The instrument in constructing the gender values in supporting the general patriarch particularly to define the concept of gaze was proposed by Laura Mulvey. It relates to the Freudian principles of psychoanalysis. This term is also evident in art history defied as the strange sense on how the world looks back at us. It does not really refer to someone but instead something that imagined by us in other’s field. It serves as a disturbance on the visual field of the unconscious mind; it is generally a partial perception that always there to tell us that something is beyond our limitations of control. If you apply it to an art masterpiece the picture that you are looking is related to gaze that makes the scrutiny of the object.
The first one is the objectification of woman in the male gaze and how it defines a male’s character; it is also the subject of erotic fantasies stimulated to the audience. The second one is how the male was identified among the links of male protagonist in relation to ego development. It was identified by Lacan to be the point when a child first had a gaze of him in front of the mirror or often referred to as the mirror phase. This phase creates misrecognition in the mind of the child between how he sees himself and the actual self and this is called the ego idea. It is relevant in the future in identifying others; this mechanism entails the preconception on how the male viewer gets the power that of the protagonist. The third element is the combination of the first two, when combined can create pleasure to the male viewer, by means of sadistic power brought of the protagonist, to punish and subdue threats embodied by the female’s absence of penis or often referred to as the castration symbol (Charles, Harrison and Wood, Paul 2003).
Reading the images out of an art work develops an idea about gender roles. Like for example in the work of John Singer Sargent Mrs Fiske Warren (Gretchen Osgood) and Her Daughter Rachel 1903, oil in canvas. It introduces the roles of male gazer and it’s defined to illustrate gender difference. The gaze of the wife depicts a role of dutiful wife and the girl as an image of a lovely daughter. However a different reading can be perceived by another viewer in which case a female viewer may see the image as a typical portrait of mother and child, but the male perspective depicts a role of the two females in the picture according to patriarchal structure.
The second strand in the postmodern art was identified as critical pluralist in terms of orientation. In contrary to the institutionalism by neo-expressionism, the artists broke down the established ways on how to represent the relationship of gender in relation to nude and masculine gaze. This is the oppositional side of postmodern artistry which relies on what Foster referred to as anti-aesthetic disciplines like, film, photography and text being ways of deconstructing the identity and representation. The adherence to the conventional was deemed oppositional because of their different claims that their work is a continuation of a more radical and comparative margin of postmodern traditions, stretching back to cubism, dada, soviet constructivist, fauvism, German expressionism and surrealism. Those avant-gardes were described as attempted reconnection to visual representation in relation to praxis of life and politics (Csun.edu N.D.).
Several artists pursued their vision in depicting gender in role in their works, there are some that were able to progress, but some have failed on that matter. Their works are merely to describe the visuals of gender difference. Once of them is the work of Cranach titled Adam and eve. In this painting it shows that eve is offering Adam and apple from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The figures in the artwork have different attributes but are all relevant in protruding the context of gender relations. Cranach was progressive in his work in showing the relation of the two genders. The image shows how Adam reacted to the offering because of how his arms and head was positioned and eve to a temptress because of the way she shows posture an facial structure.
The Oath of Horatiti 1784 created by David is an exploration of gender difference. His artwork is composed of two sections which is evidently a figure of gender difference. That is because the masculine are the oath takers which are the active focus of the image on the left while on the right shows the passive women. This work is a confirmation of the legend that’s contradicting to stance, dress, physique and color which is a reinforced comparison of gender oppositions and pairings.
Bronzino’s work in An Allegory with Venus and Cupid has several naked figures that look like performing roles in the overall composition of the picture. In the figure, Venus is the object of desire and love which is the main focal point of the painting, while cupid kisses Venus but Venus is facing towards the gazer. The lack of Venus’s pubic hair marks pudenda which separate her from the viewers that have an erotic fantasy because her physique is not close to reality; therefore the artist was regressive in his vision of gender roles.
French artists Manet came to challenge the conventional of illusionistic in picture painting. One of his works Olympia 1863, instead of employing the ideal fantasy that the nude Venus can depict a courtesan of consumable body. The approach can also be seen in his other painting A Bar at the Foies-Bergere 1882, a woman selling drinks an oranges is facing the mirror and the mirror reflects a background of males, although not clearly visible but it seems the males are taking a gaze of the woman in an erotic manner. This is an example of a progressive vision of gender role in which the woman is often the object of desire as what the viewer might perceive by looking at the painting.
Another work by Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party 1979 strongly represents the gender role in visual approach. The triangular dinner table that has a place setting for 39 women of history also has fine embroidery and ornate generally represents the female genital. The table itself is a representation of woman’s clitoris and the names of 999 women on the tile floor is a strong representation of the strong presence of human in the history and their contribution. But the art form has elements of feminine nature like embroidery which is one of the celebrated achievements of a woman. In this work the artists showed progressive vision of gender role by taking example of strong woman of history as the subject of her work (Pooke, Grant and Newall Diana 2008).
References
Charles, Harrison and Wood, Paul Ed. (2003) Art in theory, 1900 - 2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. p-132 Malden, MA, USA. Blackwell Publishing
Csun.edu (N.D.) The Avant-Garde in the Early 20th Century Web Retrieved on February 16, 2012 from http://www.csun.edu/art/pdf/art_and_mass_media/Media08-Early%2020%20cent%20A-G.pdf
Pooke, Grant and Newall Diana (2008) Art History the Basics, Chapter 6, Abingdon, Oxon, OX. Routldege
