Feminist Art - An Introductory Overview

            
             The woman's art movement/Feminist Art.
             Time Frame = Began late1960's - 1970's.
             CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE MOVEMENT.
             * Social and political protests of the late 1960's - focussed American society on particular issues.
             * Vietnam War.
             * Arab oil embargo.
             * Watergate.
             * Erosion/pollution of environment. Environmental groups being established.
             * The sexual revolution.
             * Availability of contraception especially the Pill.
             * Black civil rights.
             * Gay liberation.
             All these things made people question their values, their value systems and the way in which society operated. .
             Since World War II people were questioning their values.
             IMPORTANT BOOKS INFLUENCING FEMINIST THOUGHT:.
             The Second Sex.
             The Feminine Mystique - Betty Freedom.
             The Female Eunuch - Germaine Greer.
             The Golden Notebook - Doris Lessing.
             Sexual Politics - Kate Millich.
             MAIN IDEAS.
             The main idea is the personal is political.
             Traditional histories have ignored women in all aspects. Also that women are portrayed in art from a male point of view.
             The feminists wanted to acknowledge women of the past that had not been recognised in their time - rediscovered and revamped. Publishing information about these women. For example Marie Curie, a scientist who discovered radium.
             Challenging the patriarchy - Male dominance and Low Art and high Art.
             The Feminists challenged the male gaze - females in art are submissive and what men want to see them as. .
             The idea of universal sisterhood - the female experience is unique.
             The next generation of feminists took a different approach. They used post modernists ideas - pluralism - multiple ideas being right. They looked at the high differences between women and men and issues of race, age and sex. Theories about language - understanding language.
             Later feminists looked at gender studies.
             TIMELINE OF EVENTS.
             1920 - American women got the vote.
             1963 - The first law for prohibiting sexual discrimination passed - equal pay for equal work.
             1960 - Birth control approved as safe for women to take.