Not long ago, a friend sent me a guerrilla girls postcard detailing some of the "advantages of being a woman artist." I thought I'd share, though you can find--and order--a poster of this list here.
Working without the pressure of success
not having to be in shows with men
having an escape from the art world with your four free-lance jobs
knowing your career might pick up after you are eighty
being reassured that whatever art you make it will be labeled "feminine"
not being stuck in a tenured teaching position
seeing your ideas live on in the work of others
having the opportunity of choosing between career and motherhood
being included in revised versions of art history
not having to undergo the embarrassment of being called a genius
lol! What a frighteningly funny list!
And thank you, btw, for bringing some delightful levity to FG!
I have friend, an artist. People tell her all the time that the smartest person they ever met was -- her brother! I know them both very well, and they are equally intelligent, but I'd say she's more brilliant and original. It's a matter of perception.
Hey Holly,
I think the best thing about being a female artist is, whatever you do, someone's going to find a way to describe it as "vaginal." ;-)
Thanks also for the link to the Guerrilla Girls. There are several other great posters on their site -- I especially enjoyed The Women's Terror Alert.
Hey Holly,
I think the best thing about being a female artist is, whatever you do, someone's going to find a way to describe it as "vaginal." ;-)
Or perhaps, seminal.
Isn't seminal a profoundly annoying word when applied to work by women? I personally prefer to use the word ovunal if I'm talking about work by women.