Although the postmodern world no longer tends to see things linearly, it is still often in our nature to do so. The history of art cannot be seen as an orderly line of ideologies and their successors. Feminist theory is informed by an infinite number of things, which were in turn affected by feminist theory, and so on. .
In short, the feminist approach to art, art theory, and art history was not a result of any one thing. Nor did it evolve according to any one thing. And its presence has had a ripple effect and informed a number of other theories, movements, and ideologies. But a general understanding of feminist theory and its history could, perhaps, help the reader to better understand the impact feminist theory has had on the art world, and its problems, of today. Feminism is often now seen as yet another filter through which to view, critique, or make art. But Linda Nochlin writes that "it should not be mistaken for just another variant of or supplement to mainstream art history. At it's strongest, a feminist art history is a trangressive and anti-establishment practice, meant to call many of the major precepts of the discipline into question" (xii). This statement reveals the transformative power of the feminist approaches to art and art history. But hope for the future can only come from an understanding of the past.
Emerging from the 1950's era of the Cold War, social conformity, and acceptance of authority, the 60's could best be called the era of "questioning." The cultural climate of the 60's is still well remembered and well documented, and therefore requires only cursory description here. What is most important is that during the 60's, a strong student movement and emerging counterculture began questioning the authority, values, and institutions that had been unquestioningly accepted in previous decades. Social movements questioned the "Establishment." The anti-war, environmental, and civil rights movements of the time were integral to the beginning of the feminist movement.