Lesson 1
This lesson is based on ideas from an essay by Anna Wahl ‘The Cloud: Lecturing on Feminist research’ (NORA: Nordic Journal of women’s studies, vol 2-3 1999) pp.97-108. In this essay, Anna Wahl describes how raising the word “feminist” when she began teaching or lecturing (on women and business) always provoked a strong series of negative reactions in her audience.
Lesson 2
This lesson will explore the question:
How can we measure or assess the situation of the woman artist today using statistics?
Let’s begin with a quiz testing your assumptions:
Lesson 3
In this lesson, the key question explored is “What is Feminist Art?” How is this term used and defined? How is “feminist art” different from all art made by women? Is there a category of art which is “feminist art” or is there only art which is informed by feminism?
Lesson 4
This lesson makes use of n.paradoxa’s ‘Feminist Art Topics’ page which lists over 900 art works which have been discussed or could be discussed in relation to feminism. These artworks are group around 30 topics. It begins with the question: is feminism a “lens” through which to interpret art?
If this is the case, what would a feminist reading of a work of art look like?
Lesson 5
In this lesson, theories about the gaze, looking and visuality are explored from a feminist perspective. The aim of this lesson is to go beyond John Berger’s influential proposition in Ways of Seeing (1972) that ‘men look, women appear’.
Lesson 6
Theories of sexual difference draw upon psychoanalysis, post-structuralist analysis, feminist theory and theories about human sexuality. In fine art, these ideas have been influential in analysing how representations of men and women are constructed and exploring the power of these images as psycho-social constructions. This lesson offers an introduction to these ideas.
Lesson 7
Does a feminist avantgarde exist? What does it mean to position feminism as an avantgarde in terms of art history? What is the relationship of feminism (as a political movement) to art history (an academic discipline) ? What is feminist art history – a history of the women’s art movement post-1968? A special form of historiography? An extension of women’s studies where women artists as cultural producers are its subject? Or a space where the representation of women and women’s issues (identifed by feminism as a politics) are discussed?
Lesson 8
Are feminist exhibitions, the same as or different from women artist’s exhibitions? Is there a history of feminist art exhibitions? Is there a politics in feminist curating? Can a feminist exhibition be defined by the curator’s interpretation of feminism, when the artists in it (male or female) might have different politics or definitions?
Lesson 9
There have been many different kinds of women’s art organisations. In this lesson, the distinction between women’s art and feminist art will be explored again by considering the politics and practices of different women’s art organisations around the world.
Lesson 10
How has art been discussed in feminist art magazines? Can we draw a distinction between women’s art magazines and feminist art magazines? What feminist art magazines have been and still are published today? What is feminist art criticism?
