The Feminine "Un"mold

 1. Artist: Karen Heagle 2. Title: Untitled 3. Medium: synthetic polymer paint and pencil on paper 4. Size: 40 x26" 4. Discussion: The balance between masculine and feminine, or rather what those two words mean on their own, is often not discussed in society. This image, although simple in my own definition, demonstrates strength. Here we have a woman that is dressed in what we would usually see a man in. This brings up the discussion of what do we really consider masculine and why. Why is a simple suit or piece of clothing assigned a gender? To further the evidence of both masculine and feminine in this piece we have the juxtaposed image of a gun and a flower -- a traditionally masculine item and a traditionally feminine item. I like how the artist explored with blurring masculine and feminine and, ultimately, forces the viewer to dwell on the question of what makes something masculine or feminine and whether or not that even matters in the sense of art and beauty.

1. Artist: Deborah Hampton 2. Title: Misplaced my face and dropped my eyes and feeling somewhat empty 3.  Medium: printed paper, felt tip pen, and ink on paper 4. Size: 17 x 14" 5. Discussion: My first impression of this image was similar to that of a caged bird. We see a woman tied up in web-like stings that are wrapping around her every limb. To me, this web was the web of society and the mold that she is expected to fit into. She was successfully caught up in the web and lost herself as a result. Gaping holes in her legs and the lifelessness in her eyes are representative of forcing yourself into a mold of model beauty and looks to never feel fulfilled by such things. 

1. Artist: Jean-Luc Verna 2. Title: Certainement Pas 3. Medium: Transfer drawing with color pencil on two book pages 4. Size: 7 1/8 x 8 1/2" 5. Discussion: I find this drawing so amazing. It shows a woman, one that might have even met society's standards in youth, that has now aged and maybe even pushed away because she is no longer youthful. The natural and unstoppable force that is aging is somehow portrayed so negatively as if we lose life with youth and beauty. Of course, I find this to not be the truth. Even the smudged reminints of makeup -- the tool that makes us look more "feminine" or "youthful" -- shows that she tried to fit the mold that she no longer fit. However, what I really love about this drawing is her expression. Her face looks defeated but also looks at the viewer with a sense of "f- you", for lack of better expression. Combined with her middle finger, this image just screams "screw society" or even "screw femini...

  1. Artist: Toyin Ojih Odutola 2. Title: Rather Than Look Back, She Chose To Look At You 3. Medium: Ballpoint pen, marker, and pencil on paper 4. Size: 65 x 36" 5. Discussion: Although this woman stands with a beautifully curvy body that we have seen in art before, she also is a woman of color with hair that is bleached, mimicking the grass below her. She stares right at you and, as the title says, she is not looking back. This stood out to me as a representation of accountability. It is not the response of blaming the past for why we have an established feminine mold, but to rather encouraging the viewer to look introspectively. Additionally, I like how the artist combined the beauty of the female body with nature. This almost unconsciously creates the connection between the divinity of nature with the female body. Therefore, this piece establishes a beauty outside the traditional mold of media.  

  My theme is the Feminine "Un-Mold." I was inspired by the typical feminine mold, which I, along with many others have never quite fit into. It's not only portrayed in our mainstream media but rather the representation of the most ideal female, however culturally different, still portrayed a body and sense of femininity that not all can connect with. This is also not to say that the portrayal is wrong, or even sexist, no. However, I believe that there is beauty in all nature and we are all a product of nature, therefore being no body more divine than the next. Regardless of my opinion, society, and even art, has put molds and stereotypes around females and what it means to be feminine, and those have become how we view the most ideal female. I wanted to discover more artists who threw this idea out the window and portrayed the people who moved them regardless of image and beauty. The woman that you would see in your local grocery store, for there is just as much beauty i...

  Hi! and welcome to my gallery "The Feminine Un-Mold" where we take a look at the unraveling of the traditional feminine mold that we have seen in art and society for ages. We will be exhibiting works by: Toyin Ojih Odutola Jean-Luc Verna Deborah Hampton Karen Heagle Wangechi Mutu Matt Saunders Thomas Hirschhorn Joyce Korotkin Whitney Lynn Jennfer Sulivan