The Art of Women – form the Margin to the Mainstream Cover Image

The Art of Women – form the Margin to the Mainstream
The Art of Women – form the Margin to the Mainstream

Author(s): Magdalena Samborska
Subject(s): Philosophy, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Cultural history
Published by: Łódzkie Towarzystwo Naukowe
Keywords: feminism; postfeminism; herstory; Judy Chicago; feminine aesthetic; women’s art; Vanessa Beecroft; Toxic Tittes

Summary/Abstract: Confronting the second wave of feminism with postfeminism allows us to show the change in the perception of art and the position of women in the art world. The activists of the 1970s aroused extreme emotions in the public, and attempts were made to downplay the value of their work. At the end of the 20th century, however, when ambiguity and controversy have become the desired quality of art, feminist ideas are sometimes a necessary ornament of the careers of celebrities. In this article I present the history of the difficulties that artists who debuted on the art scene in the 1970s had to overcome. I use the example of Judy Chicago and her iconic work Dinner Party. Other heroines of the pioneering times are Marina Abramowic, Carolee Schneemann, and Valie Export, whose attitude I compare to that of the star of the younger generation, Vanessa Beecroft. Beecroft leaves her attractive installations without any comment, she does not settle any controversies, which fits the characteristics of the post-modern game on the art market

  • Issue Year: 2014
  • Issue No: 16
  • Page Range: 275-284
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: English