloth, and so much more. I didn’t expect women to make their own pottery. Having thrown on the pottery wheel before I know how hard it is to create a pot and seeing the final product made by women I am very impressed that some women can actually throw much better than men, even more precise and detailed.

I assumed that women would not create large scale sculptures. However, when I went to the Hirschorn sculpture garden Elizabeth Godfrey proved me wrong. I did not expect women to make such large scaled sculptures that I imagined only men would create. Women when you picture them would normally be imagined as frail and small, people who can hardly lift up a blow torch, however when you see these sculptures you feel as if they were the work of a man’s, if not even better. That surprised me very much.
Relations between feminism and art that were suggested to me were that between different cultures, the relationship between women and art are different. For example when I went to visit the National Museum of the American Indian women were expected to create art, it was more like a woman’s duty to create a gorgeous piece of art, whereas in the other museums, it was apparent that women artists were not looked up upon. Instead they were looked down upon, event the painting itself was degraded just because a woman had painted it even though that piece of work looked just as good or even better, than a piece that a man had painted.
Another relationship between feminism and art that were suggested to me was the link between women and their individuality. In the more contemporary art like the ones that I saw when I went to the National Gallery, women painters showed their individuality and their unique view by creating art that would sometimes be much more abstract than men. An example would be Harmony Hammond’s work with her sculptures made of cloth, wood, acrylic, gesso, latex, rubber, rhoplex, and metal. Her sculptures show uniqueness and individuality because of the way she made them. It really is hard to explain, it is so much more fascinating to see in person so I highly recommend going to the National Gallery and the National Museum of Women and the Arts to see it. Another artist who I saw the same relationship would be Frida Kahlo. A lot of people have heard about her but have never really seen her portraits and paintings up close. Although I have never been a fan of her paintings I do have to admit that they really are unique and portray her life in the most unique manner. I love that her life story and her feelings are bluntly portrayed through her paintings, like the image of her husband and the emphasis of her unibrow. It shows that she has her own unique style that no one can copy and imitate.
Throughout the whole trip my assumptions about women and the arts have been turned around and changed from before. After coming out all four of the museums my views on women and how they create art have changed a lot.