Feminist Art Movement (FAM)

  • Shigeko Kubota, Vagina Painting,1965, Gelatin silver print, 35.6 x 35.5cm, MoMA, New York

    Shigeko Kubota, Vagina Painting,1965, Gelatin silver print, 35.6 x 35.5cm, MoMA, New York

    During this performance art piece the artist inserted a paintbrush, dipped in red paint between her legs and began to paint red marks on a large white canvas. The red paint became symbolic of menstruation , ultimately showcasing the female anatomy as a powerful creative and reproductive force. This art piece became a powerful expression of art in feminism.
  • Sylvia Sleigh, Working at Home, 1969, Oil on canvas, 56 x 32 in, Ursula Hauser Collection, Switzerland

    Sylvia Sleigh, Working at Home, 1969, Oil on canvas, 56 x 32 in, Ursula Hauser Collection, Switzerland

    Sylvia Sleigh, an artist widely recognized from the feminist era, designed this composition to solely highlight the underrecognized domesticated lifestyle women were expected to live during that era. The social expectation from that period, was that women were expected to do in-house work Only. This composition is made to challenge gender roles and norms.
  • Sylvia Sleigh, Felicity Rainnie Reclining, 1972, oil on canvas, 42 1/4, x 60 in, Private Collection

    Sylvia Sleigh, Felicity Rainnie Reclining, 1972, oil on canvas, 42 1/4, x 60 in, Private Collection

    In this oil on canvas, the artist highlights the female form and the realism of the female body. During Western era , the female nude body was often eroticized and intended for male pleasure. In this composition the artist fiercely challenged the male gaze by exposing a naturalistic female nude body.
  • Ana Mendieta, Untitled (Blood Sign #2/ Body tracks), 1974, film transferred to video (silent, colour),Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain

    Ana Mendieta, Untitled (Blood Sign #2/ Body tracks), 1974, film transferred to video (silent, colour),Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain

    In this performative piece of Art, the artist uses her body, movements, canvas, and blood to convey her expressionism of male gaze and how women are objectified. During this performance, the artist reclaimed control of how she wanted her body represented. This ideation challenged the acceptance of a woman through male gratification rather through her own identity and competence.
  • Ana Mendieta, Tree of Life, 1976, Performance Art, MFA, Boston

    Ana Mendieta, Tree of Life, 1976, Performance Art, MFA, Boston

    Once again this artist presents the female form as the focal point of this composition, by integrating it with natural elements. Ana Mendieta also used the natural elements in an attempt to clear women from being objectified and show the contribution women have in the cycle of life. (reproduction, life, nurturing)
  • Shigeko Kubota, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1976, Video sculpture , MoMA, New York

    Shigeko Kubota, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1976, Video sculpture , MoMA, New York

    This art piece is a recreation of Marcel Duchamp's 1912 version of "Nude Descending on a Staircase." The artist, Shigeko Kubota decided to challenge the traditional interpretations of a women through a males gaze, from a females perspective. Ultimately, she is reclaiming identity and representation of the female body.
  • Sylvia Sleigh, A.I.R Group Portrait, 1977-78, Oil on canvas, 75 x 82in, The Whitney Museum of Art, New York

    Sylvia Sleigh, A.I.R Group Portrait, 1977-78, Oil on canvas, 75 x 82in, The Whitney Museum of Art, New York

    In this oil on canvas, the artist chose to paint images of members from the first all-female cooperative gallery in New York. Since Art is widely recognized as a male dominated industry, Sylvia Sleigh choose display the identity and individuality of each woman as an artist instead of a muse.