Women have long been neglected or rather obstructed from participating in the major areas of life, where men have dominated (Nochlin, 1988). However, recent studies have shown a rise of women artists, philosophers and even leaders. Compared to the situations in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the number of women taking part in substantial activities has increased rapidly. Apparently, changes in way women were treated in the past and the access if women to vital resources have been attributed to the growth in feminist ventures (Nochlin, 1988). Increased feminist experiments and endeavors in all forms of life are the first important point of the reading. Participation of males in art or philosophy is has been a tradition for many cultures in the world, as men possess long held ideologies about art and architecture. Few women, such as Rosa Benbeur have tried to thrive in the art industry, despite their work being looked down by many male artistes (Nochlin, 1988).
Secondly, women have been unable to participate actively in the field of art, because of various social, political and cultural restrictions against them. For example, it was a taboo for a woman to observe, and draw the nude body of a male person. In the late nineteenth century, drawings and sculptures were deemed excellent only when nudity was subject to the piece of art (Nochlin, 1988). Thus, fewer art schools used female bodies to produce art, as it was also a cultural taboo to disclose the feminine body openly.
Lastly, fewer accomplishments by female artists is another driver as to why there are few women artists. Female paintings, drawings and sculptures are all an expression of feminism, which is not widely accepted by male counterparts (Nochlin, 1988). Scholars have depicted that art is an expression of an artist’s inner being, soul and emotional conditions. In this regard, female artists draw what they seem feminine, and greatest paintings by women disclose the emotional competitions that feminine paintings portray.
Apparently, the second text, an article by Judith Butler, aims at establishing what makes a person either masculine or feminine. Phenomenology provides the basis of the readings ideology, in determining feminine success, and the role of feminists in the world. Marlow Punty was a philosopher who showed that gender is constituted by the various acts and regulations that are aimed at preserving cultural beliefs and view of gender (Butler, 2007). The body is a historical phenomenon used to reconstruct who leads the continuity of cultural beliefs. Women thus live under a historical illusion that they rated, are subject to submissiveness and follow cultural regulations set for them (Butler, 2007).
Furthermore, the second key idea in Judith Butler’s article is the issue of heterosexuality, and the use of feminism as a political strategy. Men in power often employ a woman’s persuasiveness to get through loopholes in the political arena (Butler, 2007). Some philosophers believe that constraints put on women are aimed at getting the world rid of women, although women play an important role in the continuity of the human race. The sole hope for humankind relies on women, which explains why men are attracted to women, and vice versa (Butler, 2007).
Victor Turner expresses his concern about feminism, as men use gender as a tool to accomplish their goals (Butler, 2007). Their acts define strong women in the text, and some extremities cause women to portray some aspects of masculinity. Therefore, there is a sure connection between the two texts, as feminism is undermined by men, causing women to lag behind in the essential life processes like innovation and art.
References
Butler, J. (2007). Performative acts and gender constitution: An essay in phenomenology and feminist theory. The Performance Studies Reader, 187-199.
Nochlin, L. (1988). Women, art, and power: And other essays. New York: Harper & Row.
