The Struggle of Femininity
Curated by Jenny Reilly and Julie White
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| Poster Created for Show |
Curatorial Statement
Women are relentlessly given a variety of molds that they are expected to fit into from a young age, often that they must be the thin, friendly, and smiling companions to their masculine counterparts. These expectations are demeaning and underestimate the fire within every woman.
The Struggle of Femininity includes carefully selected artworks by Amy Abbatoir, Tulu Bayar, Aaron Morgan Brown, and Ann Piper. The pieces feature women of various races and body type. The artworks are large, and purposefully designed within the gallery so that the viewer cannot ignore the confident stares of the women in the paintings. The subjects seem to say, “Is this what you wanted? Am I your perfect lady now?” Slight viewer discomfort is intentional, and is a deliberate attempt to share the daily discomfort many women experience. Stares, overbearing expectations, and judgment are too often the norm, and the women in the artworks are finally able to expose either their true selves or what attempting to adhere to expectations have caused them to become.
Women are more than a delicacy to be enjoyed. Every woman has a struggle within, whether it is emotional stress, sexuality or sexual habits, racial identity, or even the concept of gender itself. At times, their own selves become aliens in the mirror, and their own eyes are judgmental. The Struggle of Femininity is an opportunity for women to reclaim their own femininity. Each woman has their own femininity that they struggle to define within themselves and without societal interference.
Artwork
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| Amy Abbatoir, Green Monster, Oil on Canvas |
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| Amy Abbatoir, Blue Self, Oil on Canvas |
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Amy Abbatoir, Red Self Acrylic on Canvas
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Ann Piper, Tosha and Dawson, Oil on Canvas
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| Aaron Morgan Brown, The Enthusiast, Oil on Canvas |
Art in the Gallery Space
Audience Interaction Component
In order to establish a connection between the art and the viewer, there was a viewer interaction component to our gallery. The gallery goers could choose to write on a provided index card what their two conflicting identities were. This allowed the viewer to go into the gallery already thinking about conflicting and multiple identities. All submissions were anonymous.
Opening and Gallery Talk
Promotion
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| Facebook Event for Gallery Opening |
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| Campus Wide Email |
Is the Aaron Morgan Brown painting "the Enthusiast" still in circulation, I am trying to buy it, do you know who has it?
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