Murky Territory: Women Artists & Quotas
Art News Blog and Coxoft Art News have weighed in on Jerry Saltz’s artilce in New York Art, Where Are All The Women?. ARTnews has also dealt with the question in the past, particularly in their Feb 2007 issue.
Being not merely a female artist but an Asian one, the issue of quotas and discrimination was one I had to resolve for myself soon after I decided (realized?) that I needed to pursue the creation of art as a lifetime and professional venture. After much thought, I decided that I would never participate in a show or belong to a gallery which has a quota or is otherwise available only to artists who are not white males. This decision was not based on a naive thought that discrimination doesn’t exist or on a desire for rebellion.
Although discrimination is a very real problem, I don’t believe that quotas or self-inflicted segregation are means by which the problem can be resolved. Quotas and galleries mandated to show works by minority groups may create space for “the rest of us”, but they do not address the real issue. And, honestly, the thought that my work is being shown for any reason other than its own merits makes me a little nauseous. Naturally, I don’t want to have a smaller (or no) chance to get into a gallery because I’m an Asian woman.. but I also don’t want to have been granted a show even partially because I’m an Asian woman. I want my work to be strong enough to stand on its own. The issue of discrimination needs to be uprooted, not pruned.
Tags: art, opinion, slippery slopes, women's issues
Hi, Julianna
Good for you.
I don’t actually know of any quotas in the UK, but there are a huge number of charities promoting the arts of ethnic minorites, prisoners, disabled people and the mentally disturbed. In fact one probably stands the least chance of gaining an exhibition if one is white, male, fit, mentally sound and non-criminal! Genuine art shines through this mass of social engineering projects. Look at Banksy. No charity ever sponsered him as far as I know.
There is at least one art form that seem to be the sole province of women: body painting.
The blog is much better. I can read it now without hitting the A+ buttin.