Beautiful women have been subject of admiration since the dawn of humans, and the subject of art since the dawn of art. A beautiful woman is the epitome of perfection, and the holder of the secret of life.
What is a woman? This is the question of current times. With the focus on drag queens LGBTQIA2S+ and transgender folk, it has, ironically, become a reasonable question. With the introduction of cosmetic surgery, it seems anything is possible. We’re in a phase of transhumanism. According to popular belief, men can menstruate, get pregnant, and lactate, and babies are incubated in test tubes. Men are allowed into women’s safe spaces, like washrooms and locker rooms. Women’s sports now include men, and the Woman of the Year has been a man several years now.
double standards for women
The same cannot be said about men. Chaz Bono was never named “man of the year”. Women are not participating in men’s sports. Drag Kings are not featured in schools or on national TV. Women cannot impregnate people or get prostate cancer. Transgender men are not eager to be in a men’s prison.
So much for Women’s Lib. We’ve come a long way, baby; a long way back to the bottom of society. Women are the N*ggers of the World. Birth control was freedom for women’s reproductive rights, but welfare made it easier for men to refuse responsibility for their offspring. Women were once admired for being a good housewife and mother, but now they have to be porn queens, high octane career women and super moms. But that was still not good enough. Now men can be women; women are replaceable. It’s a man’s world. All they need from women is their ovum.
replaceable
There was a book called “I’m Okay, You’re Okay “. The premise was that we don’t need to change ourselves because we’re okay just the way we are. Then we had the “Body Positive” movement; all body shapes and sizes are acceptable. We were taught that being gay is not a choice. Now we’re not okay the way we are, (unless you’re morbidly obese, don’t be a “fat Phobe”). Demi Lovato changes genders as often as she changes her hair style. In fact, you can identify as a cat or a pot of tea if you don’t want to be human anymore. Regardless, it has been women who are almost always the focus of criticism about their appearance. An ugly tranny is called “brave” while an ugly woman is called “unfuckable”. Not skinny enough, not blonde enough, not bosomy enough, not young enough, not enough booty, not pout-y enough. Women are never good enough.
Men have “dad bods” and as long as their bank account is fat, it doesn’t matter if they are. Single fathers are celebrated and single mothers vilified. Men are not responsible for birth control. Men do not suffer from abortions, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy or childbirth. Men are not as often raped, beaten, or murdered by women. Women are “hysterical” and men are “passionate”.
The ideal woman is Jessica Rabbit, and this horror is alive and well on Instagram. Just look at the so-called influencers. They are cartoon characters with overfilled balloon boobs, wasp waists and sausage lips. I expect to witness one to spontaneously explode. Real, unaltered women are not acceptable anymore.
Historically, female artist faces nearly insurmountable odds to gain a career. I am not art historian but I can recount my personal experience. In 1982, I opened a gallery with K.C. Tebbutt. After I found and paid for the space, he invited many artists to show, but not me. Perhaps my work was shitty, but he never offered even a dark corner wall. My job was to care for our infant son, period.
support for women artists
Over the years, I arranged group art shows, owned and operated a few galleries, and promoted artists like Jim Cummins, Carl Baird, Joe Average, Chris Bentzen, Miles Lowry and David Ferguson to name a few. I deliberately looked for female artists to show but there was a dearth. While I spent much time, energy and money supporting other artists, at no time have any offered to promote or show my work. I have been invited to “see some etchings” once. Maybe I’m delusional and my work is crap, but I don’t think so. My husband treated my art practice as a cute hobby, even though I paid for the family dental bills with sales of my work.
I know many women who gave up their art practice, or put it on hold. Marriage, children, and family duties are prioritized. Most artists, male or female also need a day job, which takes up precious time and energy, gone are the days of wealthy art patrons like Gertrude Stein.
My ideal man is an artist who recognizes my art practice as important. In history there’s been some profound art marriages. Maybe I’m a masochist, a sucker for punishment, or a naive dreamer, but I will never stop making art. I am undaunted. I’ll find a Christo for my Jeanne-Claude, or I’ll live and die alone.
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