Feminist Art is one of the most enduring artistic movements to emerge in the late 20th century, revolving around feminism while redefining art to be more inclusive in terms of subject matter and medium. Feminist art emerged after an era of aesthetic formalism, focusing on socially relevant issues and supporting the use of performance and audiovisual media within fine art.
The influence of inspirational feminist artists is evident in the creation of feminist galleries and exhibitions. Feminist artists rejected the preexisting approach, where they pursued the idea of femininity as a masquerade – a set of poses adopted by women to conform to social expectations of womanhood. Instead, they attempted to reveal the origins of ideas of femininity and womanhood.
What Is Feminist Art?
In 1976, feminist activists Ruth Iskin, Lucy Lippard, and Arlene Raven invited artists to answer the question centred around What is feminist art? The artists were asked to answer the question on a letter-sized piece of paper, and hundreds of responses in various forms, including collages, drawings, manifestos, prints, and snapshots of conversations around feminism in the United States, were collected.
In response, female artists did not embrace femininity; rather, they embraced their true selves. Art historians like Linda Nochlin, Griselda Pollock, and Rozsika Parker have documented and identified the contributions of feminist artists and their impact on traditional art history.
A Guide to the Feminist Art Movement
The Feminist Art Movement started simultaneously with the feminist movement. The origin dates back to the 1960s and the second wave of feminism (the first wave of feminism started in the 1840s). Feminist art was inspired by the works of proto-feminist artists such as Eva Hesse and Louise Bourgeois, who created artwork focused on domesticity, the female body, and the lives of women.
Feminist artists tried to change the pre-existing impression of women created by male-dominated societies as objects of male pleasure. The feminist art movement helped female artists achieve greater gender recognition, equality, and equal opportunities in the art field.
Famous Feminist Art Pieces
Famous feminist art pieces are listed –
1. One of the iconic works of feminist art is Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, 1974–79.
2. Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair by Frida Kahlo, in which she wears a suit and has cropped hair, showcases Kahlo's defiance against social norms.
3. Kara Walker's monumental sugar sculpture "A Subtlety" confronted viewers with the legacy of slavery and the exploitation of black bodies.
4. Delphine Lebourgeois's "Hors-limite" (2019) depict the boundaries of identity; it raises the psychological boundaries by portraying organic shapes.
5. Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting “Sky Above Clouds (1965)" showed natural elements and the sky. In "Blue and Green Music" (1921), she employs colourful abstractions to express musical rhythms and emotions. She depicted emotions in her work "Blue and Green Music" (1921) through both colour and form combinations.
6. Mikela Henry-Lowe's painting "Her Strength" (2019) from the "Her Strength" collection illustrates women in powerful poses. Her works can be seen in many museums and galleries.
7. Louise Bourgeois's "Maman" installation series (1999) and the work on spiders, deformed human bodies, and those with hidden emotions of trauma are famous.
Feminist Wall Art
Feminist wall art challenges the dominance of men in the art world and society as a whole. Many wall arts are based on ideas like the future of women or the patriarchy. The art promotes equality, as seen in iconic works like Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party”, or it sparks conversation related to empowering women, as in the provocative posters of the Guerrilla Girls.
Some of the works depict everyday struggles, sometimes showcasing beauty and strength, or thought-provoking installations.
Barbara Kruger's paintings show black-and-white photographs with bold, red-and-white text overlays.
Many such Feminist wall art pieces are exhibited in museums, depicting the work and impact of the art on the world. Such paintings also serve as a source of inspiration and empowerment to women, giving them a voice and representation in the art world.
Feminist Art Examples
From the first wave of feminism in the 1840s to second-wave feminism and the Feminist art movement in the 1960s and ’70s, many feminist artists produced their works.
African American and Native American sculptor Edmonia Lewis worked at a time when the popular style of neoclassicism favoured classical, biblical, and literary themes. In one of the works, Cleopatra, the legendary queen of Egypt from 51–30 BCE, was often depicted contemplating suicide.
Lewis, however, took this subject and sculpted the moment after Cleopatra’s intentional death by snakebite in marble. Lewis’s work was not explicitly feminist; she and her contemporaries believed in women’s rights and benefited from the first wave of feminism that occurred in the 1840s.
American painter and printmaker Mary Cassatt depicted the “New Woman”—the label associated with 19th-century feminism—from the woman’s perspective. In The Reader, a woman lounges in a white armchair, reading a large book —a leisure activity that may not have been possible before the turn of the century.
American painter Georgia O'Keeffe's Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (1932) became, in 2014, the highest-priced artwork by a female artist in history.
One of the earliest works of the Feminist art movement, the participatory work Cut Piece was first performed by Fluxus artist Yoko Ono at the Yamaichi Concert Hall in Kyoto in 1965.
Inspired by the wrongful arrest and subsequent acquittal of human rights activist Angela Davis, Elizabeth Catlett’s wood sculpture Political Prisoner shows a woman nearly six feet tall with her hands cuffed behind her back, gazing toward the sky. Rendered in cedar, her torso is painted in three blocks of colour—red, black, and green —representing the Pan-African and Black liberation movement flags.
Contemporary Feminist Art
Contemporary feminist art celebrates the intersection of beauty and brains. It accepts the global multicultural perspective and appreciates the differences in race, class, and nationality. The first wave of feminism emerged in the early 20th century, focusing on addressing political and socioeconomic inequality. Feminist voices of the second wave of feminism, such as Betty Friedan (The Feminine Mystique, 1963), called for equality in the workplace and at home.
Some examples of Contemporary feminist art include "The Self-Portrait, Combining Her Hair," by Welsh artist Shani Rhys James MBE, which depicts wild wallpapers, anarchic floral bouquets, and gigantic mirrors, giving a sinister and claustrophobic air to the narrative.
Another is the work of British artist Alexandra Gallagher, who creates paintings, street art, collage, and photography, utilising layering and stereotypical symbols of femininity, such as feathers, flowers, ribbons, and the forbidden fruit, in strange, dystopian surroundings. She invites viewers to question traditional female roles in society.
Barbara Kruger's Feminist Art
Barbara Kruger's feminist art condemned art critics who denounced gender, and their reviews were driven primarily by profit. Kruger opposed the marketplace system that transforms art into promotional objects. She exposed the role of the media in creating gender norms.
Instead of relying on commercial promotion, her pieces employed advertising techniques to encourage serious reflection. In the 1980s, she printed text blocks over black and white photos and selected font styles reminiscent of contemporary newspaper headlines to add liveliness to her works.
Her famous work includes "Your Body is a Battleground" (1989), which shows a female face, with one half presented in positive print and the other half in negative print. She created the artwork to promote women's rights in the United States, which serves as a symbol of the people's fight for reproductive freedom.
In another work, "I Shop Therefore I Am" (1987), Kruger targeted the faults of consumerism. She created contemporary graphic design and advertising models through her artistic efforts that assisted activists worldwide.
Feminist Artists
Delphine Lebourgeois is a French artist who works in illustration and graphic design. She uses visual symbols, especially in situations where women live together, are independent, and deal with society's pressures.
The work "The Girls" (2015) series explores how groups of women collaborate like a military unit or a religious group, helping one another through challenges.
A depiction of the female form in "L'Origine du monde" (1866) is an abstract art piece, but it employs erotic motifs. In “Fragments" (2018), paintings, she depicts women's separated or fragmented bodies, which are scrutinised under societal constraints by the world.
The Guerrilla Girls is the name given to a group of unidentified female activists (formed in 1985) who fought sexism and racism in the art field. They used masks, posters, and street art to depict that they were treated unequally by art organisations.
Their posters, "Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?" (1989) and "The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist," are a series of provocative essays that critique the behaviour towards women in the art industry.
Georgia O’Keeffe was a twentieth-century American artist known for her distinctive painting style, which conveyed a modernist aesthetic. She would utilise organic subjects, such as flowers, animal skulls, landscapes, and other natural elements, to depict abstract representations with emotional depth, as evident in her works "Jimson Weed" (1936) and "Black Iris" (1926).
Feminist Art History
According to feminist art history in the 1960s, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war movements in America prompted by both Simone de Beauvoir’s cold-eyed claim in The Second Sex that conveyed that women are not born but made, women began conscious-raising groups in which collective conversations began to illuminate "personal stories" that started to be interpreted as the logical consequences of dominant political structures.
In the 1970s, artists began establishing their own spaces where they worked independently from men. They created art organisations, such as the Art Workers Coalition and Women Artists in Revolution, which demanded greater representation for women in galleries and museums. Female artists protested in front of New York museums, such as the Whitney and the Museum of Modern Art, to increase the representation of female artists in museum collections.
In 1971, Linda Nochlin published an essay that initiated a new era in the writing and development of art history, one that was more serious about women artists and the context in which they worked. Many art critics contributed to the feminist art movement by writing essays that addressed the underrepresentation of women in the art field.
Feminist Paintings
The most famous Feminist paintings are listed here -
"The Dinner Party" by Judy Chicago is a monumental tribute to women's history. Its triangular table features place settings for 39 significant women throughout history, celebrating their contributions to society.
"Untitled (Your body is a battleground)" by Barbara Kruger juxtaposes bold text against a red-and-black background, with a message, "Your body is a battleground."
The work" The Flag is Bleeding" by Faith Ringgold depicts a Black woman holding a bleeding American flag, surrounded by scenes of racial violence and struggle.
"The Birth Project" by Judy Chicago is an artwork created between 1980 and 1985 that celebrates the experiences of childbirth and motherhood.
Feminist Art in the Philippines
Various tribes in the Philippines had a remarkably progressive outlook on both genders. Pacita Abad is a renowned Filipino artist and activist who has created over 4,500 artworks, which are exhibited in numerous galleries, museums, and exhibitions.
Julie Lluch is another feminist who has proactively addressed feminist issues through her artwork. She was also one of the founders of the Kalayaan and Kasibulan Women Artists Collective.
The Whisper by Kitty Taniguchi is heavily inspired by philosophy and literature, exploring the concept of womanhood. Two recurring characters in her works, the unicorn and the lion, symbolise gentleness and fierceness. We find many other examples of feminist art in the Philippines.
Feminist Art Drawing
The primary theme behind feminist art drawing is to impact society and empower women. Feminist art drawing encompasses women’s work, such as embroidery and other crafts that have historically been associated with femininity. Such a piece of work inspires women, allowing them to transition from minimalist artworks to DIY concepts for creating more effective feminist drawings.
Such drawings challenge societal norms and stereotypes, creating spaces for women and minority artists to address issues of race, class, privilege, and gender identity. For instance, Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” celebrates women’s contributions to human progress.
A feminist artist, Kiki Smith, created themes that explore the female physical structure, identity, and nature, depicting the strength of womanhood. Dindga McCannon is known for her creations that incorporate feminist narratives.
Feminist Art Prints
Feminist Art prints are based on arranging feminist beliefs and concepts through sketching while reflecting on significant social issues, which can lead to personal empowerment and self-discovery. It is essential to choose art materials that align with one's feminist ideals, such as vibrant colours or eco-friendly supplies.
One can incorporate feminist themes into prints by adding symbols of equality, diversity, and empowerment. By exploring various styles and techniques, a diverse range of feminist perspectives is depicted in such artworks.
Vintage Feminist Art Vs Frida Kahlo Feminist Art
Vintage feminist art acknowledges female sensibility and beauty, but it follows the precedent set by male artists. It defeats the purpose of individuality and shows women adopting preexisting structures without questioning the validity of the structures. It is like creating its own set of white female artists who are restrictive and exclusionary, like their male counterparts.
Frida Kahlo's feminist art presented cultural representations of Mexico, dismantling social behaviours about female expression based on physical beauty. She did not hide her masculine features, such as the monobrow and faint moustache, in self-portraits.
She was known in the fashion world for having a great eye for style, wearing colourful dresses, and combining modern clothes with traditional costumes, as well as decorating her hair with flowers and beads. Frida started painting after an accident confined her to bed for several months. The self-portraits became her initial works.
In 1929, she married a Mexican artist, but the marriage was emotionally difficult. The painting "Frida and Diego" (1931) is a famous artwork that shows their union. It portrays an intricate connection between the artist and her spouse.
Frida Kahlo's feminist art, "Self-portrait with a Crown of Thorns and a Hummingbird" (1940), depicts her connection to pain, love, and her Mexican identity. A crown of thorns depicts the suffering, and a hummingbird — love and transformation. People adore Frida for her bold colours, open-mindedness and transforming appearance.
In Frida Kahlo's feminist artwork "The Two Fridas" (1939), she depicts two figures: one wearing a traditional Mexican outfit and the other a European one. The artwork portrays her dual nature, encompassing both her cultural heritage and the emotional difficulties she faces.
It examines how women navigate conflicts with their identity when they reside in dual cultures. She did not blame anybody or portray herself as helpless in any of her portraits. She handled all problems head-on and created fierce, strong portraits that challenged social values.
When Did the Feminist Art Movement Begin?
In the early days, the art created by women was considered inferior to that created by their male counterparts, and the works of female artists were not taken seriously. The women artists tried to create gender–neutral works and avoid topics and themes that depicted womanhood.
Feminist arts often depicted feminine topics, such as those related to textiles and domesticity. At the start of the 1970s, feminists began questioning the lack of women's representation and contributions to art historical scholarship and in museums.
Some artists used specifically bright colours and soft materials. One of the famous works of American artist Judy Chicago was “The Dinner Party”, which depicted the dinner table transformed into an equilateral triangle.
Following the movement of 1970s women artists and feminist art historians, the art world underwent a shift, demanding equal opportunities and recognition for women artists. However, such progress was not without controversy.
In feminist art history, scholars like Renee Sandell in the 1980s provided an overview of unresolved debates concerning the notion of a “female aesthetic” that prevented the unification of the movement’s members.
What Are the Aims of Feminist Art?
Feminist art aims to give recognition to works that explore and redefine the concept of womanhood. In the 1970s, there was an urgent need to make space for women artists who had been overlooked, given no credit, or excluded from their work.
While a lot of work was needed to account for women artists, women artists questioned the white Western male viewpoint and the notion of male genius, which made it impossible for them to achieve the same level of acclimation as they lacked the backing of any institution and access to serious art education, which was accessible to their male counterparts.
Why Is Feminist Art Important?
Feminist art is significant because it challenges traditional notions of femininity. The works were self-explanatory, where the artists would paint painful inner thoughts of a woman, her needs, miscarriage, abortions, breastfeeding and gender problems. They do not hide, but rather embrace feminine features and the hard realities associated with them.
Modern feminist art is not limited to gender-based issues; technologically advanced platforms enable artists to communicate with their audience more effectively, express themselves, and share their work more easily.
Current female artists can make choices without constraints, but still face ongoing difficulties. They utilise their art to highlight women's struggles against violence, self-ownership, and equal rights in both artistic and general societal contexts.
Which Of These Artworks Was Part of the Feminist Movement?
Some of the famous feminist art pieces that are part of the feminist movement are -
American artist Mikela Henry-Lowe's artworks depict women in African-American traditions. Her notable work, "Belly of the Beast" (2016), explores the concept of corporeality. She uses clay, fabric, and various other materials to achieve unique textures, blending traditional with modern elements.
In her work "Nappy Headed" (2014), she explores African American identity by representing diverse hair textures and highlighting the cultural exploitation associated with racial oppression. It depicts the female strength based on self-acceptance and ethnic heritage.
Louise Bourgeois is a French-American artist who gained international recognition through sculptures, installations, prints, and drawings. She uses a variety of materials, including bronze, marble, latex, and textiles, in her work.
Teresa Burga is a Peruvian artist who represents contemporary conceptual artwork with prominence throughout Latin America. She uses modern scientific themes and avoids traditional painting techniques. Her famous work includes "Perfil de la Mujer Peruana" (Profile of the Peruvian Woman, 1980).
What Aspect of Art Does Feminist Criticism Focus On?
In art, feminist criticism focuses on the representation of gender. Influential scholar of modern and contemporary feminist art, Griselda Pollock (1983) critiqued the ideological practices of the past, which contributed to the reproduction of the social system through images and the interpretation of the world.
Pollock said it was not enough to merely incorporate women into the art field from which they had been dismissed, nor is it enough to list the ways in which they were oppressed and not allowed to take credit. Rather, art historians must contest the myths related to masculinity and femininity which have been propagated through traditional artworks to reinforce the gender hierarchy.
Pollock wants historians not to consider women artists as representatives of the gender. The practice of homogenising women artists reestablishes the influence of factors such as class, race, and nationality on women’s art production.
In 1974, Lise Vogel explained the revision of traditional art education and the creation and sustenance of feminist art. She said scholars need to put in a lot of effort to find and interpret the art produced by women artists.
Vogel claims that exploring feminist art may offer a new perspective on traditional art history topics, where historians may need to integrate the necessary intersections of race and class into their frameworks. For Vogel, feminist art history is not just about gender and femininity; it requires a serious engagement with various other factors, such as the reality of social relations within capitalist society.
