Picture © Lovisa Ranta
FEMALE ONLY?
Text by Hannah Grange-Sales
Now we’ve been lovingly welcomed into the arms of a new year we are obligated to do as we have done in all the Januaries we have known throughout our lofetimes, that is to reflect on the last twelve months of our lives whether we want to or would rather do literally anything else in the whole wide world than relive the trail of destruction we left in our wake as we enter 2016 (I know it wasn’t just me!) Every year, without fail, there is a rollercoaster pattern of ups and downs, speaking on both an individual level and society as a whole. The feminist agenda brought some great things to the equality table in 2015 prompting integral discussions around physical ideals, employment and pay equality, domestic violence, consent and rape culture, reproductive rights, parental rights and education to name but a very small few. Global campaigns were created to let everyone know that feminism
is very much here and it has no plans of going away. From #freethenipple to #everydaysexism to #thisgirlcan to #askhermore the message was spread far and wide and did some really great things. As we enter 2016, however, we’re seeing some movements away from what we can consider gender equality and more towards gender exclusivity. The art world plays a huge part in social movements and gender equality is no exception and, although exhibitions featuring female-only artists are nothing new, the idea of allowing a female-only audience, such as Pussy Riot’s planned ‘women-only museum’, is perhaps a concept for concern.
It would be unfair to dismiss such ideas as women-only art shows as wrong and, what some have labelled, “feminazi”. Potentially dealing with female-centric issues, such as those mentioned
earlier, both the artists and the audience can feel vulnerable when confronting, and being confronted, with these matters. It is, of course, never to say that men can be blamed for every obstacle women face in the modern age, however, when dealing with sensitive matters such as sexuality and physical ideals under the male gaze there can be call for this type of safe space in order for women to share this experience with those who can relate the most, in this instance someone of the same gender, in their own time and in their own way.
Although there can be ideas of this ‘safe-space’, bundling female artists together on the basis of their commonly shared XX chromosomes seems almost insulting. It’s as if they cannot go beyond the bounds of being a female artist; an artist who is nothing but female. Is it important that we view artwork in light on the