Proposal
For my theme, I wanted to exhibit art created by women that represents women and feminism. The artists I chose make similar work to Robert Rauschenberg. Lynda Benglis was one of my favorites; her art is very colorful and eccentric, like Rauschenberg, and conceptual and expressive. She uses many different types of materials to make her art. She paints, prints, sculpts, and collages with found-objects (one of my favorites is Drawing #5A India, 1979).
Hannah Wilke is another feminist artist that I really like, and she is versatile as well. She paints, sculpts and photographs – creating feminist art to representing her own body as a woman. She is unashamed to explore female anatomy in art. 159 One-Fold Gestural Sculptures is one of my favorite pieces of hers because of how bold and unapologetic she is to be a female artist. Her art is just as shocking as Rauschenberg’s, but for entirely different reasons.
Birgit Jürgenssen was another artists I admire, although there isn’t much information about her on Artsy. I liked the few pieces on the website though because of how soft and intricate they were, complex but in a subtle way. Rauschenberg’s art is definitely loud and in your face but also complex. Jürgenssen’s Porcelain Shoe is bizarre and surreal in the same way Rauschenberg’s art is. Her use of combined materials also reminded me of his work. The point of my theme is that female artists are under appreciated, and they make just as wonderful art in the same style and do not get nearly as much recognition. There are so many female artists whose names go unheard of because of the erasure of women’s art throughout history. It’s important to highlight feminist art now, especially because we tend to look toward male-artists for inspiration and guidance whereas I can look to these female artists and get inspired while also feeling like I can relate to their concepts. Their techniques and creativity are just as admirable and imaginative while also teaching viewers about the roles women face in society.
