Why the Feminist Movement is Important to Contemporary Art

Art is built on diversity and acceptance. It has gone through years of socioeconomic change and has a fascinating history. One of the biggest factors that accounts for why art is valued as highly as it is now is due to the feminist movement. The feminist movement came about in the 1960s and was established to promote change in cultural attitudes and gender stereotypes in the art world.

The "We Can Do It!" war-propaganda poster from 1943 was re-appropriated as a symbol of the feminist movement in the 1980s.

The basis of the feminist movement in contemporary art was essentially to overthrow a male dominated art history and allow more diversity especially, in the sense of all genders. Feminist art was successful in creating more freedom and opportunities for female artists, which didn’t necessarily already exist.

Feminist art has the power to connect females worldwide.

Prior to feminism, female artists were concealed from the public eye. Talented work was going to waste as women were denied access to galleries and exhibitions, simply due to their gender. However, the all-powerful gender didn’t allow this to deter them from expressing their creativity. They made the most of alternative markets which weren’t commonly used by men such as, performance and video. Showcasing their work also allowed female artists to expand traditional definitions of art such as fine art and introduce more artistic perspectives.

Feminist art has the power to connect females worldwide. A diverse range of countries are expressed, simultaneously promoting females and different cultures in the art world as women continue to contest for equal rights and recognition within the art world.

Here at CISTA ARTS we sell work from a range of talented female artists. Visit our website https://www.cistaarts.com to view all the art work we have to offer!