Women Artists

 Sarah Lucas National Galleries Scotland  ref GMA 4679.jpg

1 A masculine unsmiling face directly looking at the viewer

2 Clothing dirty looking with ripped jeans and trainers without socks. Probably a contra-point to the traditional view of women (decided by men) of dainty clothing that is essentially feminine and underlines her inherent 'weakness'.

3 Two ?fried eggs placed placed on her breasts. A reference to the oft heard comment about two fried eggs referring to breasts that do not meet the criteria of the speaker. Forces the viewer to consider their own views about the perfect female figure.A defiant note  saying I don't care if I haven't got the tits you desire - it is your problem not mine!! Danger is that it is seen as case of the lady doth protest too much.

4 Difficult to decide whether the line has been drawn deliberately to draw attention to the crotch area or the line was there anyway. Given the pose I have presumed the former. That raises the question - Why? Is it that the message is to men  - you will stare at my crotch anyway so I decided to show you where it is. 

5 The angle and position of the camera distorts the size of her feet. Again challenging the 'dainty' image usually associated with women.

The image of women whether she is shown as an 'object' of male desire or of the dainty woman needful of the protection of the strong male even today is the most common depiction across all media. Here we have a challenge to that view in a direct and uncompromising way.

Roxanne Swentzell "Kosha appreciating everything" 1997

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art  ref: erez.jpg

http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/CollectionDatabase.cfm?id=34199&theme=amer_ind

Seen as a leading contemporary Native American artist Swentzell continues the long tradition of Pueblo Figurative Sculpture.

1 The figure shown is that of a Kosha - a sacred being seen in religious ceremonies and dances. A kosha is said to teach through actions.

2 The kosha here is seen staring at its hand as though recognising it, possibly for the first time, as being part of him. It may also be seen in a wider context - that through contemplation of the wonders and complexity of our own body we obtain knowledge of ourselves and our place in the wider world.

There are clear links between this image and the work of Lacan about the development of the child. By recognising parts of its body as belonging to him the child learns to see himself as a separate entity and through that the existence of others.

Catherine Opie  Self Portrait/Nursing

Hammer Museum L.A. ref 450.jpg

http://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/detail_id/95

1 Gaze of woman directed towards the baby emphasising the link between the two. 

2 Gaze of the child directed towards the mother completing the link underlying the dependency relationship between the two.

3 Hands support the young child providing the comfort and assurance that the child needs and which is so much part of the relationship.

4 The tattoo introduces a jarring note to the otherwise harmonious picture. This is my reaction and may not necessarily be the case for others. The rubenesque figure of the woman is at odds with the portrayal of nursing mothers in present day magazines and books devoted to motherhood. The child who seems to be between 9 months and 12 months old is yet a further element that does not match much of our conditioned thinking.

If my supposition is correct that the child is between 9 and 12 months old it is interesting to speculate on how Lacan would fit this image into his view on the development of the child. Here there would be the potential for conflict within the child's mind caused by the very close 'caring' image of the mother as he/she feeds at the breast and the by now well formed fear of castration.

Fiona Banner Nude Standing 2006

Museum of Modern Art ref cri_192448.jpg

http://www.moma.org/collection

1 The writing gives a full written description of the figure that we only see partially and in faint shadow behind the written element.

2 The shadowy figure of a nude.

I chose this piece of art because for me it captures the difficulty we have in "seeing" when we are offered a verbal or written description or offer our own analysis. "Seeing" is far more than an analysis and verbal or written description no matter how painstaking that analysis is. In doing the analysis we lose sight of the essence of the thing at which we are looking and our emotional response. Words are inadequate and in using them, either to ourselves or others, we fail to recognise those things that we cannot describe but nevertheless 'see'.