Ashtari1

NedaAshtari

Art31C

DamirAvdagic

Housework

Inthepoliticallychargedpostwarperiodofthe1960s,theauthorityoftheartobjectand
theimageofthegeniuswhite,heterosexualmaleartistwasslowlybreakingdown.IntheWest,
antiwarprotests,politicalactivism,andtheWomensLiberationMovementsparkedafeminist
artmovementthatquestionedtheeconomicandsocialstructuresthathadoppressedwomen
throughouthistory.Althoughfeministartistscreatedworksrootedintheiruniquepoliticaland
socialexperiencesaswomen,therewereavarietyofapproachesincreatingartwork.Whileart
historytendstocategorizeartworksaccordingtotheiraestheticaspects,therewasnodistinctset
offormalqualitiesorstylethatcharacterizedearlyfeministartwork.Furthermore,ratherthan
adheringtoasinglemediumormodeofpractice,feministartistsutilizedmanydifferenttypesof
mediumsandworkedwithindifferentandsometimesoverlappingcategories,including
conceptualart,bodyart,textualart,andperformanceart.Thus,thepurposeofthisexhibitionis
nottocategorizewomenartistsasasingulargroupwithasingularpointofview.Instead,this
exhibitionseekstoexplorethedifferentstrategiesinwhichearlyfeministartistsdepictedthe
femaleform.BydisplayingtheworksoffourfemaleartistsworkingduringtheWomens
LiberationMovementincludingMaryKelly,CaroleeSchneemann,HannahWilke,andJudy
Chicago,theexhibitwillportraythedifferentapproachestodepictingthefemalebodywithout
reducingittoitsstatusasobject.


Ashtari2
Oneofthemostcommonthemesthroughoutfeministworksisrepresentationofthe
femalebodyandsexuality.Throughouthumanhistory,thefemaleformhasbeenidealizedand
fetishizedbymen.Theseunrealisticdepictionscreatedtheiconicstatusofthefemalebodyasa
modelformaleartistsandanobjectformaledesire.Inresponsetoapatriarchalsocietythat
misrepresentedandunderrepresentedwomen,feministartistscreatedworksthatcritiqued
existingsystemsofrepresentation.Manyartistsusedthebodyasasiteforcreatingand
exhibitingwork.BothwithinEuropeandtheUnitedStates,theseartistswerefocusedupon
reclaimingthefemalebodyfromitstraditionalroleasartistsmodelandsubjectofmale
fetishism.Feministartistswereinterestedinexploringtheroleofthefemalebodyinthe
domesticsphere,inliberatingfemalesfromtheirconfiningsexuality,andinexaminingthe
politicalandsocioeconomicimplicationsofthefemalebody.
Whilethefemaleformwasarecurringthemeinfeministart,artistsdebatedaboutthe
appropriatestrategiesusedtoapproachthesubject.Someartists,suchasMaryKelly,arguedthat
includingtheimageofthefemalebodywithinaworkwasproblematic(Kelly35).Usingvisual
representationsofthefemalebodywasselfexploitationandwouldallowmentoobjectifythe
womanwithinthework.Thus,theseartistsresisteddepictingthebodyintheworkaltogetheras
aconceptualstrategy.Byremovingtheiconicimageofthefemaleform,theyrefusedtoallow
themalegazetocontrolthefemalebodyinthework.Ratherthanusingthevisualfemaleform,
theyoftenincorporatedelementssuchastextandothermaterialstoportraythesubjectofthe
body.

Incontrast,otherartistssuchasHannahWilkeportrayedthemselvesintheirartworksas

apowerfulpoliticalstatement.Theyfoundthatemployingtheirownbodiesliberatedthemfrom
themalegazeandbrokefromhistoricallyengrainednotionsofgenderandsexuality(Johnson
95).Theyused
Ashtari3
theirownnudefemaleformasawayofunderminingthewayidealnudefemaleswere
traditionallydepictedinartwork.However,eventhoseartistswhoagreedtousethefemaleform
intheirworksweredividedbetweenthosewhowereclothedversusthosewhowerenaked.
Furthermore,otherwomenartistssuchasCaroleeSchneemannincorporatedthebodyin
theirworkinacompletelydifferentwaythroughperformativeartwork.Forartistsalignedwith
thewomensmovement,themediumofperformanceallowedthemtoreclaimtheobjectified
femalebodybyassumingtherolesofcreatorratherthanpassivemodel(Lippard157).
Performancealsoprovidedtheopportunityforartiststoengageinandcelebratefemale
behaviorsthatshockedanddismantledmaleaudiencessuchasmenstruationandsexualdesire.
Whileperformanceartworkhaditsoriginsinactionpaintingandhappenings,feministsbelieved
thatusingtheirownfemalebodiesinaperformativeworkwasapowerfulpoliticalstatement.
Usingtheirbodiesassiteandmaterial,artistscreatedperformancesthatprobedaudiencesto
reconsiderthefemalebodyanditspolitical,social,andeconomicimplications.
Thisexhibitionaimstohelpviewersunderstandthatfeministartworkisnota
homogenouscategory.Eachartworkdisplayedrepresentsthefemaleformandresiststhe
patriarchalsystemusingacompletelydifferentstrategy.WhileworkslikeMaryKellys
PostPartumDocument
andJudyChicagos
MenstruationBathroom
usetracesoffemale

biologytodepictthefemalebody,workslikeCaroleeSchneemanns
MeatJoy
andHannah
Wilkes
StarificationObjectSeries
utilizetheartistsownbodiesastheirformalstructuresto
liberatethefemaleformandaffirmwomenssexuality.Allofthesepiecesliewithintherealmof
feminismbecausetheyrevolvearoundthefemalebodyandexperience.Nevertheless,eachhave
auniqueaestheticandemployadifferentformalstylethatresistscategorization.Inaddition,the
exhibition
Housework
shouldbelocatedwithinahome,withartworks
Ashtari4
interspersedthroughouttherooms.Byplacingtheseworksinthedomesticsphere,wehopeto
drawattentiontotheconfinementofwomentodomesticrolesandtheexclusionofwomenfrom
artgalleriesthroughouthistory.Forearlyfeministartists,creatingworkthatcritiquedthesystem
oftenresultedintheirexclusionfromgalleriesandeliteartspaces.Thus,forartistscommittedto
theirfeministideologyandresistanttotraditionalmedia,ashiftawayfromgalleryexhibition
spaceswasinevitable.Forexample,JudyChicagoswork
MenstruationBathroom
wasinitially
installedindomesticsettings,andCaroleeSchneemanns
MeatJoy
wasoriginallyperformedata
publicoutdoorfestivalinParis.Feministartistsorganizedthemselvesincreatingalternative
spacesfortheirarttobeshown,andindoingso,oftensacrificedvisibilityanddocumentation.
Thus,placingtheseartworksinadomesticsettingsignifiestheshiftawayfromwhitecube
exhibitionspaces,addressesthelackoffemalerepresentationinmuseumsandgalleries,andthe
struggleswomenartiststodaycontinuetofaceinthecommercialartworld.
Thefeministartmovementofthe1960screatedalegacythatisapparentinmuchofthe
artworkproducedbywomentoday.ManyissuescentraltotheWomensLiberationMovement
ofthe1960s,suchasrepresentationofthebodyanddomesticresponsibilities,remain

unresolved.Theartistsexaminedinthisexhibitionlaidthegroundworkforfuturegenerationsof
artiststoconfronttheseissues.Forearlyfeministartists,thebodybecameamaterialthatcould
bemanipulatedandthatcouldserveasasiteforexhibitingartworks.Whilesomeusedtheir
bodiesinperformativepractices,othersalludedtotheirbodiesintheirworks.Today,female
artistscontinuetoemploythestrategyofusingtheirownbodieswithintheirworks.Artistssuch
asPattyChangandHayleyNewmanusetheirbodiesinordertoresisttheconfinesoftraditional
mediasuchaspaintinganddrawing(Isaak124).JemimaStehliswork,
Ashtari5
incontrast,asksquestionsregardingtheroleofthefemalenudeinartwork.Tracingthethemeof
thefemalebodyinartworksfromthe1970stocontemporaryworks,wecanseetherelentless
effortsoffemaleartiststodeidealizethefemaleformandtodismantleitsiconicstatus.
Nevertheless,amongfemaleartistsandartaudiences,thedebateabouttheproperrepresentation
ofthefemaleformstillcontinuesandisrelevanttoday.

MaryKelly
American1941present
PostPartumDocument
,197379
Installationinsixparts

MaryKellyisanAmericanconceptualartistwhohasplayedavitalroleinfoundingand
leadingafeministartpractice.Shehascontributedextensivelytothediscourseoffeminismand
postmodernism,andhasintroducedyoungerwomentoatraditionoffeministartpracticethrough
teachingatnumerousartinstitutions.Throughoutherartisticpractice,Kellyhasfocusedon
representationsofaging,sexuality,femaleidentity,motherhood,domesticity,andtherepressed
femininefigureinWesternculture.
Oneofhermostinfluentialworks,
PostPartumDocument
,isalargescalenarrative
installationthatrecordstheartistssonssixyearlongdevelopmentfrombirthintolanguage.
Theworkconsistsofsixsectionsofdocumentationthatcharttheartistsrelationshipwithher
sonandherchangingroleasmotherthroughouthisgrowth(Kelly71).Thesectionofthework
labeledDocumentation1:Analyzedfecalstainsandfeedingcharts,consistsofanintroductory
charttracingherchildsbodyweightoverthecourseofayearfollowedby28nappylinersthat
wereusedduringhissixthmonthofliving,February.Throughoutthisinterval,Kellycarefully
recordedeverybitoffoodandliquidthatherchildingested.Thesefeedingchartswerethen
typedontothenappylinersthatKellyhadwashedanddried,stainsintact.Eachlinerdocuments
totaldailyintakeincludingfeedingtimes,foodtypes,andtheclassificationofthechildsfecesas
diarrheal,constipated,nothomogenous,ornormal(Kelly109).
Kellyexaminestherepresentationandtheimplicationsofthefemalebodywithout
actuallydepictingherownbodyinthework.Kellystrategicallyusesmaterialsuchasartifacts
associatedwithchildcarealongwithtextstosignifyherandherchildsbodies.Inaconversation
withDouglasCrimp,Kellyspokeaboutherrefusaltoincludeherownbodyinthepiece:Inthe
mid1970s,anumberofwomenusedtheirownbodiesorimagestoraisequestionsaboutgender,

butitwasnotthateffective,inpartbecausethiswaswhatwomeninartwereexpectedtodo.
Menwereartistswomenwereperformers.Iwantedtoquestionthoseessentialplaces.Ineeded
somethingthatwasmoreindexical,morelikeatrace(Battista,29).Kellydeliberatelynegates
thevisualuseofherorherchildsbodiesinthiswork,andinsteadusesindexicalreferencessuch
asstainsonnappylinersanddrawingsofherson.Bydepictingthetracesoffeeding,digestion,
anddefecationasstainsonnappyliners,Kellyisexploringtheintimateexchangesbetween
motherandchildthroughoutdevelopment.Inotherwords,thestainsarenotonlyevidenceofthe
childsgrowth,butalsoofthediligentcareprovidedbythemother.Byframingthesedocuments
andplacingtheminanartgallery,Kellyistransformingthefecesstainsintoartandcreatesan
indexicaldepictionoftheintimatemothersonrelationship.

JudyChicago
American1939present
MenstruationBathroom,
1972
Installation

JudyChicago,anAmericanfeministartist,arteducator,andwriterisoneofthemost
influentialfiguresintheWomensMovement.Bythe1970s,Chicagohadfoundedthefirst
feministartprogramintheUnitedStates.Asanarteducator,Chicagowasdeeplyconcerned
withteachingarthistoryfromafeministperspectiveandrejectingtheunderlyingmale
perspectivethathadwrittenarthistory.Asanartist,Chicagoemploysbothconventionally
womenscraftssuchasneedleworkandconventionallymaleactivitiessuchasweldingin
creatingwork.
In1972,JudyChicagocreated
Womanhouse
,oneofthefirstfemalecentered
exhibitionsthatconsistedofinstallationscreatedineachroomofanolddesertedmansion
(Robinson140).OneofChicagosmostinfluentialworks,
MenstruationBathroom
,was
originallyfeaturedinthe
Womanhouse
exhibitionandbecameoneofthefirstimagesof
menstruationinWesternart.Originallyinstalledinanactualbathroom,Chicagofilledatrashcan
withmenstrualpadspaintedred.Thefloorwaslitteredwithusedtamponsandtheshelveswere
stackedwithboxesoffemininehygieneproductsdoublewrapped.
MenstruationBathroom
isanexampleofanartworkwhichalludestothefemalebody
withoutfeaturingitdirectlyasthevisualsubjectofthework.Chicago

depictsthefemale
conditionbyconfrontingviewerswithwomensblood,asubjectthathasbeentaboothroughout
history.Shechallengesthenotionthatbiologicalsignsofwomanhoodsuchasmenstruation
shouldbehiddenbehindalockedbathroomdoor.Inspeakingaboutthiswork,Chicagosays,

'Underashelffullofalltheparaphernaliawithwhichthisculture'cleansup'menstruationwasa
garbagecanfilledwiththeunmistakablemarksofouranimality.Onecouldnotwalkintothe
room,butrather,onepeeredinthroughathinveilofgauze,whichmadetheroomasanctum
(Robinson,144).Inplacingevidenceofwomensmenstruationinanartmuseum,Chicagois
portrayingthebeautifulrealityofwomensbiologyandliberatingwomenfrombeingashamed
oftheiranatomy.Shechallengesapatriarchalsocietyspreconceptionsofwomens
unattractivebiologicalprocessesassomethingthatshouldbehidden.LikeMaryKelly
,
Chicagocommunicatesthephysicalexperiencesofwomanhoodwithoutnecessarilydepicting
thefemaleform.Shereliesuponmaterialtracesoffemaleanatomytoreferencethefemalebody
andbringissuesofacceptablesubjectmatterintolight.

HannahWilke
American19401993
S.O.S.StarificationObjectSeries
,1974
Photographs

HannahWilkewasanAmericanartistandfeministwhoworkedwithinamultiplicityof
mediumsincludingphotography,sculpture,painting,performance,andvideo.Wilkewasan
influentialfigureinthefeministartmovementwhofocuseduponherownfemalebodyinorder
todrawattentiontotherepressedstatusofwomen.AsWilkesays,Femalenuditypaintedby
mengetsdocumentedandwhenwomencreatethisideologyastheirownitgetsobliterated
(Robinson,578).Wilkestatesthatherartrevolvesaroundrespectingtheobjecthoodofthe
body,andoftenmanipulatesherownbodyinordertoexplorethefemaleformand
selfobjectification.
InWilkes
S.O.S
series,theartistusesimagesofherownbodywithexplicitreferencesto
advertisingandpinupimagery.Intheseblackandwhitephotographs,Wilkeposesinseveral
stereotypicallyfeminineways:nude,wearingsunglasses,holdingaMickeyMousetoy,and
wearingaheaddressandveil.Whiletheseimagesoftenresemblethecenterfoldofamens
magazine,Wilkealtersherbodybypreciselypositioningvaginallyshapedpiecesofchewing
gumtoherexposedareas(Parker203).Wilkesgazeandherreadinesstobephotographedvary
fromimagetoimage.InsomeshotsWilkeisgazingoverhershoulder,whileinanother
extremelycompellingshotsheisstaringdirectlyattheviewerincalmwithdrawal.

UnlikeMaryKelly,Wilkeusesherownbodyinherartworkinordertoreclaim
ownershipofthefemaleform.

Shecreatesadiscourseaboutfemaleeroticism,anduses
selfobjectificationtopresentherselfasanude,sculptural,idealizedform.Sherefusestheidea
thatfemalesshouldbeashamedoftheirnudityandtheirsexuality.Byusingherbodyasthesite
andthematerialoftheartwork,Wilkeliberatesherselffromtheconfinesofacultureinwhicha
womansbodyexistssolelyforamansgaze(Parker205).Sheremindsviewersthatinrefusing
themalegaze,womenshouldnotrenounceappreciatingthebeautyofthefemalebodyandthe
pleasuresitprovides.Furthermore,bycoveringherbodyingummouldedintofemalegenitals,
Wilkesuggeststhatsexualityandgenderareunfixedandareengravedontothesurfaceofthe
body.Thechewinggumalsoresembleswounds,andindicatesthatthefemale,withherperfected
body,isavictim.WhileotherfeministssuchasMaryKellybelievethatusingtheartistsown
bodywithintheartworkisproblematic,Wilkesimagesliberateandvalidatefemaleanatomy.
Theartistusesherownbodyasmaterialinordertotransformherbodyfromtheobjectotthe
subject
ofthework.Thisvalidationcomesfromthefactthatthewomanisspeakingabout
herselfandthebodythathasbeenlargelyabsentfromtraditionalarthistorysrepresentationsof
women.

CaroleeSchneemann
American,1939present
MeatJoy,1964
Performance,video

CaroleeSchneemannwasanAmericanartistandoneoftheearliestavantgardefemale
performers.SchneemannsperformancesoftenfellwithintherealmoffeministBodyArt,atype
ofperformativeartemerginginthe1960sand1970sthatsoughttocelebrateandreclaim
womensbodieswhichhadbeentraditionallyrepressedbyapatriarchalsociety(Battista14).
Schneemann'sperformancesoftenincludednudity,explicitlydismissingconfiningideasabout
femalesexualityandgender.Herperformancesareoftenhighlyeroticandusesensualimagery
toprovokeaudiences.Byusingherownbodyasthematerialandsiteoftheartwork,
Schneemannbecomesanactivesubjectratherthanbeingtheobjectofmaledesire,asinmany
traditionalarthistoricalpieces.
CaroleeSchneemanns
MeatJoy
isa70minuteperformancefirststagedinLondonin
1964.Theperformancecommenceswithmenandwomenwearingsmallbikinisseatedatatable
eatinganddrinking.Eventually,theparticipantsbeginfallingontothegroundandengagingin
choreographederoticmovementsandgestures.Theanimateurwhodirectstheperformancethen

coverstheparticipantswithchickenandfishcarcassesandpaint,astheycontinuerollingand
writhingonthefloorsensually.InthewordsofSchneemann,MeatJoyhasthecharacterofan
eroticrite:excessive,indulgent,acelebrationoffleshasmaterial[...]Itspropulsionistowardthe
ecstaticshiftingandturningbetweentenderness,wildness,precision,abandon:qualitieswhich
couldatanymomentbesensual,comic,joyous,repellent(Batissta,73).Increatingthe
performance,Schneemannwasinspiredbythemovementsofsynchronizedswimmers.Her
proclivitytouseunconventionalmaterialscamefromherexperienceworkinginfarmsonthe
countryside.
ForSchneemann,thiseroticperformativepieceinwhichsheappearsnudeisanexplicit
politicalstatementcelebratingfemalesexuality.UnlikeartistslikeMaryKelly,Schneemann
makesherbodythe
literal
siteoftheartworkinordertochallengetraditionalfemale
representationaspassivemodel.Ratherthanexistingasspectacle,Schneemannassumesan
activeandempoweringrolewithintheartwork.Shedictatesthewaywhichherbodycanbe
viewedanddeniesthatthefemalebodyexistsnecessarilyastheobjectofmalegaze.Likemany
feministperformanceartists,Schneemannexposesherownbodyinordertocreateadiscourse
aboutsubjectsthatarehistoricallytaboo.