The Assignment
Read and follow instructions carefully in order to receive the highest possible grade for this assignment.
Begin by reading the Introduction to the assignment as well as the PowerPoint over The Body, Identity, and Gender in Art embedded there.
Select two artworks of any media from the Museum of Fine Arts that you feel depict two different aspects of gender. These two works must be ones that you have seen in person. If possible, include an image of each in your paper.
Some of the issues you might consider: depictions of women that more accurately reflect women’s lives and experiences, gender bias, stereotypical or sexist depictions of women, objectification of women, representations of women that go against stereotypes, issues of power and control, desire, materialism, pornography, positive or negative depictions of the roles of women in a patriarchal society. Consider issues related to the Male Gaze and the Western Gaze. Don’t be afraid to question your own assumptions about women or “the feminine” or “appropriate female roles.” Similarly, consider an analysis of representations of men, what constitutes “masculine” and how artists may have promoted or challenged traditional representations of masculinity. What is “toxic masculinity”?
Included could be an examination of contemporary representations of non-binary and LGBTQ. Some of the issues you might consider: depictions of non-binary/LGBTQ that more accurately reflect their lives and experiences, stereotypical depictions of non-binary/LGBTQ and representations of non-binary/LGBTQ that go against stereotypes. Don’t be afraid to question your own assumptions about non-binary/LGBTQ identity.
As you work toward selecting two artworks you would like to write about, you might also consider why so few women artists or artists of color are represented in museum collections. Do you feel there are stereotypes about women artists, or the kind of artworks women should be making or the materials they should use? What constitutes an “acceptable” representation of a woman or an artwork created by a woman artist? Would you expect a female artist to represent an image of a woman differently than a male artist? In what way? Likewise, how would you imagine a non-binary/LGBTQ artist would depict members of their community differently than a “straight” or cisgender artist would?
After viewing artworks in the museum, formulate a plan for what two artwork you wish to write about. Importantly, establish how the two artworks are related to each other and to the topics covered in 4.8-4.10.. You must clearly reveal this relationship in the introduction of your paper. I recommend you briefly discuss your plan with me before starting your paper–either in person at the museum or by message in Canvas. In either case, it would be helpful if you can share images of each artwork.
Write a 700-word minimum or longer paper (at least two pages double-spaced 12 pt. Times Roman, Helvetica or similar) about two works that you are able to establish a relationship between. the relationship must be more specific than they both address gender. How do they address gender, specifically? Maybe one work explores how women are stereotyped and compares it to how men are stereotyped. Or perhaps one examines how women or men have been stereotyped and contrasts that with an example that challenges or undermines the stereotype. Or maybe your paper explores gender roles between two different cultures. Whatever you choose, you must identify how the works relate to each other in your introduction.
Alternative: Select work for analysis that reflect different social or political attitudes from Border / Mapping / Witness (Gallery 309) which considers maps and borders in geographic, social, and political terms. Included are works that bear witness to social injustices or engage the border as fraught with violence. Or select work from Collectivity (Gallery 314) which explores artists’ use of diverse materials and techniques to activate a sense of community. Consider also other artworks from European and American Art (Gallery 201) and Photography (Gallery 208) that may explore issues related to Protest and Social Conscience, Identity, Race, Gender, and the Body. Artworks on view in the Law or Beck Buildings are also acceptable for use in this critical analysis.
Important: you must establish a relationship between the two works, and you must use the four steps of critical analysis of art as a guide for writing your paper.
The four steps of critical analysis of art can be found here:
$WIKI_REFERENCE$/pages/four-steps-of-art-criticism?module_item_id=g5ce761c31d8022e194507fafb1080c57
The structure of your paper should follow this format, with each section a new paragraph (ten total paragraphs):
Introduction (must include specifics of how the two works are thematically related)
Description of work A (including title, artist, media, physical qualities, and a discussion of relevant Elements of Art)
Description of work B
Analysis of work A (including discussion of relevant Principles of Design)
Analysis of work B
Interpretation of work A
Interpretation of work B
Judgment of work A
Judgment of work B
Conclusion
Remember, your task is to ANALYZE, not merely describe or summarize. A successful analysis includes comparison and contrast phrases like: “is similar to” and “is different from.” Take plenty of notes as you view each artwork to serve as prompts when you write your paper
Go to Audio Glossary:
Introduction: The Body, Identity, and Gender in Art
What is the difference between biological sex and gender?
What does it mean to be “feminine” or “masculine”? Are these traits we are born with, or are they constructed?
Chapters 4.9 in your textbook addresses The Body in Art and Chapter 4.10 addresses Identity, Race, and Gender in Art. The artworks in those chapters illustrate some of the ways artists have explored, reinforced, and challenged traditional expectations with regard to gender and depictions of the body. How are gender roles shaped and reinforced in a patriarchal culture? How are they undermined? How would roles be different if the culture was matriarchal? Do gender expectations vary depending on whether a person is Black, Latino/Latina, White or Asian? How does mass media reinforce or challenge gender stereotypes?
A good example of a variety of approaches to representing women can be seen in the tradition of the reclining nude (pp. 668-669 in your textbook). Titian’s seductive Venus figure is an object of desire who willingly participates in her own objectification. Manet’s Olympia seems more like a real woman who challenges the viewer’s gaze while asserting more personal authority. Contemporary male artist Yasumasa Morimura’s self-portrait, on the other hand, deconstructs the entire tradition and asks us to examine identity and gender roles. Contemporary African-American artist Mickalene Thomas takes this one step further by inviting us to examine construction of identity, gender, and race as the image of a Black servant offering flowers from an unseen suitor is transformed into a fashionable sophisticate.
Venere_di_Urbino.jpg
Titian, Venus of Urbino, 1538, oil on canvas
edouard-manet-olympia-1863.jpg
Edouard Manet, Olympia, 1863, oil on canvas
morimuri.jpg
Yasumasa Morimura, Portrait (Futago), 1988-90, Color photograph
thomas_mnonja.jpg
Mickalene Thomas, Portrait of Mnonja, 2010, rhinestones and acrylic on wood
Review the PowerPoint presentation about The Body, Identity, and Gender in Art:
To view the PowerPoint presentation, do not click on the file name below. Instead, select preview from the drop down menu under the arrow:
The Body, Identity, and Gender in Art
$WIKI_REFERENCE$/pages/four-steps-of-art-criticism?module_item_id=g5ce761c31d8022e194507fafb1080c57
Go to Audio Glossary:
https://services.wwnorton.com/aws/other?u=0&file=/wwnorton.college.public/thameshudson/gatewaystoart3/audio_glossary/audio_glossary.html
