Executive Summary
It is commonly said that women do not feature in one of the professions which are preserved for men. More often than not, women who feature in such professions are seen as people who go against the norms. One of these professions is the arts, where women do not feature prominently, as explained in the essay below.
Gender and Arts
Nochlin (1998, p. 150) indicates that there are some areas in which the women assume a silent role, given that these responsibilities are assumed to be a man’s responsibility. This brings about the issue of gender, relating as to whether it is a consideration when it comes to the production of arts. The essay below looks at this issue in detail, explaining why the aspect of gender is quite important when it comes to the production of arts. The essay takes the position that gender has to be considered because this is the only way in which women can be encouraged to venture into this field.
Chadwick (2002, p. 31) indicates that in order to bring the issue of gender into the light in some aspects, it is quite important to take a new direction all together. This means that the society has to move away from the traditional way of thinking where the women were just seen as people who cannot do something creative. By eliminating this notion, the women can be nurtured to come up with innovational products which can put them at another level in the society. Under such circumstances, women have to be considered when it comes to art through the perspective of empowerment. That is, the idea that looks at how the women can be nurtured to come up with products which show the potential they have within.
It also appears that it will not be long before women take a scene in the works of art (Johnson, 1999, p. 102). The account looks at the past, the present and the future of arts and through all this, there is an indication that the women do not just assume a stationary role when it comes to the issue of arts. There is an indication that the women have over the years indicated that they have a potential in this filed and that they could be interested in bringing it out. The society, in the recent days, has also become more aware of the role that women ca play in development of the talents they hold within. As such, they have started challenging some of the glass ceilings that have been holding them from achieving their best in some areas. One of these areas is in art. as such, it is expected that in not a very long time, women will feature prominently in this field.
In this perspective, it is also important to note that there are already women who have made a face in woks of art, that is, production of the works of art. For instance, there are women who are famed for their prowess in acting and others who are great musicians. Long gone are the days when women would just feature as support characters in Holly wood films, and they have also made an appearance in music where they are well established. This is just the tip of an iceberg. It is an indication that within a matter of time, women will also feature in other aspects of art in which they have not been known to succeed.
It is also notable that the notion about women not featuring in some aspects of art has been used against them. This is well illustrated by Freeland (2001, p. 122) who cites the case of the guerilla girls. She indicates that they came up with ingenious inventions to fulfill their needs. However, the society was not sure as to whether this was the work of art or not. This definitely proves that women have to be given a more serious thought when it comes to art. Chauvinism in the patriarchal society could do great harm to the potential that women have by assuming that they do not have the ability to come up with creative works. Rather, it should look at them as individuals who have the ability to achieve much in the field of arts, just as they achieve in other areas.
In conclusion, it can be seen from the above account that women have not featured for quite long time in the filed of arts. This is mainly because the society has refused to accept the fact that women can also have the potential to do something that is of benefit to the society. As such, the essay takes the position that women have to be given a more serious thought in arts. They have to be thought about in terms of the need for empowerment, and the recognition of their abilities.
Chadwick, H. 2002. “New Directions: a Partial over view.” In: Chadwick, H. 2002. Women and art in society. New York: Thames and Hudson.
Freeland, C. 2001 “Gender, Genius and Guerrilla Girls.”In: But is it Art? Oxford: Oxford press. Pp 122-123
Johnson, H. 1999. ’A matter of Time.” In Kerr,J. & Holder (eds). Past, Present: The National Women’s Art Anthropology. Sydney: Craftsman House.
Nochlin, L. 1998. “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” In: Nochlin, L. 1998. Women, Power and Other Essays. New York: Harper and Row, pp. 145-178.
