Over a year ago, I read an article about the demographics in art today and the recognition received by male and female artists. I was shocked to find out that the acknowledgment of professional artists by the public and major art institutes is still quite unbalanced. The article pointed out:
-51% of visual artists today are women.
-Only 28% of museum solo exhibitions spotlighted women in eight selected museums throughout the 2000s.
-Though women earn half of the MFAs granted in the US, only a quarter of solo exhibitions in New York galleries feature women. (See more at: http://nmwa.org/advocate/get-facts#sthash.WD7L116D.dpuf)
Taking for granted that a certain level of quality has to be met, generally the work of male artists is what gets selected. However, as more women enter the art world, the numbers are likely to change.
I think the fact that the studies that show more women artists emerging is very interesting. I have been noticing that there are significantly more female artists’ works at art fairs or art exhibitions that I go to and I get the impression that there are great numbers of female artists pursuing art careers in North America, in Europe and perhaps in other parts of the world. Here, I would like to talk about the position of men and women in the society and how it is related to the shifting demographic in the art world.
I believe that artists, which include actors, musicians, writers, etc., are generally closely connected to the world’s political and cultural events and social problems. That brings them an awareness which may eventually enhance or create a change in the general population’s political views. Artists are often leaders who guide us in alternative directions in culture, politics or even our own lives.
In the Past
Throughout history, men have had greater status and that seems to have motivated them to maintain their superiority and driven them to advance civilization and their position in it. Since they have had far more influence in creating the societies that we live in, those societies have evolved to be those that are definitely male in character.
Therefore men had more opportunity to express themselves and reflect on the world through being artists. I think that is why the majority of important artists have been male.
In the past, women did not have equal opportunities for a good education or rewarding employment like they do now and they were expected to stay at home and raise their children and do the housework. However, I think, all that time, women must have had great inner strength and more benevolence due to their function of having children and raising them.
My Experiences
Personally, since as long as I can remember, I‘ve always felt myself to be somewhere between a man and a woman. In fact, I used to think that I was mistakenly born as a girl. I was definitely not like the typical traditional women that existed 50 some years ago. Because of that, I have had experiences that have affected my perspective.
As I have lived in different countries in my life, I have been exposed to many cultures. I have noticed that there are differences in the typical roles and positions for men and women in each culture, but I think there are some basic commonalities. In some ways, I think the roles of men and women are not so different from what they were a long time ago. Generally, it’s often men who take initiative and women who support them, either at work or at home. It sometimes seems that this is stuck in everyone’s mind as a cultural norm.
At Present
But at the same time, things have been changing gradually as, in many countries, both men and women have been receiving the same education. And now, there are many women who choose professional careers and are motivated to change and improve their communities. And I believe, in that way, women can do as much as what men used to do.
The most notable factor is that, with time changing and people facing different situations and problems all around globe, I feel that there are many aspects that need re-adjustment in this world. Equally, I feel feminism or a ‘female quality’ is becoming a more important element than ever before. Personally, I have seen or heard of many situations where the presence of women in certain scenarios has been valued by many people.
I think, ‘female quality’ is the key to the future of the world.
Female Artists and the Position of Women
I think there is a reason that there are so many more female artists eager to express their inner voice intuitively. It is women who have more to say, a passion and energy to reflect themselves onto the world. On the other hand, pursuing a career as an artist has become much more challenging for men nowadays as there is more competition than there used to be and it’s much less financially rewarding.
Although I was born a female, I feel that the life path I have been following is rather more like a man’s life than a woman’s. Therefore, I would like to emphasize that it’s very possible for women to accomplish anything that men can, and their values are as valid as men’s. In fact, most of what we do should not have anything to do with being a man or a woman, but with our individual character.
I strongly think women will be the ones to influence the future of the world. Some may not agree with it, but, in my opinion, the world today needs more space for women.