Feminism & Art

The term feminism cannot possibly be defined in just one sentence, because it is very complex and is interpreted in a number of ways. The way that I understand feminism to be is the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men do, everywhere from the workplace to their home. Feminists believe that women should be independent, have a voice, be fearless, and not have to conform to gender roles. These unequal rights were present in art venues as well, where no female artist’s work was displayed. That is no longer an issue with the help of Washington, D.C.’s National Museum of Women in the Arts, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of African Art, and Hishhorn. All four of these museums have different styles and many different types of art, which is also interpreted in a number of ways. I consider art to be something that is both artistic and beautiful, which may not be the same interpretation for everyone. Feminism and art can be related, but yet they are not always.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts had a very elegant sophistication to it, from its beautiful marble floors and chandeliers, to its grand staircases and Mezzanine Café. This museum stood out the most to me because of its very unique and diverse artwork. The Great Hall featured highlights from the Permanent Collection, which is comprised of the artwork of over 800 women artists from the 16th century to the present day. As I examined the paintings in the Great Hall, I was reassured of my assumption that art by women is very colorful and vibrant. However, I was taken aback by the amount of portraits of women. I assumed that women artists would paint pictures of their family, or flowers and beautiful landscapes, not self-portraits. As I explored upward in the exhibition, I reached one floor which only featured the artwork of the Portuguese artist, Paula Rego. Any assumption I had about female art prior to this was derailed after viewing her work which depicted stories of love, betrayal, and revenge. I found myself feeling disturbed while looking at her paintings with titles such as Red Monkey Beats His Wife and Wife Cuts off Red Monkey’s Tail. Each room featured Rego’s different styles, some which were bright and colorful, and others which were extremely dark and dreary. The next level I reached were selections from the Collection. This floor featured very colorful and vibrant abstract art. One painting had a quote from Hans Hofmann about his student Lee Kras which said “This is so good, you would not know it was painted by a woman,” which offended me but did not particularly surprise me. This museum is feminist because it features only women artists, pictures which depict females doing what is considered to be a male’s job, and some of the pictures had women dressed as men, and feminism is about giving recognition to women’s successes and contributions to society and eliminating gender roles therefore it does meet the definition of feminism.

The National Museum of the American Indian was exceptionally different than the three other museums. This museum had This exhibition featured all aspects of a Native American’s life, from their clothing and the materials that they used to make their tools, to a bombardier, which looked like a military tank that they used to ice fish. I really enjoyed the Changing Exhibitions room because it featured the Native American women’s clothing, which was made to relate to mother-nature in their color choices. Their dresses were decorated with beads and were hand woven by the women in the family. An interesting display called “Ghost Dance Dresses,” explained that the Native American women would weave “ghost dresses” which spoke out against the cultural changes that they were being faced with. These particular dresses were unique because they were mostly painted and were decorated with moons, stars, and dragonflies. I also went into the Resource Center where I met Juanita Velasco, a Mayan weaver from the highlands of Guatemala, who was weaving a piece of clothing. I also was able to visit the Our Lives Exhibition where I was able to see how they lived and what they used in order to survive. As opposed to the Changing Exhibitions room, this one was more focused on the men and their duties in the family. This museum is not feminist since it separates the men and women’s exhibits. The Changing Exhibitions displayed nothing but dresses, shoes, and bags which were made by the women for themselves and their family, whereas the Our Lives exhibition focused on the men and their responsibility to hunt and build items for their family. Since feminism is about eliminating gender roles and making male and female’s responsibilities equal, this museum cannot be considered feminist.

The National Museum of African Art was my favorite because I found it to be the most artistic. The museum was made up of old artifacts and sculptures, which were all very detailed. I like that the sculptures were made out of wood or copper alloy and remained their natural brown color, and they were still beautiful. Unfortunately, I did not find that there was that much variation in the artwork, the majority of the displays were either masks, human-like figures, or actual figures of men, women, or children. However, a few of the displays were of their jewelry, bowls, and a few beaded sculptures. The sculptures showed how spiritual they are and how proud they are of their heritage. This museum is not feminist because it has sculptures that were mostly of men, and were more masculine because it had a lot of warriors and fighters, and feminism is about having equal opportunities for women, therefore it does not meet this definition of feminism.

The Hirshhorn museum was the most interesting because it had very diverse types of art, and some pieces that I would not even consider as art. There were very abstract pieces, and some with different colors of paint splattered onto paper. I did not particularly understand a lot of the artwork, some of which were blank pieces of paper with light colored lines around the border. I also observed their sculptures, real photographs, and ceiling mobiles. Hirshhorn was showing a thirty minute video called “The Way Things Go” which was a set of chain reactions, almost like Dominos. Feminism is not at question at this museum because it was all modern art that was not focused on one gender or the other.

Feminism and art are related in some cases, and The National Museum of Women in the Arts is a good example of that. However, feminism and art is not always related, which was shown in The National Museum of the American Indian, The National Museum of African Art, and Hirshhorn.

Assumptions about feminism:
1) I assumed that women who were feminists were radicals, lesbians, and anti-male females.
2) I assumed that only women could be feminists

Assumptions about art:
1) I assumed that art was only drawn or painted.
2) I assumed that all art has deep meanings.
3) I assumed that art was only done by those with the talent of painting or drawing pictures. I found quite a few that were blank or was just painted all one color.
4) I assumed that art by women would be of their family, children, or flowers and be colorful.