SGW Feminist Art Exhibit (Male Edition)

Art is a very broad term. Cooking is an art. Architecture is an art. Painting and drawing are arts. Even dog show styling is considered to be an art. When thinking about the genders that occupy these positions, my feminist mindset almost always pictures females in these occupations; however, art has been a male-dominated field for years. While there is a larger population of females in the art field today, most opportunities always lean towards their male counterparts. On top of that, female artists earn far less than male artists. Additionally, art created by men is valued higher than art created by women. The truth is that women have never been treated equally in the art world and there is still a severe gender pay gap within this field. This feeling of anger regarding the gender disparities that are present in the art world do not only live amongst women, male artists all around the world are using art as an outlet to protest the patriarchy. Sassy Girl Weekly’s second art exhibit will focus on male artists using art to highlight the sexism that is present in the creative community and it will identify the male artists who are changing the art world for the better. 

Charlie White: Charlie is the mastermind behind the video, “OMG BFF LOL (mall)” which highlights the different perspectives from teen girls on adolescence and consumerism. He considers the portrayal of female bodies throughout his work and he emphasizes hyper sexist language in his art to force women out of a male-dominated society. 

Rhys Ernst: Ernst is an artist and filmmaker who has premiered at several film festivals as well as been nominated for numerous awards including an Emmy. The image above, from a film called “Dear Lou Sullivan” is about a trans man and AIDS activist largely responsible for establishing the distinction between gender identity and sexual orientation. Through this film, Lou explores the bodily intersection of transmasculine gay and HIV+ identity while Ernst highlights the importance of trans-visibility. 

Jase Michael: Jase, as part of the Sola Rio Galley in Piermont NY, uses photoshop, photography, and painting to depict diversity, equality, sex-positivity, and empowerment to both the feminist movements as well as the LGBTQ+ movements. In a series of paintings, photographs, and digitally created artwork, Jase highlights the feminine aspects of the artistic culture. 

Peter Hassmann: Hassmann wanted to challenge the public to engage with a real woman instead of the photoshopped and unnatural women you see on a screen. Hassmann photographed this woman in crotchless trousers and centered her exposed genitalia at eye level of the photo. This image features both exposed genitalia as well as a machine gun in an effort to illustrate how female power is often associated with female nudity “Action Pants: Genitalia Panic” (1969). 

It is very evident that female artists get the short end of the stick, or shall I say, the short end of the paintbrush. While there is a lot more to be done to combat sexism in the art world, these male artists are taking it upon themselves to change this environment for the greater good. Thank you for visiting SGW’s Second Art Exhibit. This exhibit is constantly being added to, so SGW hopes you return!