Helena Black

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

MA Project - Open Access

Project Type

MA Project - Curatorial Proposal

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Contemporary Art

First Advisor

Agnes Berecz

Second Advisor

Morgan Falconer

Abstract

Home Grown: Joys and Sorrows of Domestic Life highlights the work of contemporary female photographers who focus their practice on the depiction of domestic scenes. There is a long history of women drawing inspiration from the domestic sphere. For much of history, the exclusion of women from public life outside of the home influenced much of their work. Perhaps the most obvious example of this thematic focus can be seen in the work of female Impressionists. The Impressionist period is defined by the freedom of mobility allowed by new premixed paint tubes. Male artists, for whom it was socially acceptable to roam freely outdoors, were able to paint in the open air, capturing scenes of daily life. Due to social constraints, this freedom was generally not available to female artists. However, they too depicted scenes of daily life, focusing on their world: the home. In the contemporary world, especially in the West, women are no longer restricted to the home and have much more freedom to explore the outside world and go to places that were previously limited to men. However, many female artists still focus on the home by choice. The themes they incorporate into their work are consistent across practices and cultures. By displaying female artists’ work in a focused exhibition, these themes become clear and audience members, especially female viewers, can find their own experiences represented in the show.

Download

Share

COinS