Maxine Post 6

Maxine Rivera

The consensus of our most recent readings indicate that gender does, with out a doubt, influence the formal components or art. This is not to say that a female artist will create distinctly feminine art which will differ greatly from distinctly masculine art, rather it is a realization of the influence that the "male gaze", as Devereaux puts it, has on all of us. On her very first page Devereaux discounts the possibility of unbiased art, whether the gaze is male or female, "no vision, not even artistic vision, is neutral vision."

First Point

Devereaux suggests that gender not only matters, but nearly dominates every aspect of the field. She explains that while there are three different views to consider, each of these views tends to relate back to the "male gaze." The views under consideration are those of the artist, the art created, and the spectator, any of which might be female, "the male gaze is not always male, but it is always male dominated." (P126) In this argument it is clear to see that gender is involved in every aspect of art, from the formal elements that compose it to the unsuspecting spectator who views it. The art is geared towards men and to promote patriarchal, masculine ideals. Devereaux quotes Simone de Beauvoir to further explain this, "Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view which they confuse as the absolute truth." (P127) Thus, the viewers of the art, which is being presented as Truth, become brainwashed into honestly believing that what they see is truth, whether they be male or female. The "male gaze" now reaches beyond the barriers of sex and gender and puts a pair of masculine lenses over the eyes of every individual. Of course when men are in control of the production and distribution of art, it seems obvious that art is going to take on a more masculine feel.




This image The Judgment of Paris by Girolamo di Benvenuto is a prime example of the male dominance in art that Devereaux discusses. She notes that "mythology defined the value of women as their value to men." Here Paris (the man) is making judgment on the women, the most beautiful just so happens to be the most naked, the one flaunting her body as though it was what made her valuable. Had Paris perhaps given the apple to one of the clothed women, the message of the painting might be empowering, but it seems that the women of most value is the one that provides the male with "voyeuristic pleasure." (p 132) The "male gaze" is present in this piece through the artist, the characters, (Paris is clearly demonstrating use of it and the women fall right into step) and the viewer who gets the subliminal message that for a woman to be aesthetically pleasing, or valuable she should flaunt her body.



In this painting, Study for the Judgment of Paris III the roles are reversed, here the woman seems to be judging three men. Initially a woman might feel vindicated, as though a wrong had been righted and equality restored, yet upon further analysis the "male gaze" seems to be present once more. First, the obvious, all the characters in this scene are fully clothed, again the woman seems to be wearing least clothes of all. Devereaux points out that even on the rare occasion that men serve as the scopophilic pleasure of the scene, they are rarely nude, they would feel "uncomfortable in such a role." (P132-133) Yet, the men, though being judged, still do not seem to be the erotic focus of this painting, the woman, in old Hollywood style, with her perfect hair, skinny body, and dainty cigarette still appears to be the erotic focus. Her position of control brings a new kind of sex appeal to the painting. Once again the woman seems to be in a position of dependence, she requires the fire (symbolic strength) of a man to achieve her goal ( a smoke.) While she has the power to choose, the painting seems to insinuate that she only has the power to choose from what is presented to her by a man, because she is incapable of acting for herself (perhaps pulling out a lighter.) The male gaze, once again send the message that even when a woman thinks she is in control, she is still dependent on a man.



A second point that suggests that gender is an impacting factor on art is the lack of recognition of female artists. If people honestly believed "that art and aesthetic attention are both in some sense universal" then why would there be a need to keep the female perspective quiet? (Brand, P 7) Brand describes how women's art became synonymous with "low art" or "craft" never achieving the artist the title of "genius" or "master" (terms associated with masculinity anyway.) (P10-11) In this way we look beyond formal concepts to the very production of art, if it was made by a woman, it would not receive equal consideration. This is evident in this piece,
by the Guerilla Girs. This image is a parody or sorts on The Grande Odalisque, a painting that displays yet another nude woman, posing. The striking color contrast pull attention and directs it to the gorilla's head in place of a woman's. The text in the piece gives the startling facts of how few women artists are featured in the Metropolitan Museum. The artist(s) also point out that in contrast, an overwhelming majority of the nude art works in the museum are of women. The imbalance proves the point that Brand is making about the lack of recognition for female artists, and how there is a difference between females creating art and females being featured in it.

This point is not supported by art alone, it is also supported by historical facts. For instance, women who created nude art (photographs, paintings, self portraits) were often turned away from museums and exhibits, had they served as the muse for a man however, the art would be accepted. They were kept from being curators, patrons, attending art schools, and buying art. (power point presentation) Based on these facts, and the art above, and countless other examples, it is clear to see that gender had everything to do with not only formal aspects of creating art, but also on the production and distribution of art.