ART422 | Summative | Sexuality.

Sexuality is a topic that has influenced and interested artist’s work throughout history. Examples of its use can be seen in feminist movements, media, film, the male gaze, and the patriarchy. Throughout this essay I will explore and analyse the biased standards of sexuality. Discussing how this may be experienced and transferred between art practice and lived experience. The male gaze is accepting and promoting unequal standards, lifestyle and success variations between man and woman.  

 The term “Male gaze” was made recognisable from Laura Mulvey's writing on the topic “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”.  One may interpret this term as the sense of male control/ power (verbal, mental and physical) a pressure to live by their standards.  

Dr. Aoiffe Walsh’s essay titled “What is Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory?”, mentions that “the term ‘male gaze’ has expanded beyond the realm of academia.” Showing the growing areas of society affected by this ‘male gaze. 

 Film and media are areas where sexuality is a major focus. This creates issues such as sexualization in public, male gaze in the workplace and role limitation/ representation. “The male gaze” has become part of the widespread critique of mainstream film, for its “lack of women directors” and “lack of good female parts.” Male gaze and sexist workplace behavior is typical within the media. Mulvey presents the idea that the male gaze is enforced on the viewer, that they are looking in as a form of “Scopophilia,” unconscious sexual pleasure. 

 The film “The Postman Always Rings Twice by Tay Garnett (1946), shows industry techniques used to sexualize women. “The slow pan up the body of a potential female love interest,” “The camera acts as the eye of the male observer,” “the woman is not a whole entity but a series of body parts...” These techniques are all centered around objectifying the woman, adding sexual appeal. By focusing on the woman, she is almost removed from the scene. The audience is forced to pay attention to her appearance rather than the continuation of the plot, they too now share this male gaze, she is nothing but her looks.  

Mulvey acknowledges that often “women appear on screen as erotic objects,” adding visual value, whereas men are typically given roles to add value and make plot advancements. These gender role stereotypes are one example of how the patriarchy affects women in the workplace. These women become the focus of scopophilia, due to their sexualised and limited representation. The continuation to view media produced through the male gaze shows acceptance of the patriarchy and its treatment of women. 

 The Oxford dictionary defines “Patriarchy,” as “a society, system or country that is ruled or controlled by men.” Mulvey states that “women are a canvas on which male desires are projected.” Agreeing with the definition above, it implies that men have control and power, that their wants are more important than any woman’s. When discussing this in class, the phrase “created by men, to benefit men,” was brought up when prompted to share our understanding of the patriarchy. A “woman still tied to her place as a bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning.,” Mulvey shows how women live by the decisions made by men. Showing women's limited freedom within a patriarchal society.  

Like sexuality, the practice of feminism is common within art. An example of where the two overlap is Margaret Harrison’s “Banana Woman, 1971). She uses this illustration of a woman posed seductively to speak about many issues that affect women “such as equal pay, homeworkers’ rights, domestic abuse and rape.” An interesting choice to continue to ‘use’ women for sex appeal, to raise awareness. She is almost using the male gaze to benefit women. The artist describes this series of work as “anti-pornographic’ because they were drawn by a woman.” This sexist double standard complicates audience interpretation and interactions. She is creating more visuals supporting the patriarchal standards set for women, when viewed without context they could support the male gaze. Evidenced by their first showing in 1971, this “was closed by police after one day for being ‘indecent’.”  

The initial wave of feminist artwork shows examples of the theme of sexuality. Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” includes 39 hand painted ceramic plates. 37 of them include elaborate, bright paintings of vulvas. Using this female form to celebrate famous feminists throughout history. The use of a vulva to represent being a woman, shows the strong dominant belief that being a woman is based on your biological gender. Trans-exclusionary radical feminism was one aspect of second wave feminism. It is characterised as the belief that transgender women should not be included within the feminist movement.  

Sarah Lucas’ Sculpture titled “Pauline Bunny,” plays with abstraction of the female body. Using the impression of legs and their posing, “it exists as an exquisite trap for heterosexual male desires.” When combined with the disconcerting antenna-like additions on top of the sculpture, it shifts the impression of sex appeal to realisation, interest, and embarrassment.  

Objectifying a woman to achieve realisation of the male gaze is an effective use of the problem to achieve an almost instant solution (in the moment). It provokes one to question their initial thoughts, and potentially how these thoughts are transferable to the wider world. 

Interested in the process of representing the female body through sculpture, I came across the piece “R.S.V.P.” by Senga Nengudi. Using sand and women's tights, she creates the impression of “body parts like limbs, breasts, and buttocks.” Exploring “elasticity of skin,” and the strain of ageing on the female body. A physical representation of various societal appearance pressures changing through time, and how experiences can physically ‘weigh you down.’ This installation is designed to provoke a response, “R.S.V.P,” by being relatable to the audience. Sharing experienced struggles of ageing, normalising changing bodies. 

The previous examples explore sexuality, showing the female body as either an object to be desired or reported on. Using techniques such as posing, suggesting skin or a homely loving location to lean into the ‘relatable expectations’ of women.  

In the world of art women are traditionally depicted in a home setting dressed, placed just so daintily. Men are historically shown in active, commanding situations: At war, boat captains, on adventures or horses etc... The use of art to continue this divide promotes the gap in what is achievable as a woman in today's working patriarchal world.  

When completing a few simple online searches to find “artwork of men,” I saw strong poses, structure, smart clothing, and exterior locations. Comparatively, “artwork of women,” is pretty, delicate, and strategic. Within the first 10 works of male portraits, I saw ‘power poses and smart clothing, 7/10 of the women's images showed nudity in the home. The images of men are professional and make me think of the phrase “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” It would simply mean that men can go/ do much more without requiring censorship, they are less vulnerable to the setbacks imposed by sexuality. A clear bias here is showing how the male gaze/ standards are dismissive of a woman's success. 

Reflecting on this research, I am assessing how this concept of gender bias and topics of sexuality have influenced my own work. In all honesty it is not a major theme I explore for content. The influence may be unknown, impacting the creating and publicity side of my practice.  

I experience chronic pain and have recently had my 5th major surgery to decrease the symptoms. Due to incorrect leg alignment, I wear loose clothing. This is more commonly seen in men's fashion choices. This style of fit detracts attention from my body.  

One method of documenting my practice can be seen within my online, social media presence (particularly Instagram). I use photography and videos to share my progress, often using clips of myself working.  

Being a part of a generation that heavily relies on social media daily, I am aware of the risks of sharing personal information. Depending on account privacy settings, uploads can be vulnerable to all sorts of feedback and unapproved use. I have heard the phrase “Any exposure is good exposure.”  

 As an artist I want people to see my work for what it is, not for how they may happen to see me in the background. Dressing modestly to make my work seem more professional is my personal experience of the male gaze. Existing within a patriarchy were showing skin, ‘limits your success.’ The male gaze promotes self-censorship and a need for additional safety precautions.  

This research has shown a small collection of examples of inequal standards and sexualisation of women. The male gaze is prominent in art throughout history and continues to reflect current lived experiences. To stand out is to ‘hide and cover up.’  

Reference list 

Brooklyn Museum (2002). Brooklyn Museum: The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago. [online] www.brooklynmuseum.org. Available at: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/dinner_party/. 

Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. (2024). patriarchy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. [online] Available at: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/patriarchy#:~:text=%2F%CB%88pe%C9%AAtri%C9%91%CB%90rki%2F. [Accessed 16 May 2024]. 

Tate (2019). ‘Pauline Bunny’, Sarah Lucas, 1997 | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lucas-pauline-bunny-t07437. 

Tate (2021). ‘Banana Woman’, Margaret Harrison, 1971 | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/harrison-banana-woman-t12828. 

The Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.). Senga Nengudi. R.S.V.P. I. 1977/2003 | MoMA. [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/151035. 

Walsh, D.A. (n.d.). The Male Gaze | Defining Laura Mulvey’s Theory of Visual Pleasure. [online] Perlego Knowledge Base. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/knowledge/study-guides/what-is-laura-mulveys-male-gaze-theory [Accessed 16 May 2024]. 

www.dictionary.com. (n.d.). Definition of TERF | Dictionary.com. [online] Available at: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/terf.