Filed under: Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, female, movie, who does she think she is?, women
So, this week I went to Radcliffe to watch “Who does she think she is?“, a documentary on women in the arts. I had been excited by the trailer, then my printmaking teacher had mixed opinions of it. So, I went to see it, not expecting as much as I had orginally.
From the trailer, it seems to be very focused on the inequities between men and women in the art world. Some of the facts presented were really surprising: how few women are featured in exhibitions in major institutions like MOMA and the Tate Modern. I’m not up to speed on “who’s who” in the art world, so I would not have noticed that by myself. It did make me wonder a bit. As these institutions need to draw big crowds in for revenue, it is likely that they are less inclined to show lesser known artists. But why are female artists lesser known to begin with?
There are many possible ways to think about this. I did like that the film did not try to answer that question, as if it was a simple thing to answer! The film focused on the lives of several female artists. For me, the conclusions that I drew were not any sweeping generalities about female artists, but that we are each unique. Each artist was unique, her situation was unique, and her journey through the art world was unique.
I suppose that the only overarching thought that I had, was that we need to really change the way that art is viewed by society. I think that the vast majority of society feels that it is “non-essential”. I can understand this, if you are just trying to put a roof over your head, or get food on the table. But, I think that there are many people who are not in such a place, yet they still view art as unimportant. I think that until we can hold onto art in our educational systems, and make it have significance for all students…not just the artistically inclined, we are going to have a hard time making progress in this realm. This stands in the way of artists, both male and female.
Any thoughts?
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slightly wonky 
so you saw it?! was it enlightening in the way you hoped it might be? Did it validate any of the obstacles you’re encountering on your own journey? Do you think it was a well done, accurate portrayal of what it means to be an artist and a mom? (Beautiful picture by the way)
Comment by growingmuses November 9, 2010 @ 3:23 pmThanks! Many of the things that the women had to address were things that I understood: wanting to be there for your family while not ignoring yourself and your own needs/time management/believing that this can be done, even though it isn’t easy (but what is?)…It was so nice to see how each of their artistic lives evolved. It was also nice to see the positive effects their creative endeavours had on their families. It was a very thought provoking film!
Comment by slightlywonky November 9, 2010 @ 9:56 pm