Like most of my work, the painting itself is posted in several sites on the web. It always garners a lot of attention and even has it's own "fans". BUT it was passed over. And, just like every time a painting I'm proud of is passed over, I was insulted. It's fresh, it's strong, it was made using my own techniques, it's not a derivative....so what's the problem? Is it because it's too fresh, too strong, not a copy of someone else's ideas and techniques? Makes no sense. BUT NOW I'm so friggin' glad it was passed over I could pee myself.
Can you say: "well now, THAT was a short sighted mistake....wasn't it"?
I wasn't going to post a single word about this deal till things were firmed up but I just found an article by the Wall Street Journal that touches on a subject that has effected my life, my work, my ability to reach the level of success I'm working for and my ability to find proper support for my goals: sexism in the art world - I.E. - work by women being perceived as being less than valuable as work done by men.
Sexism seems like a concept that we, as a big, grown up culture, should have grown out of already but we haven't. And honestly, I've known it - I've tried to ignore it but it's always there. In fact, until last spring, I really didn't advertise my face, my age or my sex bc I knew, without question, that the reality of me effected people's interest in my work. As long as viewers didn't/don't know my particulars they have/had a tendency to look at my paintings and assume I'm: under 30, a young man, and a shade of brown - all factors that sometimes appear to make my work more desirable. It's the same work just done by ME and not some 20 year old, non Caucasian, ingenue. But somehow when my fat, old, white lady face is associated with the work it's suddenly determined to be lesser than.
Having to combat sexism is an age old problem for women and it's sooooo tired. I am exhausted from watching men with 1/2 the vision, 1/2 the drive, and 1/2 the talent flourish while I still have to work ten times as hard for less than 1/2 the pay. Can someone explain to me why having been born with a vagina effects my value as an artist and a person? I very sincerely do not understand how or why. We have been gaining ground, and it's significantly better than it was when I was growing up in the 70s but really..... that bizarre attitude that we should somehow be happy with the whatever level of recognition (or disregard) might be tossed our way is STILL discrimination. As a country we at least pretend to have zero tolerance for racism but sexism is still somehow okay. In all honesty, dude, that's really f#@ked up.
Article on sexism in the artworld from the Wall Street Journal 04/18/13 (...no, not April 1813):
After a record Morisot sale in London, art collectors are scrambling to identify undervalued female artists; the $1 million club
Excerpt from article:
"A woman's signature in the bottom corner of a painting has long spelled a bargain—men in the same artistic school or period can fetch more than 10 times the price of a woman's best sale. While an age-old debate rages over whether talent, sexism or lack of promotion has held many women out of the art world's boys club, everyone agrees that prices for female artists have always lagged behind those of their male counterparts"
Read the full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324030704578424673474011066.html
 Yayoi Kusama who painted along side Warhol. |
And like Kusama, my work is hanging with Warhol in NY.
How does that qualify either of us to be more or less talented?
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