Georgia O'Keefe - "Poppy's"
Sally Mann - "Bloody Nose"
Sally Mann - "Jessie at age 5"
One of the topics brought up in class pertained to women in the art world. I started to discuss the artist Sally Mann and her photographs and how her work was so controversial because it was not “maternal” to photograph her children nude. Many female artist are considered an outrage if their artwork does not show feminine qualities. For example, if a woman were to paint beautiful flowers like Georgia O’Keefe it would be completely acceptable and considered beautiful. If a woman were to create a series of glass bowls to hold fruit, again it would be accepted and considered beautiful. Because it is assumed by society that women only think of things like flowers and fruit; and that is all they are allowed to express. Now I am not saying that art created by women that includes the subjects of fruit and flowers is not beautiful, because it very well can be; but “radical” artist can create beautiful art as well. Female artist become outrageous when they start to create art that is outside of their feminine qualities. When women create art is in any way grotesque or “unattractive”, it causes uproar and the artist is considered radical. For example, Sally Mann noticed her son had a bloody nose when he came running into the house for a snack. The blood was crusted on his face, and it had already stopped bleeding but it was all over his shirt. She stopped him and photographed him because it has happened in every household. The child is having so much fun outside he gets hurt and doesn’t care, the parent notices this incident after it had already happened and the child could care less. Sally Mann called a bad mother for photographing her son, instead of helping him. Though the blood was already dry. Sally Mann is not the only female artist who was considered radical among men in society, but her photographs include two very sensitive subjects: children and nudity.
2 comments:
I find it sad that women have been characterized as only being able to hold the role of the nurturing, reserved, motherly figure. Maybe it is our society that has created this model, but I feel that the world needs to discover more female artists who dare to break through this stereotype and to project a more masculine or rather less nurturing role in art.
I agree with Ashley. Women need to be able to freely express themselves and not be criticized on what they are doing. If a woman chooses not to take on the nuturing motherly role so be it. Why does our society feel the need to stereotype everyone living in it. If women want to express themselves in a non-womanly matter let them. They have the freedom of choice and shouldn't have to be ridiculed for every little thing they do that is out of the so called norm.
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