Article review

Ishbulatova Nelly

CAM 513

Istanbul Bilgi University

the Beaten Path: Reassessing the Feminist Art Movement. The main argument of the essay is that “the

feminist art movement pioneered post-modernism.” (Brodsky & Olin, 2008, p. 330). The authors of the

essay state that the feminist art movement played a groundbreaking role for post-modernism which

appeared later and that the peculiar features of the feminist art movement foresaw the practices that

nowadays are recognized as post-modernistic ones. The works of a few members of the feminist art

movement are highlighted as visual examples in this essay. Brodsky and Olin in their essay propose that

the input of feminist cultural production into post-modernism must be admitted as determinative. It’s

noteworthy to say the authors of aren’t the first to claim that: in his work, “The Discourse of Others:

Feminists and Postmodernism”, Craig Owens makes a similar statement, but the distinctive feature of

Owens research is that he defined feminist artists as “others” and, in doing so, he unintentionally lessens

the contribution of the feminist art to the mainstream. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008)

The authors aimed to give a profound re-examination of the influences of the feminist art movement that

provided an innovatory change. This essay presents visual evidence of feminist art movement’s input into

the transformation of the representational strategies; the use of unique experiences and storylines taken

from daily routines to confront abstract expressionism; pleasure and play being used to confront the

domination of the existing state of affairs, especially regarding social or political issues; art instead of

being created for its own sake, taking its inspiration from and reacts to the events in society, culture,

science and politics; the shift from the concept of art as an ideal, sublime form to the narratives of

embodiment; various scales of art pieces and complicated manifestations rather than the traditional forms

of art; synergetic, collective art practice instead of the work of a single “male genius” (Brodsky & Olin,

2008, p. 331); borderlines between craft, popular culture and high art are becoming vague in the feminist

art practice. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

The research method being used is content analysis method where we analyze the presence, meanings,

and relationships of such certain themes and concepts.

modes of representation: while for centuries a female figure, the body of a female, was used to satisfy a

male’s gaze, Semmel paints from her own visual perspective. Even though a male figure is present in the

painting, it remains unidentified. Yellow and reddish-brown tones lead us to the idea of mixed marriage

and by doing so Semmel confronts the racist ideas that are against the concept of interracial couples.

(Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

Martha Rosler’s video Semiotics of the Kitchen (Rosler, 1975) uses satire as a tool to challenge the

concept of “women as homemakers” (Brodsky & Olin, 2008, p. 332) so deeply rooted in society. By

presenting the kitchen items in the alphabetical order and in a raging manner, Rosler emphasizes the

unreasonableness of the concept of housework that society has attached to a woman. To provoke the shift

in the minds, she moves even further from traditional ideas of art as a transcendent form by using video

and performance art. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

In May Stevens’s Top Man (Stevens, 1975) the artist is determined to take spontaneous, indirect

playfulness as an approach to express her criticism and mock the imperial ambitions of U.S. with

allusions to the medieval epoch of absolute rulers and militarism of the country. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

Betye Saar in her work Victory of Gentleness (for Rosa Parks), (Saar, 1975), is linked with the concepts

of “racial apartheid, racism, and sexist” notions (Brodsky & Olin, 2008, p. 333) that she opposes. The

work raises questions of racial discrimination and brings to light the non-violent resistance of enslaved

women which extremely unfairly and undeservedly skipped from society’s attention. The assemblage is

an example of blurred boundaries from the aspects of mediums, dimensions, and meanings. (Brodsky &

Olin, 2008).

In order to cease the permanence of abstract art, Carolee Schneemann in her filmed group performance

Interior Scroll (Schneemann, 1995) brings up the diametrically opposed concepts of embodiment and

temporality, where the stipes of women’s stories are delivered through a birth canal and, in this way, are

brought to life. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

installations in a playful manner by letting the elements of her art piece freely interact with space and

surroundings instead of taking it up. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

Prior to post-modernism, feminist art practices challenged traditional art concepts. Harmony Hammond’s

Collection of Fragments, Baskets, and Sandals (Hammond, 1972-1976) with faux archeological objects,

replicas of archeological fragments and paintings, uses a museum setup to build a base for representing a

historical line of female artists through times. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

Artistic collaboration that is opposed to individual male genius’ creation process was initiated by Judy

Baca among the members of Los Angeles community. Her sorrowful work, Dead Homeboy Killed by a

Placa (Baca, 1974), states that the young men of color have an alternative instead of losing their lives in

the street.

Following the steps of the other feminist artists, that used different ways and materials in their art

practice, Joyce Kozloff (Kozloff, 1975) in Hidden Chambers honors and praises women’s craft and the

traditional craft of other countries by using repetitive decorative images inspired by Miriam Shapiro.

(Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

Based on the analysis, we can state that feminist art movement not only made the boundaries vaguer, but

inspired creativity, and created a shift in the art practices, creating new connections between artistic

theory and practice. We can also clearly observe that feminist artists opposed modernism much earlier

than the mainstream movements and contributed “other aesthetic and political alternatives”. (Brodsky &

Olin, 2008, p. 339). It’s noteworthy to say that much earlier that postmodernism did, feminist artists

introduced society to the concepts of lesbian and gay sexuality to turn down the patriarchal norms,

disputed the concept of male gaze, developed alternative modes of representation, used art theory and

practice to address political and social issues, welcomed diversity and expanded the boundaries of the art

field. (Brodsky & Olin, 2008).

References
Azara, N. (1974). Widows’ Tongues. [painted wood]. The United Stated of America.

Baca, J. (1974). Dead Homeboy Killed by a Placa. [wood stain on paper]. Patricia Correia Gallery, Santa

Monica, CA, The United Stated of America.

Brodsky, J. K., & Olin, F. (2008). Stepping out of the Beaten Path: Reassessing the Feminist Art

Movement. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 33(2), 329-342.

Hammond, H. (1972-76). Collection of Fragments, Baskets, and Sandals. [mixed media installation with

fabricated clay shards, woven raffia and reed baskets, sandals, and display case]. The United Stated of

America.

Kozloff, J. (1975). Hidden Chambers. [acrylic on canvas]. The United Stated of America.

Rosler, M. (1975). Semiotics of the Kitchen. [video performance piece]. The United Stated of America.

Saar, B. (1975). Victory of Gentleness (for Rosa Parks). [mixed media assemblage]. Michael Rosenfeld

Gallery LLC, New York.

Semmel, J. (1974). Antonio and I. [oil on canvas]. The United Stated of America.

Stevens, M. (1975). Top Man. [acrylic on canvas]. The United Stated of America.

Schneemann, C. (1995). Interior Scroll. [filmed group performance]. Tate Museum. The United

Kingdom.