A significant portion of the
reading this week focused on “Feminist Actionism” as coined by Valie
EXPORT. It was discussed how,
throughout history, women have been suppressed by men in every industry,
including art. “The history of
woman is the history of man, for man has determined the image of woman for men
and women” (EXPORT in Video Art by Michael Rush, 94). EXPORT is just one of many examples of women artists who
have gone to the extreme in order to get the world to notice her. She was driven by the need to interrupt
this male dominated society and prove that her worth as an artist was equal to,
if not greater, than that of any male artist. However, instead of condemning society for putting women
under the rug for so long, should we be thanking it? Without that male social suppression, I’d be willing to bet
that a majority of these phenomenal women artists would not have felt the need
to express themselves so strongly, and thus would have never had a reason to
create art in the first place! Some
of the greatest ideas, inventions, and endeavors have been undertaken to
challenge a social norm. With
nothing to challenge, their work would have no purpose for existing.
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