Iconic Works Of Art By Feminists And Gender Activists

In this book, contributors identify and explore a range of iconic works – "Mistress-Pieces" – that have been made by feminists and gender activists since the 1970s. The first volume for which the defining of iconic feminist art is the raison d’être, its contributors interpret a "Mistress-Piece" as a work that has proved influential in a particular context because of its distinctiveness and relevance. Reinterpreting iconic art by Alice Neel, Hannah Wilke and Ana Mendieta, the authors also offer important insights about works that may be less well known – those by Natalia LL, Tanja Ostojić, Swoon, Clara Menéres, Diane Victor, Usha Seejarim, Ilse Fusková, Phaptawan Suwannakudt □and Tracey Moffatt, among others. While in some instances revealing cross influences between artists working in different frameworks, the publication simultaneously makes evident how social and political factors specific to particular countries had significant impact on the making and reception of art focused on gender. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, visual studies and gender studies.

In this book, contributors identify and explore a range of iconic works – "Mistress-Pieces" – that have been made by feminists and gender activists since the 1970s. The first volume for which the defining of iconic feminist art is the raison d’être, its contributors interpret a "Mistress-Piece" as a work that has proved influential in a particular context because of its distinctiveness and relevance. Reinterpreting iconic art by Alice Neel, Hannah Wilke and Ana Mendieta, the authors also offer important insights about works that may be less well known – those by Natalia LL, Tanja Ostojić, Swoon, Clara Menéres, Diane Victor, Usha Seejarim, Ilse Fusková, Phaptawan Suwannakudt □and Tracey Moffatt, among others. While in some instances revealing cross influences between artists working in different frameworks, the publication simultaneously makes evident how social and political factors specific to particular countries had significant impact on the making and reception of art focused on gender. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, visual studies and gender studies.

Original essays offering fresh ideas and global perspectives on contemporary feminist art The term ‘feminist art’ is often misused when viewed as a codification within the discipline of Art History—a codification that includes restrictive definitions of geography, chronology, style, materials, influence, and other definitions inherent to Art Historical and museological classifications. Employing a different approach, A Companion to Feminist Art defines ‘art’ as a dynamic set of material and theoretical practices in the realm of culture, and ‘feminism’ as an equally dynamic set of activist and theoretical practices in the realm of politics. Feminist art, therefore, is not a simple classification of a type of art, but rather the space where feminist politics and the domain of art-making intersect. The Companion provides readers with an overview of the developments, concepts, trends, influences, and activities within the space of contemporary feminist art—in different locations, ways of making, and ways of thinking. Newly-commissioned essays focus on the recent history of and current discussions within feminist art. Diverse in scope and style, these contributions range from essays on the questions and challenges of large sectors of artists, such as configurations of feminism and gender in post-Cold War Europe, to more focused conversations with women artists on Afropean decoloniality. Ranging from discussions of essentialism and feminist aesthetics to examinations of political activism and curatorial practice, the Companion informs and questions readers, introduces new concepts and fresh perspectives, and illustrates just how much more there is to discover within the realm of feminist art. Addresses the intersection between feminist thinking and major theories that have influenced art theory Incorporates diverse voices from around the world to offer viewpoints on global feminisms from scholars who live and work in the regions about which they write Examines how feminist art intersects with considerations of collectivity, war, maternal relationships, desire, men, and relational aesthetics Explores the myriad ways in which the experience of inhabiting and perceiving aged, raced, and gendered bodies relates to feminist politics in the art world Discusses a range practices in feminism such as activism, language, education, and different ways of making art The intersection of feminist art-making and feminist politics are not merely components of a unified whole, they sometimes diverge and divide. A Companion to Feminist Art is an indispensable resource for artists, critics, scholars, curators, and anyone seeking greater strength on the subject through informed critique and debate.

"In 1980 Lucy Lippard argued that feminist art is "neither a style nor a movement" but rather "a value system, a revolutionary strategy, a way of life." New Time: Art and Feminisms in the Twenty-First Century takes Lippard's statement as a point of departure, examining the values, strategies, and ways of life reflected in recent feminist art. Although artworks made since 2000 are the primary focus, the objects and installations discussed span several generations, mediums, geographies, and political sensibilities, conveying the heterogeneous, intergenerational, and gender-fluid nature of feminist practices. In keeping with Griselda Pollock's observation that "feminism is a historical project and thus is itself constantly shaped and remodelled in relation to the living process of women's struggles," New Time argues that feminist art in the twenty-first century encompasses myriad issues and perspectives and therefore cannot be reduced to a single subject, style, or agenda. It further reflects the forms of resistance that are constantly emerging in response to developments in politics and society. This richly illustrated volume presents works by more than seventy artists and collectives, including Laura Aguilar, Louise Bourgeois, Andrea Bowers, Judy Chicago, Ellen Gallagher, Luchita Hurtado, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Kalup Linzy, Goshka Macuga, Mai-Thu Perret, Carol Rama, Kiki Smith, Sturtevant, and Kara Walker. It examines their work though themes such as the problematic stereotypes associated with hysteria; the gendered gaze; the revisitation of historical subjects through a feminist lens; fragmented representations of the female body; shifting categories of gender; activism, domesticity, and labor; female anger; and feminist utopias"--

How has feminism matured over the years? What are the pressing agendas for todayâ (TM)s feminists working in the arts? Blaze: Discourse on Art, Women, and Feminism, emerges as a navigational text, celebrating past victories while charting new directions for todayâ (TM)s second wave and third wave feminists. A feminist anthology, Blaze is comprised of feminist artists, art historians, critics, journalists, curators, interdisciplinary artists, and arts administrators of diverse backgrounds, living across the United States. The book grows out of the 2006 Annual National Womenâ (TM)s Caucus for Art (WCA) conference, held in Boston, Massachusetts. Blaze features 15 detailed and well-documented feminist histories that narrate a number of pertinent strands of activism regarding feminist art, scholarship, and organizational development while exploring current crossroads. Conversations occur between myriad groups of women: second wave to third wave; third wave to second wave; second wave to second wave; third wave to women who do not identify themselves as feminists. The book addresses a number of timely issues related to representation, work, collaboration, environmental interventions, and social justice platforms. Blaze: Discourse on Art, Women, and Feminism captures feminists arts professionals working together across differences. In a world filled with strife, it is this form of engagement that inspires continued activism. For further information, please also see www.blazediscourse.com

Featuring a new package and an additional 60 pages of material, this revised edition of The Art of Feminism covers an even more impressive range of artworks, artists, movements, and perspectives. Since the debut of the original volume in 2018, The Art of Feminism has offered readers an in-depth examination of its subject that is still unparalleled in scope. The comprehensive survey traces the ways in which feminists—from the suffragettes and World War II–era workers through twentieth-century icons like Judy Chicago and Carrie Mae Weems to the contemporary cutting-edge figures Zanele Muholi and Andrea Bowers—have employed visual arts in transmitting their messages. With more than 350 images of art, illustration, photography, and graphic design, this stunning volume showcases the vibrancy of the feminist aesthetic over two centuries. The new, updated edition of the book features revised and expanded material in each of the book's original sections, as well as entirely new material dedicated to the art pieces that have shifted the landscape of feminist art today. This new material includes: women artists of the Bauhaus; grassroots and experimental curatorial efforts; a broader range of performance artists; and recent art shows and works, such as Kara Walker's Fons Americanus, which debuted at London's Tate Modern museum in 2020. UNIQUE IN SCOPE: The breadth and inclusiveness of this volume sets it apart and makes it the definitive book on international feminist art. The new edition brings the book into the current moment, ensuring that this groundbreaking volume remains relevant and fresh. It features an astonishing roster of artists, including: Barbara Kruger Sophie Calle Marina Abramovic Judy Chicago Faith Ringgold Cindy Sherman Ana Mendieta Zanele Muholi Mickalene Thomas Louise Bourgeois Shirin Neshat Andrea Bowers Pina Bausch JEB Amrita Sher-Gil Luchita Hurtado Ayana Jackson Patrisse Cullors EXPERT AUTHORS: Lead author Helena Reckitt has assembled a team of experts who are superbly qualified to unpack the rich history, power, and symbolism of feminist art for a new modern-day audience. UPDATED AND INCLUSIVE: This edition of the book features an even more diverse array of artists and artworks than the original, from the beautiful figurative paintings of Hungarian-Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil to the thoroughly researched and extravagantly costumed self-portraits of American photographer Ayana Jackson. Perfect for: Feminists and activists Art history lovers College and graduate students

Transnational Perspecives on Feminism and Art, 1960–1985 is a collection of essential essays that bring transnational feminist praxis into conversation with histories of feminist art in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. The artistic practices and processes examined within these pages all centre on gender and sexual politics as they variously intersect with race, class, sovereignty, Indigeneity, citizenship, and migration at particular historical moments and within specific geopolitical contexts. The book’s central premise is that reconsidering this period from transnational feminist perspectives will enable new thinking about the critical commonalities and differences across heterogeneous and geographically dispersed practices that have contributed to the complex and multifaceted relationship between feminism and art today. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, cultural studies, visual culture, material culture, and gender studies.

This book is the first full-length study dedicated to French women Orientalist artists. Mary Kelly has gathered primary documentation relating to seventy-two women artists whose works of art can be placed in the canon of French Orientalism between 1861 and 1956. Bringing these artists together for the first time and presenting close contextual analyses of works of art, attention is given to artists’ cross-cultural interactions with painted/sculpted representations of the Maghreb particularly in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Using an interdisciplinary ‘open platform of discussion’ approach, Kelly builds on established theory which places emphases on the gendered gaze. This entails a discussion on women’s painted perspectives of and contacts with Muslim women as well as various Maghrebi cultures and land—all the while remaining mindful of the subject position of the French artist and the problematic issues which can arise when discussing European-made ‘ethnographic’ scenes. Kelly argues that French women’s perspectives of the Maghreb differed from the male gaze and were informed by their artistic training and social positions in Europe. In so doing, French women’s socio-cultural modernity is also examined. Moreover, executed between 1861 and 1956, the works of art presented show influences of Modernism; therefore, this book also pays close attention to progressive Realism and Naturalism in art and the Orientalist shift into Modernist subject matter and form. Through this research into French women Orientalists, Kelly engages with important discussions on the crossing view of the historical female other with the cultural other, artistic hybridity and influence in art as well as the postcolonial response to French activities in colonial Algeria and the protectorates of Tunisia and Morocco. On giving focus to women’s art and the impact of cross-cultural interchanges, this book rethinks Orientalism in French art. This book will be of particular interest to scholars in the history of art, gender studies, history, and Middle Eastern and North African studies.