Assignment 1: Assumptions about Feminisms and Art

Daniel Kelly
Assignment 1: Assumptions about Feminisms and Art

History has laid a framework of societal norms and practices, that have inherently created an unequal balance of power between genders. Religions, political structures, economies, and Western thought all contribute to a level of complacency creating an unequal relationships between man and woman. As a white male I have been granted certain “luxuries” in life, not earned through intellectual skill or thought, but from birth. My definition of feminism includes ideas, art, literature, and expression that deals with the unequal treatment of woman based on gender. Feministic art confronts the unequal treatment of woman based on gender through metaphor and artistic expression. Art by women is not necessarily feminist art; feminist art can confront gender roles, create an underling message of social change, question societal norms about women, or change what art is “suppose” to look like. As a white male I understand that there are many things I see and hear regarding feminism, that on the surface I will have no idea what to see or think. I am blinded by the many memory managers in my life that have contorted a world of equality and justice. This assignment has narrowly open my eyes to those assumptions and opinions I hold towards the idea of feminism. I have been taught a certain way to behave around the ideas of feminism and art. A wave of intimidation can be brushed off by crude remarks and joking behavior. Society defines masculinity with power and prestige, while the arts and femininity are viewed has negative characteristics for a “man” to embrace. These unjust “societal norms” are not the driving force behind my current ideology, but I cannot deny the existence of these thoughts in my life and worldview. As I began my journey down the orange line metro, I understood an existence of deep skepticism and fear towards this assignment. As a male brought up through society, I am inherently blind towards the art and ideas I was going to see.

I must thank my mother for accompanying me on this journey, I was able to enjoy a beautiful day in the District with her, while discussing and contemplating the artwork in front of us. We crafted a strict itinerary and crafted a plan to view five museums: National Museum of Women in the Arts, National Museum of the American Indian, National Gallery of Art, National Museum of African Art, and the Hishhorn. We started our journey precisely at 10am in front of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

As I entered the building and paid a small fee, I was greeted by a kind receptionist who decorated me with pamphlets and brochures outlying the structure of the museum, upcoming museum programs, performances, and the new Paula Rego exhibit. The ground floor included several portraits, mostly portraying woman with some animal or child in her lap. These paintings seemed normal to me, as a child I took many field trips to the National Gallery of Art, and the women portrayed looked very similar. But one painting on the ground floor did catch my eye, unlike the other portraits which included animals or children, too me indicating a sense of motherhood, but this painting showed a woman with a piece of literature in her hand. This painting sparked my imagination, I began to question the idea of what constitutes feminist art and what is art by women. It was early in the morning and I decided to move to the next floor before I made a strict decision.

My favorite and most memorable memories during this assignment came from the Paula Rego exhibit. The ground floor created a “conservative” ideal about the artwork I thought would be shown in this museum. My assumption was wrong, the women in Rego’s exhibit were powerful, bold, and muscular. When I viewed these paintings the faces were well defined, had a bold bone structure, and a deep muscular tone. This depiction was contrary to my view of a ballerina. For a second I thought I understood what feminist art is, and the message behind it. Society has created an “ideal” image of women, and how they should look, dress, and socialize. Rego’s exhibition was both sweet and sinister at the same time, including pictures of fairytale characters, mixed with paintings depicting dog-like howling women. As I moved on to the private collection, all I could think about was Rego’s exhibit, her art was loud and memorable. The private collection included some feminist pieces mixed with art by women. One piece told a story of a son and mother depicting incest, “typical” cheerleaders doing leg kicks, and an athletic gymnasts. I tried to understand what all the art in the private collection was saying, but some pieces such as the black waterfall structure kept me baffled. The others floors of the museum were surprisingly bare, the top floor consisted of a small room of books, dealing with issues as recent as 9/11. I would argue that the National Museum of Woman in the Arts is indeed feminist. The museum itself is the only museum solely dedicated to women’s art. The NMWA has played an important role in changing the impression of what is art. Until the 20th century men defined what constitutes art and the role women play in art. The NMWA is a political statement challenging the status quo of gender in art. The exhibits is host to individual pieces of art that depicts feminist viewpoints, but at the same time it celebrates “high art” done by women. Since the NMWA is revolutionary in what art they place in their museum, it would be a feminist museum because it challenged art history all the way up to the 20th century.

After I got back onto the metro I made why way through the National Mall and visited the Museum of the American Indian. As a walked up to the museum I was stunned by the architectural build, its color was of burnt brick, and the rounded shape reminded me of a Midwestern flat. As I made my way to the front I noticed a row of teepees. I actually thought this was surprising, after the NCAA ban on Indian mascots and the image of the “noble savage”, I assumed these teepees were set up for entertainment value rather then cultural. I felt the teepees acted as a familiar compass to explain what kind of museum it represented, to those walking through the mall. When I entered the museum I picked up a few informative papers regarding the museum’s exhibits and schedule of storytelling performances. We did not have enough time to visit Mattew Nicolai’s string performance, so we ventured to the Contemporary Life, Our Universe, and Our Peoples exhibits.

These exhibits explained cultural history through different tribal accounts, laid a framework of Indian cultural life, and discussed cosmic philosophy. These were all fascinating exhibits, before this experienced my knowledge of American Indians was bare. I read clippings about alcohol abuse, higher suicide rates among American Indians, drugs, and reservations. But I never viewed the other side of the story and appreciated the vast history and influences of the American Indians. The last exhibit I viewed before I left was the Identity by Design Exhibit. This exhibit was full of beautiful and well made dresses by Native women. One sign that caught my attention explained a girls path to becoming a woman. Dress making was a vital step in maturing into a Native woman, the creation of a dress represented a change into womanhood. One woman’s dress took over seven years to make! From these four exhibits I defined a Native woman’s place in society was based upon her communal activities such as watching the children, sowing clothes, and cooking food. Women especially used their artistic skills within the community to promote their cultural identity. I would consider the Identity by Design exhibit feminist because of the meaning behind the dresses. In the American Indian culture these dresses represented unification, style, experiences, and beliefs. Through the process of dress making and dancing, women play an important role in tradition and teaching. This exhibit represented the cultural bond women had within American Indian society.

My last three stops included the Hirshhorn, National Museum of African Art, and the National Gallery of Art. The exhibit Body of Evidence was shut down at the African art Museum, so the only open collection came mostly from artwork donated by Disney. Almost all the art depicted the male form, and on few occasions emphasized the male genitals. I became very skeptical of the National Gallery of Art after experiencing the MNWA. Some rooms had walls colored dark blue, all the art I saw was completed by a man, all the woman portrayed were ideas formulated from a male perspective. I felt angry and disappointed after I felt the National Gallery of Art. Gender inequality in art now had a tangible variable associated with it, women artists were few, and their art was not taken seriously. Family values and social structures have deep ties in history, and after I left the National Gallery, I had my doubts if gender equality could ever truly exists. My fifth and final museum of the day was the Hirshhorn. Here I viewed the sculptures upstairs and the Recent Acquisitions on the bottom floor. The top floor consisted of mostly “high art”, but I did recognized a piece of “black waterfall” sculpture from a female artist who was also featured in the NMWA. Downstairs had some very interesting pieces of art. I had to do a double take on some pieces to find an artistic value, while others were shocking and right to the point. One woman carved multiple names into her body and used note cards to capture their names in blood. Each name represented a victim of a hate crime. A feminist piece consisting of multiple frames that caught my eye was by a woman who depicted a story of a nude woman suffocation in a plastic bad. These pieces of art were both shocking and memorable. The name carving fought for justice for equal treatment for women, homosexuals, African Americans, and anyone affected by a hate crime. The other piece showed how being female creates a suffocating life within society where your sexuality holds you back. This piece would be feminist because it argues that the female body is creating unequal treatment and sexism.

The Hirshhorn completed my five museum journey through the District. Looking back, I enjoyed the American Indian Museum the most. Visually it offered a unique insight into the American Indian culture, philosophy, and their worldview. The Hirshhorn, American Indian, and NMWA museums all offered a different an unique perspective into feminism. Each in its own way gave me a broader understanding of what feminist art is and what it means. Culturally the American Indian exhibit expressed the importance of women artistry in its community. The Hirshhorn dealt with issues of women sexuality, gender roles, and homosexuality. The explicit realistic art in the Hirshhorn added a deeper level of emotion that I wasn’t able to grasp at the NMWA. The NMWA is a symbol of feminism, it alone carried and still carries a strict collection of only female art. This art was neglected and rejected only until recently, and the percentage of female artists is still below acceptable values. Women’s art has a voice at the NMWA, feminist pieces mixed with “high art” by woman all exemplify a greater notion of women equality in the area of art and society.


Assumption List

I assumed that I could not fully comprehend feminist art because society has molded me into a certain personality that hasn’t necessarily dealt with problems that feminist art tackles. I found this assumption to be true. While I was at the Hirshhorn and NMWA there were paintings and sculptures that I felt had a feminist connotation.. Two examples were the plastic bondage pictures at the Hishhorn, and the Paula Rego painting of the howling wolf-like women. As I examined these pieces I couldn’t always find an answer.

I assumed the floor would be pink when I entered the NMWA. According to my perspective I thought the floor was peach and didn’t insinuate a gender correlation to the color pink. Society has deemed the color pink as a feminine color, blue a masculine color, and yellow as a neutral color. But the color of the floor seemed more neutral then feminine to me.

I assumed that the NMWA would be similar to the paintings I saw as a child, taking fieldtrips to Washington D.C. The paintings on the ground floor first supported my thesis, but the Rego exhibit completely blew away any assumption I had regarding the art I would see in the NMWA. The women were bold, intimidating, fierce, muscular, and I would consider masculine. Her artwork was a great place to start at, giving me a perspective on what feministic art is, and what it is trying to say.

I assumed the NMWA would be bigger than it was. I paid $8 and was disappointed about the lack of exhibits on the top floors. Without the Rego exhibit my opinion on the NMWA would have been different. The permanent collection would have been sufficient to do this assignment, but I would have expected more.

I assumed the teepees outside the American Indian Museum were tasteless and stereotypical. The building was made of beautiful burnt brick and outside were teepees arguably the most recognizable piece of American Indian history. After recent attempts to ban, Indian mascots, the term “redskins”, and the depiction of “noble savage”, I viewed the teepees outside the museum the same way. The teepees were a “tourist trap” intended to catch the eye of a passing pedestrian and educate him on what the building was used for. The Museum was meant to recognize the forgotten culture and influence of the American Indian tribes that once roamed over this land. A stereotypical symbol such as a teepee does not necessarily translate that notion in my head.

I assumed the American Indian exhibit would reference the colonization of their land, alcoholism, gambling, and college graduation rates. The exhibits were positive, it tired to give outsiders a small view into their culture, worldview, gender roles, and lifestyle. It included tribes throughout North America, giving a broad perspective on how large the North American Indian sect really is. Even though the Museum celebrated the cultural and historical significance of the American Indians I was still shocked when no reference was made, regarding the colonization of their people. But I do understand the United States government funded this project so it makes a little sense.

I assumed the National Gallery of Art would have one piece of art by a female. I guess as an innocent child issues such as this never crossed my mind or my teachers every time I visited the National Gallery of Art. The assumption created a deeper understanding on how deep structural inequality really is. The lack of women in art can be predicated further down into society, and eventually someone will need to address this situation and structure.
I did not assume violence could necessarily be art. The woman suffocating in the bag, and the name carving, were both powerful and disturbing at the same time. Is name carving the only answer to getting your message across? I defiantly got a message and an inclination after viewing her artwork. I may have been somewhat disturbed by it, but at the same time I felt sympathy and felt compassion for the people she was trying to revive and help.

I assumed feminist art dealt with issues surrounding gender inequality. But I was unaware of the scope of feminist art that could depict societal roles, body image, rape incest, and beauty. Feminism is on a political, ideological, and philosophical scale. There are many issues surrounding feminism that I did not immediately call to attention, but in actuality represents a large and powerful idea.

I assumed I would be able to go out later that night after my Museum adventure. Contrary to what I thought or what I wanted to happen, I slept like a rock.