Why Has the Female Body Been Such a Focus for Feminist Art

Art Essay - Why Has the Female Body Been such a Focus for Feminist Art?
Feminist art practice responds to an art history of male privilege, where
the depiction of women has been constructed by, and for, a male audience.
In order to gain ownership and control over the way the female body is
depicted within the art-world, many feminist artists challenge the negative
ideas and attitudes that suggest women are inferior through their art
making. Most, if not all artists who use feminist themes in their works have
a very different viewpoint or perception on society. This is based on their
influences and upbringing that has shaped how they look at women in
society. Artists such as Julie Rrap, for example specifically look at society’s
expectations on the human body, and why we place such stereotypes on
women. Feminist Activist group ‘The Guerrilla Girls” explores the
patriarchal society that we live in today and specifically questions and
challenges the role of women within the art world. Lastly, Cindy Sherman
looks at the themes of victimisation and objectification of women in
society through her photograph series. Each of these artists have used to
female body as the focus of their art, in order to explore the meaning of
being female and the role of women in our society.
Julie Rrap is an Australian artist who’s primary medium is photography.
Through her photographs she explores female sensibility. Rrap uses
appropriation of images from art history in order to explore the body, and
the representation of women in art and media. One of Rraps’ most well
known pieces ‘Hairline Crack’ (1992), from a distance appears to be nothing
more than a minimalist sculpture of brown line at eye level around a
narrow room. Upon closer inspection this line is in fact a perspex frame
filled with human hair escaping from its containment, representing the
line of the hairline on a bikini. Rraps work is both alive and confronting
and provokes a shocked and even...