In a recent interview with galleryIntell, Susan Inglett, Director of Susan Inglett Gallery in Chelsea shared views and insights about Marcia Kure’s paintings that incorporated techniques of traditional Nigerian Uli painting and Surrealism. During our conversation with her off-camera, we were intrigued by her views on the emergence of women artists. Here is an excerpt of the conversation:
galleryIntell: In your view, has the art world finally accepted the female artist?
Susan Inglett: I think that not only has the art world changed in the last 20 to 30 years, but the world at large has changed. Today, there is a growing acceptance towards women artists.
GI: What caused this change?
SI: I think that the ceiling was broken by the women of the Pictures Generation whereby they did great service not only to the women in the arts but also for photography. For example, if you wanted an 80’s collection, you had to incorporate photography – something that did not happen in the past – and you had to incorporate women artists such as Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Sarah Charlesworth and Laurie Simmons. This really pushed women artists to the forefront, and they’ve stayed there since then.
GI: Is there a common thread that one can see in works by women artists in general?
SI: These women certainly have something valid to say and they have had very particular life experiences. I think that their work is now champion as people are looking at the smaller gestures such as this one. There is an intimacy and they have a message that they want to communicate – a very valuable one. There certainly are trends towards looking at women artists and certainly within the larger marketplace.
We are seeing that women artists are making definite, strong strides in the world of art that has been ruled by men for centuries. It will be a while before the numbers turn significantly in favor of the women artists, but it is important to note that Yayoi Kusama, Cindy Sherman, Joan Mitchell, Barbara Kruger, Sherrie Levine, Helen Frankenthaler and many more artists are forces to reckon with.
– galleryIntell
This interview ©galleryIntell 2013.
