Three Elements of Feminist art. I got a 90 on this short essay.
What they’re doing it about – context
The way they do it- mode
And why they do it- conviction/ message
Three elements I find particularly essential to feminist art can be categorized by context, mode and conviction. I can reason that one does not need the other and vice vera- that would be rather irrational to set this kind of meticulous standard for feminist art. Instead, I find these elements essential to feminist art but emphasising their ability to be independent from each other in addition to their stellar combination. The context in which a feminist artist works within informs the substance of the art, its inspiration and latter discussion for viewers. Context finds itself aligning with both mode and conviction yet may not always occur this way. Mode expresses the way in which the artist creates the work; more materially focused, and or practice based. Medium can find itself taking the reins of mode, often used intentionally to express symbolic context of the subject fig. Sometimes, the artists process has little to no deeper influence on the context or conviction of their artwork- Conviction I see taking a broader ending to the series, again connecting such together yet forming its own independent curiosities. The reason why the artist decides to create this artwork informs and connects the viewers back to context, displaying their positionality on such topic. Conviction can also stand in place for message, or intention of the work again dependent on the artists perspective. I see these three elements across most feminist works, notably those by Patricia Cronin and Carolee Schneemann.
Patricia Cronin’s A Shrine for Girls is made with pure intention; carefully thought and articulated. Presented at the Venice Biennale in 2015, A Shrine for Girls advocates for women, globally suffering due to socioeconomic factors in their regions. Comprising of 3 altars, each displays a photograph of the subjected women and specific articles of clothing that they would wear, paired with their story. Context is shown through the acknowledgement and recount of the various girls’ stories. Revealing the dually untold and discarded truths of said groups and creating a physical space for feminist art to take place. Mode is carried out by the physical details Cronin oversees to bring context to life. She creates a space so personal and haunting by utilizing precise articles of clothing paired with the girls’ photograph; bringing a face and name to the issue, that goes beyond news-headlines. Mode here entirely enhances the space and concept of the work, having the ability to touch a viewer in a way that makes them interpret the work with much more intensity. She notes on her site that the altars paired with their garments are meant to “symbolize relics from the young female martyrs.”1 emphasising the creative mode demonstrated.
Conviction motivates context and mode; it is to be seen in all liberties taken to produce the work. Cronin-herself a woman, recalls a notion of the female experience2 and successfully brings such horror to light in this production. Cronin’s work is commonly informed by gender politics and social justice issues, and hence heavily supported by the three essential elements to feminist art.
Carolee Schneemann’s Meat Joy 1964 also reaches the three elements. Known as a pioneer for feminist art, Schneemann’s work revolves around sexuality, gender and power. Meat Joy pushed boundaries for its time; a performance of men and women undressing while essentially slathering each other with raw meats. Context is implicit, rather revealed later quoting “The old patriarchal morality of proper behavior and improper behavior had no threshold for the pleasures of physical contact that were not explicitly about sex but related to something more ancient—the worship of nature, worship of the body, a pleasure in sensuousness.” In that she had grown frustrated with the confusion between sensuality and pornography to be synonymous.  Mode can be seen through her choice of material, fleshy-raw meats; implying a kind of disgust in eroticism, but also perhaps nature as well. Conviction here stems from Schneemann herself, engaged in work heavily embedded in sensuality, her leading context reveals all her conviction.
Bib
Magazine, Smithsonian. “Carolee Schneemann Pioneered the Way Women's Bodies Were Seen.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, March 14, 2019. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/feminist-performance-artist-carolee-schneemann-dies-79-180971680/.
Shrine for girls. Accessed February 5, 2023. http://shrineforgirls.org/venice.html#about.