WGSS 1104 FEMINISMS AND

THE ARTS
MIDTERM PROJECT
 Feminisms and the Arts
■ Four feminist arts:
– Representing Beauty and Bodies: Song by Solange– Don’t Touch My Hair
– Marriage & Motherhood, Domesticity & Double Standards: Photos by Carri
e Mae Weems - The Kitchen Table Series
– Black Feminist Art: Song by Cardi B and Megan – WAP
– Representing Genders, Sexualities, and Desires: Poem by Tatiana de la
tierra– Dreaming of Lesbos

■ The various problems faced by women

■ Feminism from their different identities and perspectives.
Representing Beauty and Bodies
■ Solange– Don’t Touch My Hair
Representing Beauty and Bodies
■ Solange– Don’t Touch My Hair

– African culture and identity: religion, family background, social

status, spirituality, tribe, and marital status
– Braided hair: unique symbol of black people, stereotype
– Hair is "soul" and "crown”, “Hair is my shit”: self-loathing
– Symbolic of African American women's struggle to conform
– A way to express personal views : a way of outwardly expressing lo
ve for self, love for people, love for own culture
– “Women do a lot of things with their hair to try and fight for th
eir rights against social constructs. ”
Marriage & Motherhood, Domesticit
y & Double Standards
■ Carrie Mae Weems - The Kitchen Table Ser
ies
Marriage & Motherhood, Domesticit
y & Double Standards
■ Carrie Mae Weems - The Kitchen Table Series

– Restricts the identity, choice, and freedom of a housewife

– Women naturally had to return to their families
– Invisible society's urging: critics as "a strong woman wants to return to the famil
y but can’t
– Back and forth: family life is extremely important, part of a new wave of feminist
activities
– Kitchen is contradictory, ironic, pain and happiness coexist, family and freedom co
nflict
– Get rid of or return to the kitchen: a right to choose, rather than being pushed ba
ck and forth by social needs.
Black Feminist Art
■ Cardi B and Megan – WAP
Black Feminist Art
■ Cardi B and Megan – WAP

– Sexual fantasies: an awakening and expression of women's self-consc

iousness
– Misogynistic: women also have the freedom to talk about sex, talkin
g about sex becomes guilty
– Sexual desire in women's lives is always ignored: their desire, an
xiety and thinking are always not described
– Works that actively, boldly and directly describe women's desires a
re so important
– "I own WAP, you have to learn to please me"
– ”Ordinary" expression space: this kind of place that women have th
e freedom to talk about WAP in general
Representing Genders, Sexualities, and Desire
s

■ Tatiana de la tierra– Dreaming of Lesb

os
Representing Genders, Sexualities, and Desire
s

■ Tatiana de la tierra– Dreaming of Lesbos

– Sex and Desire: part of the feminist movement, supports women's choices
– Sexual freedom: gender equality, ashamed or judged, women humiliate
– Enjoying sex for their own pleasure and freedom are also considered low self-esteem
– Life in the dreams of women: enjoy sex freely and peacefully, instead of just givin
g birth to babies
– Women, their bodies and hair, thoughts and consciousness, sex and desires are all b
eautiful, soft and free
– Sexually active feminism: women no longer being ashamed of their bodies or sexual d
esires. Women's sex should be pleasant.
– Sex should be safe and voluntary
 Summary

■ Feminist artists have expanded the definition of art and contin

ue to influence artists today. They enlighten and promote wome
n's consciousness and spiritual independence. Has been fighting
for all kinds of rights and equality for women. From the perspe
ctive of female artists of different ages and identities, peopl
e have begun to pay attention to many issues that are neglected
by society. They opened up a way for us, the journey is still v
ery far away, and we will continue to walk on it.
Citation
“Cardi B (Ft. Megan Thee Stallion) – WAP.” Genius, 7 Aug. 2020, genius.com/Cardi-b-wap-lyrics.

Designed and developed by Lisa Goodlin Design. “Carrie Mae Weems.” Carrie Mae Weems : The
Kitchen Table Series, 1990, carriemaeweems.net/galleries/kitchen-table.html.

“Solange (Ft. Sampha) – Don't Touch My Hair.” Genius, 30 Sept. 2016, genius.com/Solange-dont-

touch-my-hair-lyrics.

Tierra, Tatiana de la. “Dreaming of Lesbos by Tatiana De La Tierra.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry

Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147272/dreaming-of-lesbos.

ElleMagazine. “Watch This Documentary on Braids and Appropriation in America |

ELLE.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Dec. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?
v=yFGwmUCH9aI&list=LLmvZ5ksvLAd5hSEzlotFi1w&index=96.