Study #6

"The fault lies not in our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles, but in our institutions and our education." Why have there been no great women artists? Linda Lochlin, 1971

Image II, 1960 by Barbara Hepworth — *Image II,* 1960 by Barbara Hepworth

The Feminist Art Coalition is a great resource to engage with. In Fall 2020 the platform will be presenting a series of concurrent events and installations in museums throughout the country to generate awareness and spark conversation.

Advantages of Being a Woman Artist, 1988 by the Guerrilla Girls — *Advantages of Being a Woman Artist,* 1988 by the Guerrilla Girls

In 1985 the New York MoMA put on an exhibition, An International Survey of Painting and Sculpture, that claimed to represent a wide array of the most important art from the time. Of the 169 artists included only 13 were women. This lack of representation spurned a rash of protest posters being hung up on the streets around the museum by a collective of anonymous women that named themselves the Guerrilla Girls.

Software og Forherliget utak, 2015 by Christina Schou Christensen — *Software og Forherliget utak,* 2015 by Christina Schou Christensen

Between 2008 and 2018 female artists accounted for only 11% of acquisitions made by major art museums in America and only 2% of sales at global auction houses. That being said, the value for these female-produced works are steadily gaining in value.

Linda Nochlin and Daisy, 1973 by Alice Neel — *Linda Nochlin and Daisy*, 1973 by Alice Neel

In 1971 Art Historian and Critic Linda Nochlin wrote a seminal piece for the cover of ARTNews posing the question “Why have there been no great women artists?” The article addressed how systemic social, cultural, and political barriers have kept women apart from visual art production and the market since classical times. She concisely illustrated that an artist’s inherent ‘maleness’ doesn’t lead to great art, but the fact that men have had the upper hand in it’s creation and dispensation is what has shaped the narrative of what is considered great art.

Georgia in New Mexico, overlooking the Chama River, 1961 by Todd Webb — *Georgia in New Mexico, overlooking the Chama River,* 1961 by Todd Webb

To date, the most paid for a work of art by a male artist is $450 million. The highest price a woman has commanded? $44 million. (Salvator Mundi by da Vinci and Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 by Georgia O’Keefe, respectively.)

(female) ARTISTS.