Monday, April 13, 2009

Where are all the Women?

Over the past few days, I have been avoiding the studio and have been blog surfing.

Several art blogs have had links to YouTube bits and have discussions about art documentaries recently watched. All about men.

I have nothing against male artists. I just want to hear and see something, anything, from the female artists.

Why is there nothing out there (that I know of)? Is it because women do not feel the need to feed their ego? Is no one interested? I find that difficult to believe. Is it just a result of the male-dominated world of art? Do women artists just not have the time? I'm sure that after a day in the studio, the female artist doesn't arrive at home to find dinner cooked and the children educated and scrubbed.

I would love to see women artists at work, no matter what the media.

Any info?

4 comments:

p said...

well if you still haven't seen this its great. i know those art 21 documentaries have women in them too. but you are right, more male dominated.

Ellen said...

check this one out! soooo want to see it - http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/
(I don't know the code to add links, Paula how do you do that?)

Kim Hambric said...

Paula and Ellen,

Thanks so much for your input. I'm so glad you visit my blog and comment. And now I've even got information.

I can't believe I have to wait to see Who does she think she is. I NEED that right now. I'm having so many internal issues about what I'm doing. Every day I think, "How can I keep saying I am a working artist when I'm selling nothing now? How can I validate taking time away from my family and demanding equal time when my art career is completely floundering?"

I felt like such an outsider today at my daughter's school. I was there for a play by the 1st graders, and when it was over I scrammed -- so many mothers were clustered together talking about the PTA and other such mom-oriented things. I felt like such an outsider. Such a freak. Yeah, I'm going home, hide out in my attic studio, pace, talk to myself, dance to music, paint fabric, cut fabric, curse, all for something that my never see the light of day.

If I had said this to them, would their lips have curled into a snarl? Would they have giggled nervously? Would I have just gotten a pitiful smile as they returned to their conversation? I'll probably never know.

Ellen said...

I know! I know! As soon as I read your post I knew you'd flip over it. It's such a annoyance that in discussion about women artists, family has to be such a HUGE part of it, because no matter what has seemed to change, once we have kids our identity is so wrapped up in that. The outside world see nothing else, just moms with hobbies. Or if a woman artist is successful with children at home, then people belief that their children must surely have been neglected in some way(something never said about a male CEO for example).

I do EXACTLY the same thing at school events. I don't seem to care anymore about my freakishness though which is a nice relief. Thank god for things like blogging and being able to find your 'people'.