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Curated by: Brittany Coburn

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Throughout history, women have been eroticized to fit the idealized representation of the female in the eyes of men. Specifically in the realm of art, the existence of gendered stereotypes is wildly present in that men and women are depicted not for who they really are, but for who society wants them to be. Not only within art, men have always been placed in the superior role within our society, and until recently, women didn’t have the access, power, or confidence to stand up against the notion that we are inferior. With this exhibition, the goal is to make clear the fight against these gender stereotypes, by presenting art about women created by women.  Each of these artist’s works serve as a commentary and deconstruction of the art produced by male artists that has historically suppressed women’s role in society. This collection is a rebellion against the socially constructed gender-roles created by men in order to make a stand for equality, as well as a push for natural, real, beauty to be the new norm. Women have been made to feel lesser, like they have to go to extremes to fit the roles of their gender, and go above and beyond to achieve something idealized by their male counterparts. Up until the 1970s, men lived for themselves, while women live to please men. While women have begun to find their voice and have started to be able to stand up against these socially constructed stereotypes, the pressures to look and be a certain way are still widely present. This collection aims to allow women to feel heard, to feel motivated to fight for themselves and what they want, and to be confident in who they really are. Each of these artists and their works serve to empower women, and to allow them to feel motivated to rise up against the historical representations created by male artists and the conception that women have to fit within this pre-determined and gendered role. Until recently, it hasn’t been a battle that was publically fought, however, men have gotten it wrong all these years, so it is time for us women to rise to the occasion and fight for the right to define our own roles within society and what it means to be a women. No one knows women better than women, so who better to provide real representations of our bodies, our lives, and our feelings, than ourselves?

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Judy Chicago, "Red Flag", 1971, Photo-lithograph, 20x24in. 

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Judy Chicago, "Red Flag", 1971, Photo-lithograph, 20x24in. 

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Judy Chicago's, Red Flag, is an image that would never be created by a male artist, which is the primary reason I chose to include it in this exhibition. It provides a raw and realistic representation of the female body; providing imagery that is suppressed by society. Periods have always been something we hide or keep private; or in other words, something we have always been made to feel embarrassed by. Unfortunately for the men it scares, or for the women who don’t have the courage to embrace their femininity, periods are unavoidable and inevitable, as well as necessary for the functioning of our bodies. Contrary to the pressures society places on women to keep their period “private”, our monthly visit is nothing to be ashamed of. This print exemplifies the embracing of all parts of femininity. Graphically put, the topic of women bleeding from their vaginas has been repressed in the public sphere because of the fact that it makes people (men) uncomfortable; they don’t what to talk about it or know about it, so they get to decide how the topic is handled. Judy Chicago’s, Red Flag, brings this previously “hidden” topic to the forefront of the public sphere, embracing women for who we are, and giving us a voice in this male-dominant gendered society.

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Lynn Hershman, "Roberta Breitmore's Construction Chart", 1973, Third generation "C" print, 18x24in.

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Lynn Hershman, "Roberta Breitmore's Construction Chart", 1973, Third generation "C" print, 18x24in.

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I choose this image, Roberta Breitmore's Construction Chart, by Lynn Hershman, because it depicts the pressures placed on women by our society to look a certain way. This photograph maps out the process Roberta Breitmore goes through in order to make herself fit the appearance that society has deemed “beautiful”. Unlike the idealized image of women that male artists have historically portrayed, Roberta Breitmore's Construction Chart, does not embrace the idealization, but rather, challenges it. Her face is overly made-up and drawn on to dramatize the extreme that women go to each day to fit this stereotype, serving as a sort of red flag, asking the question, “is this really beautiful?” What is beauty? This image is a step in changing the narrative imposed on women by their male counterparts. No one knows women better than women, and it’s time we start defining ourselves rather than allowing society to place gendered stereotypes on us.

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Joan Semmel, "Me Without Mirrors", 1974, Oil on canvas, 50x68in.

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Joan Semmel, "Me Without Mirrors", 1974, Oil on canvas, 50x68in.

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Joan Semmel’s, Me Without Mirrors, is an amazing and confident self-portrait of a female. Throughout history, portraits of women have been representations of men’s idealized image of the female body. Women have been highly eroticized and romanticized to the point that we have been made to feel bad about our real appearance, and forced to feel like we need to fit society’s skewed and unnatural definition of beauty. With this painting, Semmel challenges all of the pressures that society has placed on women by embracing her NATURAL figure. This stunning painting is a representation of real, raw, feminine beauty. I chose to include this painting in the exhibition because it is a strong symbol of confidence, and an extremely empowering image for every woman who has ever been made to feel insecure about themselves, or who has ever felt like she was not “pretty enough” according to the societal standards of beauty. Joan Semmel’s, Me Without Mirrors, symbolizes the rebellion against the gender-roles of society, sending the message to all women that they are beautiful. Confidence and reality are what true beauty looks like.

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Cynthia Mailman, "Self-Portrait as God" from Sister Chapel, 1977, Acrylic on Canvas, 60x108in.

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Cynthia Mailman, "Self-Portrait as God" from Sister Chapel, 1977, Acrylic on Canvas, 60x108in.

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I included Cynthia Mailman’s, Self-Portrait as God, from the Sister Chapel, in this exhibition, because it is an extremely empowering representation of the female body. The “God” figure has historically almost always been associated with the male figure, serving as a backhanded statement that men are the all-powerful, and women are inferior. By depicting god as a female, especially on such a large scale, Cynthia Mailman is challenging the notion that men are superior. This image begs the question, “WHY has god always been depicted as a man?” No one knows the answer, however, it brings topics such as gender inequality to light. Cynthia Mailman’s, Self-Portrait as God, places women in the role of the “superior” gender by equating them to god. This idea, challenged by men, serves to deconstruct the idea that men are in fact superior. When the roles reverse and women are seen as superior and men don’t take it seriously, why should women take the way society really operates, with men at the head, seriously?

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Barbara Kruger, "Untitled" (Your Body is a Battleground), 1989, photographic silk screen on vinyl

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Barbara Kruger, "Untitled" (Your Body is a Battleground), 1989, photographic silk screen on vinyl

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I included Barbara Kruger’s, Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground), from 1989, because it is an iconic image that I have grown up associating with female empowerment. By equating the female body to a battleground, Kruger is making a statement about how important it is to fight for and protect your body from a symbolic enemy; the perception of beauty and perfection according to harsh gender-roles within our society. Barbara Kruger’s, Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground), signifies the importance of confidence, and serves as a symbol for all women to remember that they are beautiful in their natural bodies. This iconic print is a perfect example of modern feminist art, motivating the fight for the right to define our own gender.

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Jessica Ledwich, "Monstrous Feminine" series, 2014, single photograph from series

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Jessica Ledwich, "Monstrous Feminine" series, 2014, single photograph from series

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Jessica Ledwich’s series, Monstrous Feminine, is one of the most powerful feminist art series to date. The idea of the “Monstrous Feminine”, a term created by feminist theorist Barbara Creed in her book The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, is the representation of the values society places on vanity, the quest for perfection, and fitting the stereotypical definition of beauty. “Monstrous” serves to de-humanize the extremes that women go to in order to achieve this idea ingrained in our heads of perfection. But, in reality, what is perfection? Does it even exist? Are the length’s we go to in order to fit the stereotype worth it? I chose to include an image from Jessica Ledwich’s series, Monstrous Feminine, because it challenges the conception that these extremes women go to are normal, acceptable and healthy. Monstrous Feminine criticizes this desire and deconstructs the idea of what beauty and perfection really are. Is it really beautiful and perfect if you have to work so hard and alter your body for it?

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Class notes and images from google as well as:

Broude, Norma, and Mary D. Garrard, editors. The Power of Feminist Art: The American Movement of the 1970s, History and Impact. Paperback ed., New York, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1996.

Jones, Amelia, editor. Sexual Politics: Judy Chicago's Dinner Party in Feminist Art Theory. Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1996.

Ledwich, Jessica. "Monstrous Feminine." jessicaledwich.com, Jessica Ledwich, 2016, www.jessicaledwich.com. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017.