Of course there is a long tradition of the female nude, but it’s one that is by and large repudiated by feminist painters and theorists; the reviled “male gaze”, all that. Why, then, do women artists so readily volunteer for this same gaze? Why, where men’s art typically says “look at this”, does women’s art now typically say “look at me”?
This article is a stunning example of the modern attitude towards nudity. a response to Germaine Greer’s recent article on women’s art and to the Moran prize winner this article is naive and clearly written by someone woefully ignorant of art and art history. Contrasting feminism and mills and boon the writer equates nudity with sex and considers all nudity created by women to be narcissistic and sexual, especially if it has the artist in it.
my response, how about writing a cohesive article about a subject you understand and have researched? perhaps take the time to go to a gallery, see nude art, talk to the artists. go to a library and look at some images from art history, nudes by men and women, male nudes, female nudes, and self portraits. don’t jump on a band wagon half cocked because you see a buzz area. for recent news go and look at Nancy “beth” reid’s self portrait, look at moran winner Fiona Lowry’s with What I Assume You Shall Assume, (to pick two recent newsworthy pieces) really really look at them, don’t avert your eyes- look into theirs and try to see everything they wanted to say. then come back and tell me it’s all sexual.
