Download Gender and Art: A Focus on Sarah Lucas

Gender and Art:
A Focus on Sarah Lucas
By Violetta Liszka
University of Brighton 2016
An undergraduate dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
of unit AG376 (HCS5: Dissertation) of BA (Hons) Photography
Word Count: 9986
Gender and Art
Abstract
Gender roles in society are such that the male gender is considered a dominant aspect
while the female gender is viewed from a suppressive position. Such gender roles in
society have extended to their representations in art over the years, but since the rise
of the feminist movement, perceptions regarding gender representation of women have
been improving. Progress has been achieved with regards to the representation of
femininity in art, where there is a shift from objectification to an almost equal
representation to the masculine ideology. Works by artist such as Sarah Lucas depict a
confrontational attitude where there is an intent to blur the traditional binarism of
gender representation. Lucas uses art to depict the fissures between the male and
female art representation as a way of aligning herself to the feminist ideals. Regardless
of the progress made by artists such as Lucas, art is still created in a patriarchal
system and primarily depicts aspects of male dominance.
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Table of Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 5
Background of the Study................................................................................................. 5
Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................................... 6
Structure ......................................................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 8
The Representation of Gender in Art .............................................................................. 8
Feminist Art and Its Intention ........................................................................................ 10
Representations of Gender In Art ................................................................................. 11
Summary....................................................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................. 17
Gender and Art by Sarah Lucas ................................................................................... 17
Self-portraits by Sarah Lucas (1990-1998) ................................................................... 20
Other Works by Sarah Lucas ........................................................................................ 33
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 39
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 41
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List of Illustrations
Figure 1 - Sarah Lucas Eating a Banana 1990 ............................................................. 21
Figure 2 - Sarah Lucas Self-portrait with Fried Eggs, 1996 .......................................... 24
Figure 3 - Sarah Lucas Self Portrait with Mug of Tea, 1993 ......................................... 24
Figure 4 - Judy Chicago Dinner Party 1974-79............................................................. 26
Figure 5 - Sarah Lucas Self-Portrait with Skull, 1997 ................................................... 27
Figure 6 - Georgia O’Keeffe Cow’s Skull With Calico Roses, 1931 .............................. 28
Figure 7 - Sarah Lucas Left: Human Toilet, 1997, Right: Is Suicide Genetic? 1996..... 31
Figure 8 - Sarah Lucas The Toilet Revisited, 1998....................................................... 33
Figure 9 - Sarah Lucas Priere De Toucher, 2000 ......................................................... 34
Figure 10 - Sarah Lucas The Chicken Knickers, 2000 ................................................. 36
Figure 11 - Sarah Lucas The Geezer, 2002 ................................................................. 37
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CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The definition of gender goes beyond the biological identification of male or
female and transcends into an individual’s inner identity. Gender is a factor that defines
the sense of self. Even when gender may explain the sense of self or the individual’s
identity, gender roles may sometimes be reflective of the connotations held by society,
rather than the individual’s commutation. For those going against defined gender roles,
they may be seeking to elevate the position of a particular gender in society while
risking a reprimand from society. Art is one of the platforms that artists use to either
enhance gender roles as defined by society or call for changes in the perceptions
regarding particular genders (Kotthoff, 2006). Considering that society elevates the
position of men above that of women, much of the discussion centers on the definition
and placement of gender role of women in society. Feminists and other movements in
the 21st century are opposed to the subjugation position of women and also their
sexual objectification that reduces them into eroticized objects. Artists with similar
ideals as the feminist movement resist the societal definition of the position and role of
women through their artwork that serves as the street where they can voice their
protests. Even though most females seek to elevate the position of women in society,
others stick to the societal stereotypes and advance or affirm their various positions
through their actions or inconsistent choices.
One of the visible figures in modern art is Sarah Lucas, who is a member of the
Young British Artists. As a key figure who emerged in the 1990s, Lucas has focused on
sculptures that are provocative and subvert, as well as challenged the attitudes
directed towards sexuality, gender, and the body. Lucas’ use of familiar and abject
materials to bring about provocative body forms about historical and contemporary
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connotations directed towards the body. Artistic works by Lucas are less flattering in
the representation of women and are suspended between representative and authentic
(Bradley, 2007). The fact that Lucas fails to comment on whether she is opposing the
objectification of women or promoting is as an aesthetic raises the question whether
her works are aligned to the femininity movement or are the promotion of gender
stereotypes. Even as such questions linger, Lucas’ artworks bring about the issues of
sexuality, class, national identity, and gender stereotypes. The paper that follows
analyzes several of her works since 1990 in trying to deconstruct her intent with
regards to gender (Buikema, 2007).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this dissertation is to establish a missing link between the British
feminist artists from 1960s and 1970s and the contemporary artists namely Sarah
Lucas. This dissertation demonstrates the impact of feminist artist on the modern art. It
additionally describes the way in which various elements such as artistic vocabulary
and concepts typically allied with the feminist art from the previous generation of
female artists have been either intentionally or unintentionally integrated in the manner
the Sarah Lucas approached her work.
Structure
The next chapter presents a comprehensive review of the literature that deals
with the notoriously challenging question: what is feminist art? It draws the attention of
the readers towards the issues that were confronted by the feminist artist in their era,
predominantly in United States and Great Britain. Without trying to include the entire
overview of the history, this section of the dissertation will shed light on the feminist art
movement along with its role as the social change art and its inquiry of the construction
of gender in art. It additionally explores the probable responses of the exclusions of the
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female artists from the tenet art. This chapter delves into how the women were
portrayed in art and how the feminist artist made efforts to offset the representation and
idealism of the female body and more specifically the patriarchal narrative of culture
and art. In the same section, the researcher illustrated various approaches of the
female artists towards materialistic and conceptual terminologies. The role played by
the psychoanalysis in the generation of the feminist art was also discussed in the same
section of the dissertation. The third chapter of the dissertation contextualizes the work
of Sarah Locus within the phenomenon of the YBAs. It illustrates the self-portraits of
Sarah Lucas from 1990 to 1998. It additionally sheds light on other works of Sarah
Locus. The last section of the study will summarize the findings of the study.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
The following segments in this chapter will try to make clear why women have not
been integrated within the canon of art, how the illustration of art replicated their
patriarchal society, what it intends to discuss “female experience” in connection to the
generation of craftsmanship, what a particular “women’s activist” workmanship practice
may imply, lastly, how female artists attempted to go around the issue of the
specification of the female body.
The Representation of Gender in Art
One of the most vibrant sectors of art has been feminist art that started out as a
platform to challenge the social and political subjugation of women in society. Feminist
art was not the beginning of the representation of gender roles or gender stereotypes
on art. In ancient Greece and Egypt while men were depicted as strong, energetic, and
athletic, females were depicted as demure (Norton, 2009). As such, the social
subjugation of women has been prevalent for centuries, and the issue is still relevant
even in modern times. Historically, the depiction of men in artwork refers to their
leadership roles and as an embodiment of strength and valor. In contrast, women in
the artwork are passive and eroticized, and only significant for the viewer’s pleasure.
Some artworks have depicted women as social caretakers, but the dominant depiction
revolves around women as objectified sexualized subjects.
Feminist Art began in Britain in the 1960s following a combination of political
activism and the critique of the historical philosophy associated with art. Social unrest
and political upheaval characterized the era of 1960s, with an emphasis on social
equality, civil rights, and peace activism (Pollock, 1996). Much of the activities taking
place in this period were questioning the social and political structures that the previous
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generation had lived. The art world was no different as various artists in this timeline
were examining the stylistic approaches and conceptual framework used by artists in
the previous generation (Kappel, 2007).
The questioning of the artistic ideals led to dissatisfaction in the art world, where
the only escape was the definition and creation of new artistic roles and activities. In
contrast to previous structures where art was traditionally exhibited on gallery spaces,
new developments such as conceptualism and post-minimalism came about (Kappel,
2007). Art in this period embraced the political and popular culture and was conceptual.
Women had a larger role in this artistic period, and the period is seen as the beginning
of postmodernism that constitutes the questioning of art forms, languages, contents,
style, and intention of the artist (Collings, 1999).
Women and the feminist movement had a large part to play in the post-modern
expansion, and the radical reorientation in this period saw women artists coming
together to repudiate established notions regarding femininity. Kappel (2007) notes
that, similar to the general women’s movements around the world, the art scene was
dominated by white women, even though women of had substantial influence since the
beginning. Women artists started advocating their inclusion in galleries and exhibitions,
but their efforts were based on a larger call for social, political, and economic inclusion.
One of the radical and most active women’s group in this period was the Women’s
Liberation Movement that was advocating for an end to the artistic marginalization of
women as the first step towards embracing inclusive equality for women (Kappel,
2007). In March 1971, the group held its first exhibition in London at the Woodstock
Gallery, and prompted further emancipation of women worldwide (Norton, 2009).
The most important issue raised by the women artists was grounded on the fact
that women had no recognition in the art history and very few women were provided
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with the opportunity to represent their work in art galleries and museums. Successful
women artists of the previous centuries had been excluded from the canons of art
history even though they had impressive reputation. Artemisia Gentileschi an Italian
artist is one such woman who had been successful as an artist in the 17th century, but
her contribution to the art world was forgotten until the 21stCentury (Norton, 2009). In
ensuring that women made significant progress in the art discourse and other areas,
feminist artists focused on women as their subject matter. Feminist art movements
introduced gender issues and the scheme of a fluid subject within the art community as
a protest against the existing natural construction of gender and gender roles. The
fluidity with regards to gender conceptualization arose with Judith Butler, who contends
to the notion that the individual is never exclusively ‘male’ or ‘female,’ but is dependent
on certain flux (Butler, 1999). According to the feminists and gender equality activists,
gender is a socially constructed perspective rather than a natural construct (Beauvoir,
1988). Feminist artists also questioned the label of ‘genius’ extended to male artists
and brought about a concept of pluralist variety (Pollock, 1993).
Feminist Art and Its Intention
Sarah Lucas work can be placed in the context of feminist arts, seeing that it
sheds light on gender aspects directed towards women and men, and most importantly
the objectification of women. As previously mentioned, women advocating for artistic
representation in galleries were not only focused on the artistic equality, but also
demanded for the larger context of social and political inclusions (Parker & Pollock,
2013). Guerrilla Girls, a group of feminist artists from New York created in the 1980s,
highlighted the extent of sexism in the art world (Daugherty, 2013). One of the common
phrases associated with this group and that will be analyzed in this paper is, Do
women have to be naked to get into Met Museum? The question that was posed on
billboards highlighted his sexualization of women, by noting that 85 percent of the nude
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artist works are female. The group was advocating for larger inclusions in the art
galleries and museums, but most importantly, for a change in the views and positions
of women in society (Harrison, 1977).
The exclusion of women artist from artwork and even art history was because
women were challenging the existing art constructs and percepts. In the 19th century,
the depiction of women in art was still reeking of their subjugation and position as the
second-class citizen. As more women joined the artistic movement, images of women
and girls were being subverted from their traditional precepts, and this was riling the art
world. Art from women artists was only regarded as to the limits of their gender, and it
became a common understanding that women in art lacked energy, power, and the
inspiration necessary to achieve the highest levels of exemplary artistry. In the
viewpoint of critics of women art, the lack was attributed to their gender as ‘feminine’
(Devereux, 2003). While the role of males and their values were considered abstract,
female values were passive, emotional, and often associated with their feminine traits.
Representations of Gender In Art
Art like language is a symbolic medium used to represent the social, political, and
economic aspects of the society at a given time. The early 1970s witnessed the
political explosion known as the Women’s Liberation Movement. For the feminist
artists, art as a symbolic medium was being used to promote dominant male ideals and
the proliferation of society as patriarchal. The representation of men as superior to
women and as strong and energetic pillars of society played a role in emphasizing the
social constructs of male as the dominant gender. Women as the subjugated members
of society were seen as passive objects duly available for the satisfaction of male
desires (Devereux, 2003). Such representations were what prompted groups such as
the ‘Guerrilla Girls’ to rise and oppose societal stereotyping of women that were being
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depicted in art works during the period. It was common to have women painted or
depicted in art as objects of sexual satisfaction (Livingstone, 2000). Women were
mainly nude or in precarious positions that promoted their positions as inferior to that of
men.
Each representation of a particular gender in art was a legitimization of the
dominant ideology regarding that particular culture. Gouma (1999) notes that
representation of gender in art is a confirmation of the cultural ideology that is dominant
at the time and is usually politically motivated. Changing the thinking is dependent on a
re-representation of that particular gender which will bring about new cultural
definitions of female or male identity. In understanding the position of women versus
men, a psychoanalysis tool was developed by Sigmund Freud, where it came up as a
challenge
to
existing
paradigms
regarding
the
male
and
female
gender.
Psychoanalysis offered an approach to understanding sexuality and its representation,
but it received an objection from part of the feminist artists.
Even with the emerging opposition, according to Laura Mulvey, psychoanalysis
helped explore gender and sexuality, as well as their representations in cultural
contexts. Mulvey in her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975) argued
that in the world governed by sexual balance, the role of initiating things typically fell to
the male protagonist where as the female actors acquired a passive position. While
man controlled the look, women signified the figure or the image to be looked. It was
contended by Mulvey that despite the fact that form and figure of female was portrayed
for the pleasure of male protagonist as well as the male viewers in the cinema, the
female form was also threatening for the reason that it invoked the unconscious
anxieties of man concerning castration and sexual differences (Hill, 1998). Other
theories developed to understand the position and representation of women especially
in popular culture are the Freudian and Lacanian theories.
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The Freudian theory focused on how the unconscious aspects led to the
representation of gender in art through the application of aspects such voyeurism,
fetishism, and narcissism (Kappel, 2007). Juliet Mitchell, a feminist and supporter of
psychoanalysis, notes that psychoanalysis should be seen as an analysis of patriarchy
rather than a recommendation of patriarchy. Women artists had to focus on how
unconscious attributes lead to their sexual and gender identities that in turn leads to
the determination of their positions and oppression in society. In order to change the
dominant ideology where women were subordinate to men, feminist and women artists
had to understand the construction of these ideologies so as to deconstruct them.
Psychoanalysis helps identify the development of repressive ideologies while at the
same time enabling the understanding of strategies to counter the oppressive status of
women (Cork, 2003).
For those willing to change the subordinate ideologies regarding women, the
challenge has been finding ways of counteracting the existing patriarchal narrative, and
changing it to reflect the needs and desires of women. The challenge has been
insurmountable to some extent, as contemporary work from artists such as Sarah
Lucas and Tracy Emin reveal. Though their efforts aimed to deconstruct the
sexualization of women in art, their works can be viewed as being a bridge between
deconstruction of these ideals and the proliferation of the sexual objectification of
women (Harris, 2001). Changing the position of the female gender in art is not possible
through changing the images only, but it requires changing the narratives that have
been embedded in the patriarchal system. Different visual forms created to challenge
the patriarchal narrative have to engage the viewer differently, but the male gaze has
been obsessed with pleasure, privilege, and satisfaction. In changing the percepts of
the male gaze and its search for pleasure, privilege, and satisfaction, female artists
have responded by reclaiming their bodies and sexual feelings and transposing them
through art (Hammond, 1979). As such, female artists concerned with de-sexualization
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and de-objectification of the female body seem to transgress the traditional boundaries
regarding the human body. Representation of the female gender in its rightful place
depends on taking the viewer beyond traditional meanings and thus, distorts any
aspects of satisfaction, privilege, or pleasure. The symbolic aspects that result from the
new view of the body seeks to dispel and suppress abjection to a point where there is a
distinct boundary between object and subject. The word abjection factually implies “the
state of being cast off.” At the same time when used commonly, the term has
connotations of meanness of spirit, baseness, and degradation; it has been explored in
the post-structuralism as that which habitually agitates the cultural concepts and
conventional identity. The famous composition of Julia Kristeva The Powers of Horror:
An essay on abjection (1982) eloquent the theory of abjection attained eminence within
both experimental as well as feminine art scenes. In order to briefly capsulate the
psychoanalytical perspective of Kristeva, the term abjection corresponds to the
linguistic and cultural processes of exclusions that function to marginalize and drive out
that which cannot be represented within a paternalistic financial system of implication.
More so, the symbolic aspects are intended to differentiate the exterior
visualization of women from the ideals they hold, or the role they play in society. An
assumption that prevails in the art world is that art is usually a reflection of personal
experiences. Such an assumption is aligned with a historical perspective of art and is a
social construction that holds no truth or is dependent on different variables. Works of
art by women do not essentially have to show a shared essence of being female, while
works of art by men do not depict a shared essence of being male. The ideas that
artists use to create art are gained from society, and thus, women artist can still
propagate the notion of male superiority in their art works (Kristeva, 1982). On the
other hand, male artists can be significant contributors to the discourse opposed to the
objectification of women in art and society in general. The implication is that women
artists do not necessarily reflect feminist art and male artists are not inevitably opposed
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to feminist art. Some feminist artists are accused of proliferating the notion of the
superseding male ideology, where the male is regarded at a superior position than the
female. As such, this stipulation has led to the view that some early feminist art was
essentialist (Kappel, 2007). The discussion on the work of Sarah Lucas in the sections
to follow will involve a consideration of whether the artist is an essentialist or is aligned
to the feminist artists’ discourse.
Historically, feminist artists started out their positive representation of the female
gender via a call for solidarity against established notions around women. The call for
solidarity may be perceived as an approach towards devaluing the patriarchal system
and representation of the male gender in art, but it is a response to social discourses
that downgrade women. The historical portrayal of gender in art has not changed even
with the long period of advocating from feminist artists though significant changes with
regards to the female representation in art visible. As the historical analysis of the work
of art by women and the progress made with regards to feminist art, the conclusion is
that women’s art is labeled as the ‘other.’ Other considerations emerging are that
patriarchal institutions deem the female work as being limited to the ‘domestic’ essence
or the distinctively female aspects. Failure by women artists to restrict themselves to
such conventions led to their labeling as masculine, deviant, or abnormal. There may
be substantial progress in work of art by women or work of art regarding women, but
still, the artwork is still viewed from a voyeuristic perspective especially by the male
gaze. Works by artists such as Sarah Lucas and Tracy Emin can be viewed as
challenge to the dominant ideology with regards to gender percepts in society and art.
Summary
Feminist art can be comprehended as a significant piece of the twentieth century.
Its dawn ought to be seen as remaining in direct relationship with the general
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progressive up rise, amid the 1960s of last century. Females were battling for
equivalent rights in all zones of their presence. There was a need to renegotiate the
role of women as artists in the art world as well as their representations within the art
works as objectified muses. The entire thought of style, the myth of artistic imagination
and the ordinance of art, all largely grounded on values and dialect, must be reassessed and new ways and frames should be explored that permitted females to raise
a more noteworthy voice within and beyond the art world. Gender presumptions and
the way in which women were connected with specific commitments frequently taking
into account physiological instead of mental contrasts between men and women must
be ousted and cognizance raising was one of the fundamental motivation of feminist
artists of that time in the public eye in general, as well as particularly between women
themselves. Craft must be raised to the status of art and the order of various types of
art making must be subverted. Questions encompassing the female body and female
experience turned into the fundamental zones of artistic examinations. Elective art
procedures were proposed and women quite often utilizing their own particular body in
different explicit forms investigated feminist issues and gradually penetrated the
customary art framework. Existent conventional limits were frequently transgressed
and the different gatherings of people needed to adjust to new and quickly changing
structures of representation. Basic reactions of art, for occasion, essentialism,
narcissism, and elitism must be vanquished by augmenting, changing the range of
connected art rehearses, and by broadening the socio-geographic setting within which
this art was produced.
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CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS
Gender and Art by Sarah Lucas
This chapter of the dissertation will present and analyze the outcomes of case
study. It will demonstrate the self-portraits constructed by Sarah Locus during 19901998. The portraits developed by Locus portrayed her in different confrontational
situations and poses and each addressing the modern concepts of artist-hood,
sexuality, and gender. Sarah Lucas is one of the contemporary art figures and feminine
artist from the Young British Artists (YBA). Lucas rose as one of the most prominent
artists of 1990s where art was characterized by tabloid culture, use of diverse
materials, irony, and exploration of contemporary aspects. Artists under the YBA were
adopting aspects of minimalism, conceptualism, and pop art as a way of being more
youthful in their art, as well as making their artistic content more accessible. Sarah
Lucas is among the women artists who are associated with an aesthetic from the
radical working class that produces art in the form of sculptures from ready-mades by
Marcel Duchamp. It is important to mention at this point that Sensation was an
exhibition of the gathering of contemporary art and it included majority of the works of
the YBAs. Considering that Sarah Lucas and most artists from the YBA grew up in the
1980s, they experienced a growth in contemporary art practices revolving around
feminist arts. Artists that were inspirational at this time were such as Cindy Sherman
and Sherrie Levine. Works of art by Cindy Sherman seek to portray women beyond the
abject ideologies existent at the time. Sherman portrayed the ‘woman’ as being strong
and as an important member of society while still emphasizing their beauty. In the
1990s, inspiration on women art came from feminist philosopher Judith Butler and
other feminist thinkers who were inclined to the notion of gender fluidity and its
performativity (Butler, 2003; Williamson, 1986). As such, the works of art by Lucas
should be viewed from a feminist perspective, and most importantly, a contemporary
feminist’s perspective. For Lucas and other contemporary feminists, the real issue in
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art is subverting the existing feminine and male stereotypes, but she challenges these
stereotypes in a different approach from the precursors of feminist art.
As an individual who brought about a new sensibility in the art in the 1990s,
Lucas focused on cheaper approaches of making art and deriving imagery. The tabloid
press became Lucas’ source of imagery, and her works became referred to as tabloid
feminism. Artistic work by Lucas may borrow some aspects from artists such as Cindy
Sherman, but unlike Sherman, Lucas portrayed her work in less than flattering and
unconventional displays. The inspiration for Lucas’ works comes from books on
sexuality, and she has thus focused on dealing with male objectification, and how
sexual liberation by women can counter their objectification. Her works are therefore an
appropriation of gender constructions and masculine tropes that she seeks to
deconstruct. Casual misogyny characterizes Lucas’ works making her capable of
creating visual puns that counter established ideologies and feminine stereotypes (Muir
and Wallis, 2004).
With Lucas’ works focusing on femininity and the deconstruction of suppressive
ideals, she has often used her body as part of the art. In the Self-Portrait with Two
Fried Eggs (Fig.2), Lucas is seen seated on a chair with two eggs on both her breasts
while staring directly into the viewer. Other of her works include portrayal of the vagina
as densely packed meat or as a tipped over pail. Such anthropomorphism may be a
challenge for the societal characterization or stereotyping of the feminine sexuality,
while also being a reflection of the artist’s sexual experiences. The use of an artist’s
body in art has been prevalent in the art world, and it brings to the fore the discussions
around the mind-body dualism hedged in the traditional aspects. Artists and especially
women artists have for long considered their bodies as ideological issues and also as
important platforms to make and display their artwork (Kaplan, 2000). Cindy Sherman,
Hannah Wilke, Sally Potter, and Bobby Baker are some of the artists that have used
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their bodies as materials and sites for art display, and this had evoked debate with
regards to the usage of the artist’s body in the making of art.
The use of the artist’s body in artistic representation has divided feminist artists
into two groups. The first group of feminists is opposed to the use of the artist’s body
and more inclined to development and adoption of a conceptual strategy that regards
the female body as a subject rather than an object. The second group was where
Sarah Lucas fits in view her own bodies as a liberating tool that can be used to make
powerful statements about sexuality and the female gender (Kappel, 2007). Male
artists such as Dan Graham, Paul McCarthy, and John Latham have also used their
bodies as a canvas for their work, but the focus has been on the female body where
artists wanted to delineate from perceptions of self-exploitation.
For female artists using their bodies for artistic representations, they often have
to deal with accusations of sluttishness, narcissism, and notoriety (Schor, 1997). For
male artists, the use of their bodies has often been regarded as ‘high art,’ and is
aligned to the ideals of Marcel Duchamp. As evidently seen from the different percepts
extended to the male and female bodies, there exists disequilibrium where feminine
bodies are objectified while male bodies are seen as subjects. Feminine artists have a
challenge of using their bodies as part of artistic representations while avoiding being
reduced into just a body. Sarah Lucas’ use of the female body has been highly
provocative and explicit and is seen more as a challenge to existing notions regarding
gender in art rather than as a display of her sexual consciousness.
In trying to delineate from being perceived as their own bodies, women artists
use their bodies in different ways such as in performance art. By using the female body
as an art material in performance art, artists can influence the perception of their
bodies by engaging in a direct address to the audience. Judith Butler, who opines that
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performativity provides a model from which the fluidity of gender and identity can be
understood (Butler, 2003), bases performance art on the perceptions of performativity.
In performance, the female artist’s body is used as both a subject and an object, and
as such, artists are able to bring the perceptions of a ‘subject,’ where only the ‘object’
existed. Lucas’ use of her body in art has an aspect of countering the feminine
stereotypes while creating new views with regards to gender and sexuality. As such,
Lucas works exhibit a subverting of the traditional models of the images and roles of
the feminine gender.
Not all of Lucas’ works use the feminine body as an object and subject in
representation. Some of her works include the placing of monumental objects between
a penis and banana balanced on crushed cars. Lucas uses surrealism and material
sparseness as representations of the human body as a way of revealing the degrading
attitudes directed towards women, as well as the vulnerability that may be existing in
the male gender. Though her works serve as a mirror for sexism, she notes that she
does not focus on solving the problem instead explored the moral dilemma in gender
and sexuality by incorporating it in her work (Sumpter, 1997). In understanding the
precepts and perspectives regarding gender in Sarah Lucas’ work, this section of the
study will focus on an analysis of some of her most influential pieces.
Self-portraits by Sarah Lucas (1990-1998)
Between 1990 and 1998, Sarah Lucas focused on developing self-portraits that
depict her in different situations and confrontational poses. Through the various poses
and situations, Lucas is able to confront and address certain notions regarding
sexuality, gender, and being an artist. In her Self-portrait eating a banana (Fig. 1),
Lucas is seen holding a banana to her mouth, while staring directly at the viewer’s
gaze (Butler, 2003). The artist is seen in short hair and a black leather jacket over a
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white t-shirt. The Self-portrait eating a banana is the first of Lucas’ self-portraits and is
in the form of a photographic portrait.
Figure 1 - Sarah Lucas Eating a Banana 1990
In the above portrait, Lucas’ plays on the popular sexual innuendo depicted by a
woman eating a banana, but use a masculine appearance and a confrontational gaze
to alter the subject and perception of her portrait. Most of Lucas’ works involve her clad
in leather jackets, ripped jeans, and t-shirt as she tries to create the masculine
appearance from her feminine frame. Through the gaze that the artist directs towards
the viewer, she confronts the male gaze while at the same time deflating any
insinuations of the image portraying a sexual act (Israel, 2015). Lucas once noted that
from the portrait, she could see her ‘masculine’ aspects, and she has focused on using
the appearance to her benefit in the art (Elizabeth, 2001). The ‘masculine’ look in a
feminine body is intended to bring about the image of a macho female who is tough
and abject, thus emphasizing her defiant femininity.
Andy Warhol’s short films depict the same attributes of defiance, and Lucas may
be drawing her inspiration from the defiance portrayed by Warhol. In one of his films,
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Warhol depicts Robert Indiana eating a mushroom for 45 minutes, where the viewer is
in a time freeze (Harron & Minahan, 1996). The film by Warhol allows the viewer to see
the heightened aspects rather than have to undergo the distractions of movements by
the film (Kinema, 2014). Warhol is trying to show that defiance is an important aspect
that can transform normal aspects into artistic depictions. Another film about Warhol’s
Factory showcases the daily events of a factory without anything interesting (Crimp,
2012). Warhol is trying to use boredom as part of art and to draw people to the most
important aspects of his works. Lucas uses defiance in her femininity to bring about
aspects of masculinity, and most importantly, a challenge to the dominant ideologies of
masculinity and femininity. While eating a banana by a female figure is often eroticized,
Lucas’ portrait is different as she subverts the eroticized image to depict an opposition
to particular ideologies.
Lucas’ defiance is also notable in her use of the leather jacket in most of her
portraits. Like the Self-Portrait Eating a Banana, the artist is seen dressed in a t-shirt
and leather jacket. The use of the leather jacket is an androgyny that is bringing out the
fluidity of male and female, by emphasizing the masculine aspects of the artist. The
leather jacket used by Lucas is not feminine, but is rather associated with masculinity
and ruggedness (Lucas et al., 2005). Lucas is seen as always in the question of
existing stereotypes and constructs of gender, and the use of the jacket is no different.
She exhibits defiance where she does not intend to conform to the notions of
femininity, and the requirement to dress in sexually appealing clothing. The t-shirt also
accentuates the defiance aspect, and is a way of the artist’s protest against societal
constructs.
The defiant femininity in Lucas work that she extends in other portraits such as
Self Portrait with Fried Eggs (Fig. 2) and Self Portrait with Mug of Tea (Fig. 3) indicate
an artist ardent on challenging the dominant sexualization of the female body (While,
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2003). The leather jacket and male pose that Lucas uses in her portraits are indicative
of an androgyny that is aligned to the fluidity of gender as proposed by Judith Butler
and what has been mentioned earlier in this paper. Through the portrayal of the fluidity
in gender, the artist is able to challenge the constructions of gender and the submissive
position given to women in society and art. Androgyny helps artists to prevail upon the
socially constructed signifiers of gender, as well as its assigned role.
The artist in Self Portrait with Fried Eggs (1996) is seen leaning back in a chair
with two fried eggs placed on her breasts. Lucas is in her usual ripped jeans and t-shirt,
but she is not wearing leather jacket. Her legs are wide apart, while her heavy footwear
is firmly planted on the ground. In the portrait, the artist stares directly at the viewer,
which can be seen as a way of challenging and confronting the viewer’s gaze
(Stallabrass, 1999). The confrontational stare is intended to shift the male gaze from
falling into the perceptions of sexuality, privilege, satisfaction with regards to the artist’s
feminine body. Again, androgyny is evident in this self-portrait from the dressing style
of the artists where she uses ripped jeans and a t-shirt, as well as heavy footwear that
are dissimilar from the sexualized feminine individual (Stallabrass, 1999). Modern
images of sexualized feminine individuals have the women clad in short dresses or
none at all, while the footwear is most likely high heels rather than the heavy footwear
in Lucas’ portrait.
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Gender and Art
Figure 2 - Sarah Lucas Self-portrait with Fried Eggs, 1996
Figure 3 - Sarah Lucas Self Portrait with Mug of Tea, 1993
For the artist, she uses androgyny in her portraits to make it more difficult for the
viewer to refer to the image in the established binarism where the male individual is the
privileged signifier, while the female individual is seen as its other. Like other feminist
artists using their bodies as materials in art, Lucas employs androgyny to blur the
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difference between masculinity and femininity. Such attributes in art result to a middle
ground with regards to perceptions of either gender and limits the viewer’s likelihood of
looking at the body as either subject or object (Meskimmon, 1996). The concept
blurring of the line between masculine and feminine by women artists through the use
of androgyny goes as far back as the 80s, where feminist artists were exploring new
ways of diverting the male gaze. Prior to the use of androgyny, the feminist artist would
only comment on the piece of art or use distinction to avoid objectification of the
feminine body. Artists such as Frida Kahlo used cross-dressing to show that the
definitions of gender were not stable, but rather open to revision. By the use of
androgyny in her art works, Lucas is exhibiting a protest to the common binaries
around gender identity and its role. Thus, she is seen as reflecting an opposition to the
sexualization and objectification of women (Carson, 2001).
The use of foods and explicit imagery in the art by Lucas is a transgression of the
traditional taboos with regards to the representation of the female sexuality, and also a
depiction of female fetishism. An example of criticism directed to artistic representation
such as the one used by Lucas was the 1979 Dinner Party by Judy Chicago (Fig. 4). In
her work, Chicago used vaginal imagery to represent 39 famous women from legend
and history (Kappel, 2007). Critics and observers of traditional taboos regarded her
work as essentialist and a reduction of women to their reproductive parts. Sarah Lucas
in the two of her pieces follows the same path that is reminiscent of transgressive
boldness. The boldness is essentially a call to view the gendered representations of
women away from their sexualized and objectified personas. The exploration of art
beyond traditional taboos by the artist reinforces the view that her art is confrontational
and directly challenges existing ideologies with regard to gender (Phelan et al., 2001).
The artist is not only protesting to the traditional representation of gender in society, but
she is also voicing her protests against regressive procedures that limit creativity and
the outward opposition to traditional ideals regarding gender.
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Gender and Art
Figure 4 - Judy Chicago Dinner Party 1974-79
The use of food as a material for art in her work confounds to the traditional
aesthetic concepts. Food in art challenges the notion that art has a lasting value, as the
food is in continual decaying in front of the viewer (Korsmeyer, 2004). Also, the use of
food is an opposition to conventional aspects of art where art is supposed to be
viewed. In this case, the artistic pieces play about with the senses of smell and taste in
addition to the visual aspects. The artist is using different approaches to perceptions of
art to propagate ideologies that run counter to the established ideologies of male
dominance. The confrontational approach to representing gender in Lucas’ art is not
limited to the artistic subject in the artworks, but also extends to the modes of
representing the abstract pieces.
Lorraine Gamman and Merja Makinen in their book on Female Fetishism (1999),
postulate that women have a fetish for food and other things. According to the authors,
food fetishism is highly inclined to sexual fetishism. Lucas has a high inclination to the
use of food to represent different aspects including the sexuality of male or female in
her portraits. Such an inclination points towards the theoretical argument of women
fetishizing food. The fetish towards foods and the use of everyday objects (including
food) by Lucas serves as a way of mirroring back the pervasive stereotypes about men
and women in society. Sigmund Freud in his work on fetishism observed that fetishism
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Gender and Art
was a condition prevalent among men, but women also exhibited fetishism in certain
areas. Freud argues that having a fetish takes the place of a penis (Freud, 1927). From
such an argument, women’s fetishism directed towards various objects or processes
acts as a replacement to the phallus that they lack. In essence, Sarah Lucas’ works are
aligned to this argument as her fetish for food is used as a protest against established
gender stereotypes, with emphasis on the dominance of the male in society. Observing
food and fetishism from a psychoanalytic point of view allows the viewer to construct a
certain view of the artist.
The artist also challenges the existing binarism in different ways apart from
androgyny. In her 1997 Self-Portrait with Skull (Fig. 5), Lucas sits on a floor with a skull
in between her wide apart legs. The skull is usually a common construct associated
with masculinity and the idea of a macho character. Sarah Lucas wants to tackle
gender and art from a rebel perspective where she is in opposition to the socially
constructed gender roles and stereotypes. In most of Lucas’ works, she inhabits
masculine clichés in an attempt to subvert and reframe them to reveal the existing
construction of gender (Malik, 2009).
Figure 5 - Sarah Lucas Self-Portrait with Skull, 1997
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Gender and Art
Skulls are used to depict the extremes of masculinity. In modern culture,
individuals associate the skull with danger or fear and the extremes of testosterone.
Gangs often have skulls tattooed on their bodies to signify their capabilities, which may
include the taking of human life. In this context, Lucas uses the skull as a sign of her
macho and links it to female sexuality. From another viewpoint, artists such as Georgia
O’Keeffe have directed their fetishness to skulls, where most of her paintings center
around animals’ skulls. Like Lucas, O’Keeffe was trying to show her opposition to
paternalism, and this directed her to an adoption of materials that were outside the
shared artistic experience. In a painting such as Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses, 1931,
(Fig. 6) O’Keeffe combines the masculinity and paternalistic aspects of the skull with
feminine elements such as an inclination to the beautiful roses. Such a style is similar
to Lucas where she combines masculine aspects with her feminine figure. The artists
are voicing their opposition against the societal creation of gender, and are trying to
evoke the fluidity of gender. In gender fluidity, gender is seen as a social construct, and
as such, it is an aspect that can be challenged (Butler, 2003).
Figure 6 - Georgia O’Keeffe Cow’s Skull With Calico Roses, 1931
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Gender and Art
The message that the artist is driving in her Self-portrait with Skull is that gender
is a social construct and should be viewed as a fluid aspect. Associating aspects of
masculinity with femininity is a way of challenging dominant ideologies and the
weakness associated with the female gender. Having a skull between her legs is also a
representation of the capabilities of the feminine gender and that the difference
between masculine and feminine is in the mind.
Similar representations of the feminine gender are seen in the Self-portrait of the
Human Toilet Revisited, 1998 (Fig. 7). The portrait features Lucas seated on a toilet
seat with only a t-shirt while holding a cigarette by her fingertips. Although the artist is
looking away and exposing her vulnerability, holding the cigarette is representative of a
rebel accessory. Some see the cigarette as a phallic stand-in, while others see it as a
means of independence (Elizabeth, 2001). Other works by the artists also use
cigarettes widely, and this may also fall within Freud’s argument of fetishism, where the
cigarette becomes the substitute for a phallus. Maria Walsh in her book on Art and
Psychoanalysis (2013) contends with Freud’s argument on fetishism. According to
Walsh, women are already aware of their inferiority once they see their father’s penis.
Once the girl sees her father’s penis, she becomes envious on the basis of frigidity,
denial, and the femininity proper. As such, women will be in search of the object that
denotes completeness, and Lucas finds her completeness in the cigarette. The
cigarette becomes a representation of the phallus and a symbol of masculinity.
Essentially, holding a cigarette in the portrait can be viewed as a challenge to the
existing position of the woman as the other, while the man is the dominant subject in
society. In bridging this gap in the gender construction, Lucas uses objects associated
with masculinity, and that are also phallic representations.
Lucas is using a cigarette in her portrait to demonstrate rebel to particular
stereotyping and shows some form of concordance with the strong individual.
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Gender and Art
Cigarettes are sometimes used to enhance the sexuality of a feminine individual by
displaying her as an ultra-female, but this particular portrait represents the opposite.
The portrait does not show any eroticized aspects and as such, the cigarette reflects
an acquired masculinity. The Self-Portrait with Fried Eggs also has a pack of cigarettes
and an ashtray on the artist’s right side. Still, the artists are stressing on the fluidity of
gender and abiding by the tenets of psychoanalysis that is a tool used to challenge the
paradigms of gender analysis. The use of cigarettes or cigarette packs in most of her
works of art conforms to the Freudian concept of fetishism and the search for an
acquired masculinity. Fetishism is used as a way of acquiring power.
The vulnerability of the artist in the portrait can also be seen as a sign of
women’s internalized oppression. In most of her self-portraits, the artist is depicted
looking straight at the viewer, which is seen as a challenge to the male gaze looking for
the privilege, satisfaction, and desire. The Human Toilet, 1997 (Fig. 7) and Self-Portrait
in Human Toilet Revisited, 1998 (Fig. 8) portray a different attitude with regards to how
the viewer should approach the portrait. Looking away while the shot is being taken
places her at a vulnerable position and the question coming to the viewer’s mind is
whether these pieces of art is from an aesthetic perspective or a feminist point of view.
Feminist artists often refrain from exhibiting vulnerability so as to avoid objectification
(Elizabeth, 2009). Lucas’ depicts vulnerability in those two portraits but does not refrain
from using a phallic validation (cigarette) to emphasize her position regarding gender
identity and its social construction. From a psychoanalysis point of view, the
vulnerability depicted by Lucas in her portraits reflects a way of opening up about the
internalized oppression of the female gender.
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Gender and Art
Figure 7 - Sarah Lucas Left: Human Toilet, 1997,
Right: Is Suicide Genetic? 1996
The psychoanalysis of the representation of gender in art conforms to the notion
that the ‘personal is political’ that was used in deconstructing the issues facing the
female gender. The Self Portrait in Human Toilet Revisited, 1998 can be analyzed from
such a perspective by drawing reference from Sigmund Freud’s articulation of the
genders. Freud notes that the presence or absence of the phallus is what distinguishes
the sexes. Freud analyzes the concept of the phallus by drawing relation to the phallic
phase in growing children. A boy and girl both share a similar sexual history where they
are seen as both having a phallus (masculine).
The phallus is the mother’s desire, and so they begin by desiring their mother
(first object). Once the differentiation of the sexes occurs, the boy’s Oedipus complex
ends, and the girl develops an objection love to her father (Freud, 1986). The transfer
of love from the mother to the father by the girl comes about due to the presence of the
phallus in the father though the girl identifies with her mother who lacks the object. As
such, the female will desire to have a phallus while the male will struggle to represent
his phallus (Mitchell, 1982). The relationship between the mother and daughter is
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Gender and Art
problematic as the mother tries to protect the daughter from brutal aspects of
patriarchy while still preparing her for a secondary role in society.
Like the relationship between a mother and daughter, feminine artist has to
tolerate the storms of a patriarchal society that has been defined by masculine
ideologies, and the result is a conflict regarding ideals. The conflict is visible in the
struggle that artists have in representing a subjective ideal of their bodies. Lucas’ Selfportrait in the Human Toilet Revisited is reflective of the conflicts between the need to
establish a dominant female ideology and the existing ideology that presents women
as vulnerable members of society. The portrait shows Lucas holding a cigarette, which
translates to a phallic representation and an aspect of masculinity, but the portrait still
exudes vulnerability. The argument of the daughter’s attraction to the phallus
represented by her father can be extended to the attraction that Lucas exhibits towards
the cigarette. In essence, as much as the feminine individual is looking for an
independent position in society, dynamics existent in the patriarchal social order limits
the ability to have total control. As much as Lucas may try to bring about a masculine
aspect and an opposition to the subversive ideology directed towards women, the
Human Toilet Revisited portrait exudes aspects of aesthetics rather than feminist
ideology. Regardless, the artist is noting that the male gender is given a subjective
position in society while femininity is reduced to vulnerability and objectification.
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Figure 8 - Sarah Lucas The Toilet Revisited, 1998
Other Works by Sarah Lucas
Away from her self-portraits, Sarah Lucas has a multitude of other works that
largely include art works employing the simplest form of materials in a simplistic
manner, yet still delivering an intended message. In one of her works, Prierre De
Toucher, 2000 (Fig. 9), a photographic portrait of the upper half torso of a woman is
seen with her hands behind her back. The torso is dressed in an old and torn cream tshirt with holes by the torso’s nipple and the upper and lower abdomen. The holes
reveal the woman’s skin and it is evident that the subject is white. The title of the
portrait is in French, which means ‘please touch.’ The artist’s use of this portrait is to
bring back the strength of the feminine body and empower women. Rather than use
the stereotyped image of women where they are regarded as sexual objects, the artist
results is using the feminine body to highlight the plight that women have to undergo on
the basis of their sexuality. The image in the portrait cannot be said to be eroticized as
the torso is completely covered in a t-shirt, except for the nipple area and the lower
abdomen. Within this representation is the artist’s claim that women are still being
sexualized, through her depiction of the left nipple. Looking at the image, the male
gaze may be uninterested as it does not fulfill the purpose for pleasure, privilege, or
satisfaction.
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Figure 9 - Sarah Lucas Priere De Toucher, 2000
The artist is using such an image of the female body to highlight the
objectification directed towards women. The display of the nipple may be
representative of the sexualized image of women, but the dressing of the torso may be
seen as in line with the artist’s inclination towards androgyny in the art. As a female
artist, Lucas is evidently protesting against such portrayals and reduction of the female
body into nothingness. The depictions of such images regarding the feminine body are
ways used by the artist to show her dissent to existing constructions regarding
femininity. The art in these pieces reflects an angry attitude and an apparent call for a
view of the female body in different light.
The work of art in Priere De Toucher can be seen as radical art that is contesting
the devaluation of women and also contests on oppressive stereotypes on women.
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Oppressive stereotypes in society cannot be contested without addressing the existing
stereotypes. Lucas’ addresses these stereotypes by depicting them in her artwork in a
direct and angry tone that draws attitudes directed towards rectifying the situation. By
definition, the depiction of the dominant ideology in the simplest of forms by using
simplistic materials acknowledges the importance of studying the distinctions between
male and female. Lucas explores the distinctions existing between male and female
genders, but most importantly makes strong statements regarding the position of
women in society. Such attitudes towards feminist arts are limited to British feminist
artists, while their American contemporaries approach feminist art from the perspective
of the images of women and the representation of these images (Lippard, 1995). Other
observers of feminist arts refer to British feminist art as confrontational, and Lucas’
work is no different as she displays attitudes that are reflective of active defiance and
opposition to gendered roles in society.
The Chicken Knickers, 1997 (Fig. 10) is another image by Sarah Lucas that
continues to use the artist’s obsession with food to represent human genitals. The
image contains the lower body of a female (the artist’s lower body) in white knickers
but with a chicken attached in place of her genitals. The rear orifice of the chicken is in
position with the artist’s vulva. Sarah Lucas continues to use food as substitutes for
human genitals in ways that exhibit her confrontation with traditional roles of both
genders. Most important in the artist’s campaign has been the confrontation of the
objectified roles of women in society. Lucas is using the literal and physical
representation of terms directed to the human body parts to draw attention to the fact
that feminine gender roles are sexualized and objectified. In drawing attention to what
the female body has been reduced to, the image does not contain the subject’s head
and upper part of the body. As such, the viewer’s gaze is ultimately directed to the
female genitals represented by the raw chicken.
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Gender and Art
Figure 10 - Sarah Lucas The Chicken Knickers, 2000
The use of food items to represent human body parts points back to her
transgressive tendencies and boldness to addressing issues that are overlooked in
society. The boldness is essentially a call to view the gendered representations of
women away from their sexualized and objectified personas. Food in art challenges the
notion that art has a lasting value, as the food is in continual decaying in front of the
viewer (Korsmeyer, 2004), but, this time, the artist deviates from using cooked food
items. In other artworks such as Fried Eggs, and Two Fried Eggs and a Kebab, the
artist uses cooked food items to represent the female genitals to show how women
have been reduced to nothingness. In this image where the artist uses a raw chicken
for her genitals to probably propagate the notion that the objectification of women is far
worse than that directed towards edible food items (Korsmeyer, 2004). Lucas’
exploration of art beyond the traditional taboos associated with the artistic use of food
items is a reinforcement to the view that her art is confrontational as well as directly
challenges existing ideologies with regards to gender. The artist is voicing her protests
against the gendered representation of women, and is still reinforcing the notion that
women are still being objectified.
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In underscoring the artist’s perception towards gender in society, her artwork on
The Geezer, 2002 (Fig. 11) envisages the artist’s obsession with gender identity. The
Geezer is a portrait dedicated to Charlie George, a former Arsenal player whose career
peaked in the 1970s. The portrait contains pieces of collaged pizza advertisements on
the subjects face and hair. A soccer ball is on the viewer’s right side and the image’s
left side. The shoulders and upper body part of the image are in a maroon and whiter
jersey to represent the team that the soccer player played for. The wall behind the
subject in the image is also plastered in pizza advertisement collages. Although the
artist appreciates that the figure in the portrait is that of Charlie George, the figure has
a resemblance to Sarah Lucas shows the artist’s exploration of androgyny and double
identity.
Figure 11 - Sarah Lucas The Geezer, 2002
Charlie George grew up in the same working-class neighborhood as the artists,
and he may have been a representation of the artist’s escape and dreams of stardom.
The analogy that the artist is trying to draw between the subject and herself is one that
blurs the line between both genders. Most importantly, the artist is drawing an analogy
between the objectification of feminine beings and the commodification that is ardent in
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the sports world. The artist’s claim is that women’s objectification has a close
semblance to the commoditization of sports stars such as George. The artistic work
viewed from a feminist perspective can be seen as a way of harmonizing the ideologies
or views of both the male and female gender. In the representation, the assumption is
that the artist is objectifying both the feminine and masculine gender identities.
Through such an approach, the artist is drawing reference to the fluidity of gender and
is constructing both genders in new ways. The artist is drawing the viewer to the notion
that as much as the feminine gender is objectified: the masculine gender should be
seen in the equal light. The artist is showing no preference or is extending no
subjectivity to any particular gender.
Conforming to Butler’s attributes regarding gender, there is no natural
construction of either male or female. Both genders are social constructs and are
developed from the habitual acts that are learned and based on the cultural
connotations of male and female. Being either male or female in society is defined by
the performance of gender constructs and adherence to such cultural norms. If
performativity and norms of any one gender were to change, it would bring out entirely
new percepts regarding the particular gender.
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CONCLUSION
In general, over the past three decades the female critics and artists have
confronted several challenges and their journey was certainly not easy. Furthermore,
feminism in art since its dawn was certainly not beyond its criticisms, particularly
because of contrasting standpoints from within the movement itself. It is essential to
restate few of its main issues specifically the customary and almost exclusively the
male-oriented concept of enormity that takes into account an art history that has been
explicitly dominated by the makes and evades the contributions made by the female
artists. The purpose of this dissertation was to establish a missing link between the
British feminist artists from 1960s and 1970s and the contemporary artists namely Sara
Lucas. This dissertation demonstrates the impact of feminist artist on the modern art
and in what manner the various elements such as artistic vocabulary and concepts
typically allied with the feminist art from the previous generation of female artists have
been either intentionally or unintentionally integrated in the manner the Sarah Locus
approach her work.
Sarah Lucas as a contemporary artist of the 21st century has used contemporary
approaches in delineating the aspects of gender in society, as well as its
representation in art. Although the feminist art history reveals that certain progress has
been made regarding the objectification of the female body, art in the contemporary
world is still created in a patriarchal society. Aspects of patriarchy and dominance of
the male have to come up in the contemporary artistic representations, as equilibrium
is yet to be achieved in the construction of gender.
Works by Sarah Lucas such as in the self-portraits reveal an artist intent on
challenging gender stereotypes and their representation in art. Lucas tries to bring a
masculine image of herself in the art as a way of construing the male gaze from the
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objectification of women. More so, the artist tries to deconstruct the traditional concepts
of representing art in an approach intended to view feminine art in a positive light. The
titles of Lucas’ artworks use wordplay as she conforms to her image of tabloid
feminism, and also as a way of directing attention to relevant art pieces that challenge
existing notions of gender. Some of her work may be regarded as aesthetic and not
confrontational to the gender stereotypes but her role in feminist art places her as an
influential advocate of feminine subjectivity rather than objectification.
We are living in the era where few might see the failure of the accomplishment of
the female art movement and a shift to the customary implicit masculine dominance in
the world of art. On the other hand, other live in the fictitious impression that the
position of the women artists has improvement and no discrimination exist against the
female artists. However, it is still difficult to predict the future of female artists in world
of art.
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