A few years ago I had an interview where I talked about my experience at an art residency in Oaxaca. Although the article briefly mentioned my observations of women in the art world, it did not elaborate on the issue. It’s not unknown that women within their creative fields have always been below men.
This is not a feminist diatribe, and even if it were, I wonder why there are so many women today who hesitate to call themselves feminists? Is it for fear of being perceived as difficult and man-hating? I want to make it clear that this is not the case. Regardless of whether I call myself a feminist or not, there are facts that cannot be ignored, especially if history has repeated itself for years. My intention is to elaborate on the theme of women in art and of art.
Within the context of this story, it is important to understand that Oaxaca, apart from being a state rich in culture, has become the mecca for contemporary graphic art worldwide. There are innumerable artists, workshops, institutions, and artists’ collectives that make this place the dream of any artist.
I preface this by saying that what I write are my observations as a woman artist. My criticism is not limited to my experience in Oaxaca, I have seen discrimination against women in the art world. It’s something that is endured day by day. We have all heard stories of women writers who have published their books under the name "anonymous" or have even used their husbands' names to ensure sales of their works.
One such example is British writer Joanne Rowling, better known as J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Rowling was required to publish her first book under a masculine name by her publisher who feared that her audience, which they considered to be mostly young boys, wouldn’t want to read a book written by a woman. Now a billionaire, whose books appeal to not only boys but to girls and adults alike, Rowling had to hide her identity as a woman and opt for a gender-neutral name during the publication of seven books.
Perhaps Virginia Woolf said it best when she wrote, "For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." In fact, it wasn't until the 1990s that women were integrated into art history books. This was not for lack of female artists. They existed, only that we didn’t see them.
In my experience, I went to a studio where my place as a woman was defined the moment I walked through the doors. The title of master is praised, and as such, what the master says is laid as law before his minions. As a student, I arrived with the illusion of learning but it was a bitter pill to swallow when far from being a place where I could express myself creatively, I had to prove that I had talent, but not more talent than the master. The walls of this workshop were covered wall to wall with prints of nude women.
I began to notice the theme of the printmakers that surrounded me. The vast majority carve images of nude women because that’s what sells. As someone who has also carved the nude female figure, I felt my work cheapened and its story lost among so many bodies. After a short time of being there, my teacher (the master printmaker) made me the proposal of undressing and posing for him as the last model that he would ever draw. A delirious honor that only a master can bestow on his student.
They use the body of women but they do not want the woman artist. Female Oaxacan artists, and therefore women worldwide and in all fields, are overshadowed by men. I understood that machismo still rules and I understood why women decide to create workshops and artists’ collectives just for women.
If you give a box of the same size to two people who want to see over a fence but one of them has a six-inch height advantage, no matter how equal the opportunity, one will be able to see over the fence and the other will only see the fence in front of them only a few inches higher. Man has that advantage and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Women have been the muse for centuries. Women are art, they are poetry, they are music, they are history. Women are also artists, they are writers, they are creators. I would like to offer a solution to this problem, however, perhaps the solution begins with awareness. Writer Simone de Beauvoir said, “The point is not for women simply to take power out of men's hands, since that wouldn't change anything about the world. It's a question precisely of destroying that notion of power.”
Perhaps the solution begins with women willing to take up space and men willing to listen to a woman's voice be the first and last voice for once.