Art and Feminism – A talk by Colin Pink on the 4th November

Colin Pink is a writer, poet, philosopher and art historian specialising in the relationship between the history of art and the history of ideas. He is a coach and consultant on life and career choices for artistic people.

Colin gave an interesting, if controversial,  lecture on “Art and Feminism”. He talked about and showed slides of the work of women artists, mainly American, during the 50’s and 60’s who were trying to compete with men in art. There is a quote about Lee Krasner’s art of which it was said, “it’s so good  that you wouldn’t have thought it was done by a woman.”

Barbara Kruger

Women were excluded from institutional structures and not only excluded from art, but also medicine and law.

During this time many women artists used their bodies in their art to shock the world into taking notice of it and Colin showed slides of some of these works which were indeed quite shocking.

The next generation of women avoided direct use of their bodies in their art and in the 1970’s many women were inspired by Germaine Greer and others.

Judy Chicago – Dinner Party

In the 80’s women artists turned away from using their bodies in art but in the 90’s and 2000 there was a return to their bodies.

Women still feel that in art they continue to be undervalued.

There were 65 members in the Hall with 25 watching on Zoom, and seven visitors to the lecture.

Kathy Goodfellow