Virginia Woolf wrote, “For most of history, Anonymous was a woman,”
Where to start? Last night my daughter and Lillie went to see 'Barbie' the film. A run down from my daughter this morning and she explains the two worlds of this doll turned human, and how the film sorts out the feminism, from the plastic world of the doll to our real world, Barbie chooses our world to live in.
“A woman should be first a mother, then a housekeeper, then an ‘echo’ of her husband.” Judith Flanders – A Circle of Sisters
Feminism is a subject that has evolved over time, as women have fought to have equal footing in society, so things have changed, albeit slowly. They have been held down by the rigours of child birth and housekeeping duties. Today we address these problems and husbands or partners are now allowed time off from work to look after the baby and wife. But as always as a society we muddle through equality between the sexes. It will come eventually, whether by good law or commonsense. There is always a fight going on, humans are very good at that!
But one thing that has always been lost is the creative force that women also have either in painting or writing. This is somewhat emphasised by reading Grigson's 'Recollections' of his working life in the 1930s. His subjects are invariably male, women only having a small walk on part as wives or girlfriends, they are not the main figures in the art world.
Now let us introduce Christa Zaat and her work - Rewriting Art History in collecting in albums female artists. She does it on Facebook, and I have no shame in being there by the way. Why? because there are history contacts, art, gorgeous costumes through the centuries and jewellery and ceramics to die for. Each day I see art and am stunned by the achievements of both men and women, who work creatively and then their work lives on for us to admire.
I believe Christa Zaat is doing an excellent job, just to pick up one point in the above article......
For centuries, the Art Canon was dominated by art made by men, preferably white and dead for at least 50 years. That was the paradigm about art. No matter how talented and skilled a woman was:
We have gone down a singular road, taste was dictated by males, they did not even bother to evaluate women's art through the restricted confines of their narrow view of their own importance. It is changing but let us hear more from the female side.......
Street music 'Dancing in the Dark' listen to it sung in Italian, so romantic...
Rewriting Art History with Christa Zaat - No Smoking (nosmokingmedia.com)
That Spanish FIFA president at the Women's Football! What a man!
ReplyDelete;) Georgie Porgie kissed the girls and made them cry Tom. Let us say he was little over enthusiastic! but sad he had to resign.
ReplyDeleteThe bit I liked the best was him grabbing his own balls in front of the princess. That IS enthusiastic.
DeleteI don't know what you watch on TV Tom but I hope it was after 9 in the evening!!
DeleteIt was on the radio - with subtitles.
DeleteI admire Christa Zaat's work as well.I often see these governing bodies pictures and marvel at how few women there are in them. I wonder if the outcomes would be different if we were better represented.
ReplyDeleteWhat does come out of her collection is that there were so many good artists both female and male Hart.
DeleteNot always 'anonymous' but known for so many years only by their husband's name [assuming there was a husband.] In doing family research one finds that in the United States census prior to 1850 women and children were merely a checkmark or number in a column designating age. Newspaper articles in the time of my grandparents and great grandparents mentioned a married woman as 'Mrs' followed by the husband's name or initials. As if upon marriage a woman's personal identity was, at least publicly, completely merged [or submerged] in the husband.
ReplyDeleteDo you know Sharon I think it was like that for British women as well, I still do when writing Xmas cards out always use the initials of the husband on the envelope but likely it must have stopped in the 20th century.
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