Use of fabrics and textiles in feminist art...

Feminist art works are often made from particularly tactile materials (often contrasting ones ~ e.g. silk and pins) which highlight the contrast between men and women, or show that despite women's bodies are soft, they can be strong too.

Inspired by such art, I want to create a set of pieces that reflect these ideas. I am going to use some colours that are commonly associated with women, such as pink and red, and some that are not, like black and brown.

Art Fems exhibition poster 

 
Emily Miller, "X Chromosomes"

Inspired by the above poster for a feminist gallery exhibition I am going to, and also by Emily Miller's "X Chromosomes" work, I am going to make a set of pieces that reflect ideas about women and their bodies.

Ideas...

From my visual and historical research, one aspect of feminism and feminist art that has stood out to me is how the female body has been used in art. For thousands of years, it has been primarily used as a point of observation for male artists, who have focused on the aspects of a woman's body that make her attractive, dependant on the time. Woman have been (and still are) idealised by men, and this article explores how women have been portrayed in art from 1962 to 2002.

In my own work, I want to use the female body as a reference point, but rather than portray women in an idealised way, I want to show them in a more genuine, natural light.

'Fragmentation of the Body' ~ Giron Mathilde

(Source: http://positivebodyimageinspiration.tumblr.com/post/78447342754/fragmentation-of-the-body-and-acceptance-by-giron)


This series of photographs by Giron Mathilde is similar to the work of Ryoko Suzuki, in that it deals with body image and the idea of the body being contorted. Areas of the body where there are natural folds, rolls and creases, which are often labelled as "ugly" and "undesirable", are presented in a way that shows that they are beautiful.

  

 

 

The linear simplicity and natural colours in the images make them very organic in appearance, and give an air of softness and gentleness. Unlike Ryoko Suzuki's "Bind" series, the photographer has used the body alone, rather than incorporating other materials, to enhance the natural feeling. Although not labelled as "feminist art", these images show the importance of positive body image and self-worth, a concept which is central to a lot of feminist works.

Ryoko Suzuki ~ "Bind"

 

Ryoko Suzuki's "Bind" series comprises of photographs that show the female body being constricted and distorted by bloody ties:

"The"Bind"series expresses my inner-self:a grown-up who has left the world introduced by her parents and other adults. Acquiring my own thinking and being,"Bind"shows a woman who has to deal with her female sexuality. In this work series, I bound myself with pigskin, which had been soaked in my blood as a symbol of womanhood. I was feeling and thinking about my life-in which I had transformed from a child who just believed what adults provided- leading it my very own way, as a woman, while wrapping my eyes, nose, mouth, and ears with pigskin. In this way, the"Bind"series are recordings of actions reflecting these considerations."

The work is provocative due to the materials used and the visual appearance. It is suggestive of being trapped, restrained and tortured, issues that are often dealt with in feminist art.

Textiles and feminist art

Several contemporary feminist artists are using specific textiles and fabrics in their work, perhaps as a comment on stereotypically female activities like washing, sewing, dressmaking etc.


1) Julia Triston

Julia creates "knicker bunting", which has been used to launch the University of York's "Carnival of Feminist Cultural Activism".


2) Lin Tianmiao

Lin has made "badge" installations which show all the derogatory names a woman can be called.

3) Judy Chicago

Arguably Judy's most famous work, "The Dinner Party" is an installation which includes place settings (carrying connotations with "female jobs" like cooking and sewing) for 39 mythical and historical famous women, with 999 more named on the floor tiles. Judy's goal for this work was to "end the ongoing cycle of omission in which women were written out of the historical record". Butterfly or flower-like sculptures are used to represent vulvas, and the piece celebrates traditional female accomplishments like textile arts, which have been framed as craft or "domestic art", as opposed to the more culturally-valued, male-dominated fine arts.

4) Feminist cross stitch

Perhaps as a "nod" to artists like Chicago, many feminists in today's society are creating "traditionally female" art like cross stitching, but with an obvious feminist overtone:

5) Naiza Khan

In stark contrast to the soft fabrics used by some other feminist artists, Naiza uses metal and nails to create items of clothing historically used to restrain or hinder women:

Armour skirt

Armour corset

Quote of the day

"Blurred Lines"

Labelled as "the most controversial song of the decade", Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" has caused a storm. Its racy video, which features little other than practically naked girls prancing around the screen, has been the source of much criticism from feminists everywhere. Although a censored version of the video was aired, the song has spawned countless parodies such as "Defined Lines" (which features countless fantastic lines like "your precious dick can't beat my vibrator",  "we are scholastic, smart and sarcastic, not fucking plastic" and "you can't just grab me... that's a sex crime").

On a serious note, the original song is a worrying reminder of how "rape culture" and "dehumanising" women is still a massive problem in the world. With comments like "it sounds like a rapist singing" becoming the most common response to the song and the video, it's not surprising that phrases like "she was asking for it" are becoming common among convicted rapists. With nearly 300 million views on the uncensored video alone, mass-viewed songs like these are giving off a completely twisted view of what the "right way" to treat women is.

Natalia Atkins discusses the controversial video in this article.

"Feminist" songs

With the emergence of active feminism, many songs from the past decade are labelled as "feminist', because of the lyrics, the underlying meaning, or even because of who the artist is. Some examples include:

Lily Allen ~ "22":
"It's sad but it's true how society says her life is already over,
There's nothing to do and there's nothing to say,
Til the man of her dreams comes along and picks her up and puts her over his shoulder.
It seems so unlikely in this day and age."

Cyndi Lauper ~ "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun":
"The phone rings in the middle of the night, my father yells what you gonna do with your life
Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one, but girls, they want to have fun.
Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world,
I want to be the one to walk in the sun"

Green Day ~ "She":
"Are you locked up in a world that's been planned out for you?
Are you feeling like a social tool without a use?
She's figured out all her doubts were someone else's point of view
Waking up this time to smash the silence with the brick of self-control"

Pink ~ "Stupid Girls":
"The world believes it and I'm going crazy, I cannot take any more
I'm so glad that I'll never fit in, that will never be me
Outcasts and girls with ambition, that's what I wanna see"

Robyn ~ "Who's That Girl":
"Who's that girl that you dream of? Who's that girl that you think you love?
Who's that girl? Well I'm nothing like her
I know there's no such girl"

Jessie J "does it like a dude"...

In Jessie J's 2010 video for "Do It Like A Dude", the singer reflects the subject of the lyrics in her clothing and particularly makeup.

Bold eyeliner, an even bolder haircut, and studded lipstick gives her a very punky masculine appearance in the video, and highlights the feminist meaning behind the song...

"Hey, pour me a beer,
No pretty drinks, I'm a guy out here"

When interviewed about the song, Jessie said:

"I've tried wee'ing standing up and it's not as easy unless you're a guy... "Do It Like A Dude" for me is very much, the deeper meaning that everyone is equal. No one should make you feel intimidated and you can go, you know what, eff you, I can be who I wanna be and stand on my own two feet and not feel like I can't because you're making me feel like I can't...
But at the same time it's a parody of the typical male that exists today and it's kind of a tongue in cheek, a way of going, you know, this is funny. It's not that I hate men. It's not like we're saying, women are better, we hate men. That's not it at all. But you know, sometimes it's nice to have an empowered feeling that makes everybody so equal."

Jessica Lagunas

Jessica Lagunas is a Guatemalan artist whose work focuses on her concerns about women in contemporary society. In video and photographic works like "Para besarte mejor" (The Better to Kiss You With"), "Para verte mejor" (The Better to See You With") and "Para acariciarte mejor" (The Better to Caress You With"), she explores women's obsessions with body image, beauty, sexuality and ageing. She says:

"Beauty routines of embellishment have been incorporated in our daily lives in such a way that we hardly notice nor question them anymore. In the name of beauty most women will put on makeup, do their hair and nails, depilate, diet, fix their noses and breasts. Although few women will reach society’s beauty ideals, many will sculpt their bodies as needed. 

In some video works I play along with women’s beauty rituals, performing them in exaggerated ways to reflect the pressures imposed by today’s society. The camera focuses on the part of the body where the action takes place: With repetitive gestures I apply makeup continuously for one or two hours, questioning our attraction to makeup and its power of seduction."

"The Better to Kiss You With"

"The Better to See You With"

"The Better to Caress You With"

1950s inspired "power makeup"...

The makeup looks favoured in the 1950s have filtered through to many of the people who are regarded as "beautiful" and "feminine" today.

 

Dita Von Teese uses makeup that is very reminiscent of the 1950s look to complement her neo-burlesque performances - as a result we associate the red lipstick, winged eyeliner, bold eyebrows and carefully styled hair with something provocative and very feminine.

This style of makeup is very "on trend" and is sported by many women, including those who are also influenced stylistically by vintage fashion. Makeup like this, which has become very sexy and feminine, is contrasted with reserved knee length skirts and modest dresses.

 

This rockabilly style of clothing and makeup draws some of its inspiration from screen sirens like Elizabeth Taylor, the "style icon of her generation", whose makeup and clothing were a combination of sultry and classy sophistication.

Interestingly, the 1950s were seen as a bleak point in feminism, as post-WWII Britain returned to prioritising the "nuclear family", and women were encouraged to return to roles as wives and mothers. Perhaps the bolder makeup and fashion of this era was a response to the expectations of family life - maybe women were trying to prove that they could look good and be good at the same time...

Research into makeup as a statement

A very stereotypically "feminine" aspect of style and dress is makeup. Aside from a select few males (e.g. Boy George, Leigh Bowery), the majority of people who wear makeup are women. It can be used to completely change a person's appearance, even make them look more masculine or feminine.

Whilst researching feminism and makeup I found this very interesting article. Erin, the writer, discusses whether makeup is oppressive to women, and whether it's possible to be a follower of fashion and cosmetics trends and be a feminist at the same time.

She looks at how "control marks" like lipstick, corsets and high heels can be seen as signs of power and assertiveness, rather than a way of controlling or subduing women through making them wear uncomfortable, impractical clothes.

Many women seem to agree that makeup is now as much about making yourself feel good and giving you self confidence, as it is about making yourself look good to other people, in particular men. The article also raises the fact that both sexes now often wear makeup, e.g. fake tan, lip balm, eyeliner etc., regardless of sexuality.

Project introduction and initial ideas

The idea of "femininity vs. masculinity" is one that I am exploring across several modules at university, and as part of my research I have been looking at feminist art, the ways that women are portrayed in art and in society, and how we use clothing and makeup to make a statement about ourselves or to enhance or disguise our identity. I am going to base my SP&CA Project 2 in this area, particularly because feminism, women's equality, rape culture etc. are still massive topics in today's news and politics.