Post 4 --- Can you name 5 female artists?

In the beginning of the semester I couldn't name any more than three male artist let alone female artists. I didn't really care for art, I just thought it was a bunch of colors and squiggles on a canvas. When going to the museums, I've always just taken a glance at the artwork and move on to the next. This class however, changed my perspective on art. I now take the time to acknowledge the artwork displayed in front of me. Big or small, they all seem to have some kind of hidden message embedded inside. Not only am I able to truly enjoy and appreciate art, but I can now name five female artists as well. These artists are: Wangechi Mutu, Judy Chicago, Fida Kahlo, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Rosa Bonheur.

Wangechi Mutu is a female artist that we've discovered when we went to the Brooklyn Museum. She is a Kenyan-born sculptor and anthropologist. Her work mainly consists of the contradictions of female and cultural identity. She makes collages, in which she pieces together magazine imagery with painted surfaces and found materials. Being able to see the distinct details, created all by pieces of magazines, in person was unreal. The little cut-out images are placed in all the right places. When looking at her work up close, it was hard to distinguish what any of the images were. However, looking at the work as a whole gave it a entire new dimension. One of her biographies stated that the figures in her artwork "are equally repulsive and attractive", and I couldn't agree more with that statement.

Root of All Eves, 2010.
Wangechi Mutu

For instance, the collage to the left is the most repelling, yet attractive pieces in her display. The Root of All Eves was meant to combine the perceptions of woman as the root of evil and the characterization of Africa as the dark continent where evil forces originate and reside. The woman is wearing her sunglasses and bits of military garb with an amputated arm which "suggests the interplay of power and loss over decades of civil wars in Africa"(Brooklyn Museum). This collage is appealing to the eyes because there is so much going on with all the different images, yet it is obvious that the artwork contains a darkness upon it. Everything about the painting screams darkness.

Another female artist worth mentioning is Judy Chicago. Before going into her famous work, The Dinner Party, let's get to know her a little bit more. We did not get to spend a lot of time learning the background of Judy Chicago because most of the time we spent was on The Dinner Party itself. Therefore, Judy Chicago is an artist, author, feminist, educator, and intellectual. Her art is frequently exhibited in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. As mentioned several times earlier, she is best known for The Dinner Party.

The Dinner Party, 1974-79
Judy Chicago

After visiting The Dinner Party in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art in the Brooklyn Museum, images are not enough to fully appreciate the work of art. The display of The Dinner Party is just perfect, in which the lights hit each dish art the perfect angle. It is comprised of a huge ceremonial banquet that is arranged on a triangular table. There is a total of thirty-nine place settings. Each of the thirty-nine place settings showcases an important woman from history. When looking down at the tiles below the table, there are noticeable signatures inscribed in gold. There are 999 names of women inscribed, which I thought was pretty awesome.

Another notable artist is Frida Khalo. I felt that she was one of the most intriguing artist of all the female artists that we covered in class because of her much success even with her lifelong health problems. She is a Mexican painter that was born in Coyoacan. She is best known for her self-portraits. Her work is notable for its pain and passion as well as its intense, vibrant colors. Much of her work is based upon her lifelong health problems.

Broken Column
Frida Kahlo

The painting above, as weird as it sounds, is one of my favorite works from her. This painting is like a raw footage of her life, where there is no monkeys, cats, parrots, or plants. Instead, she is alone crying. The dark sky behind her sets up the mood as well. The painting shows a steal corset holding her broken body together and upright. The broken column is symbolic for her damaged spine. The nails piercing her entire face and body symbolizes the physical pain she endured since the accident. The larger nail at her heart, however, represents the emotional pain Diego caused her. In this painting, Frida's life is showcased like an open book.

Artemisia Gentileschi is another female artist that we've covered in class. She's known for Susanna and the Elders, which is did at a young age of seventeen. The painting shows Susanna, a young wife, sexually harassed by the elders of her community. Artemisia takes the female perspective and portrays Susanna as vulnerable and frightened, which I felt was brave especially during her time. Her painting was one of the first art works that we've talked about in class, and so I thought she deserves to be brought up again. 

The last artist that I will name is Rosa Bonheur. She was the most popular artist of the nineteenth-century France. She was known for her paintings of animals. The painting below showcases a horse market held in Paris. For a year and half she sketch there twice a week while dressed up as a man, that's dedication. The horses are the subjects in her painting, while the men are just extra details. I thought that that was pretty cool as well since during her time, she was not even allowed to paint men let alone draw them with blurred faces.

The Horse Fair, 1852-55
 Rosa Bonheur

All of the artists I have mentioned above is connected to one another because they represent a timeline in female art history. Artemisia Gentileschi being the oldest, then Rosa Bonheur, then Frida Kahlo, then Judy Chicago, and lastly Wangechi Mutu. Wangechi Mutu represents modern art. Frida Kahlo represents the ethic race in art. Rosa Bonheur represents gender in art. Together, these women make up part of female art history, which is pretty awesome.

Bibliography 

http://rogallery.com/mutu_wangechi/mutu-biography.html
http://www.judychicago.com/about/bio.php
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/dinner_party/
http://www.fridakahlo.com/
http://www.artemisia-gentileschi.com/susanna.html
http://ringlingdocents.org/bonheurbio.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/435702