Facts and Fables This article is a summary of the research | did as part of this team’s work/study project for Eva Allen. Meredith Kimball and Avis Rosenberg were both extremely help- ful in sending me articles and reports that in turn led me to other articles and reports. All the material | collected is in xerox form and available in the counselling office. All quotes in italics are by. Friedrich Nietzche unless otherwise noted. Avis Rosenberg’s recent article (which has been posted outside the main office for the past month and is till there) is the result of several years of research on women and the art world. In a survey she made in 1976 she found: 1. men hold the vast majority of full-time and/or remu- nerative teaching positions 2. men have the vast majority of one person shows and representation in group shows 3. men receive the majority of Canada Council ‘“B” grants in the visual arts, and 4. men constitute the vast majority of jurors for the Canada Council. While over 50% of the students in art schools are women, she found: — 16.7% of artists handled by commercial galleries in 1977 were by women, and — 18.1% of works in permanent collections in Canadian museums are by women. “Women have known how to secure for themselves by their subordination the greatest advantage, and in fact, the upper hand.” It is interesting to compare the figures in Rosenberg’s paper to the figures in an article by Barbara White in Art Journal, Summer, 1976. She found a government report which shows that in 1971: women earned 60.5% of all studio art degrees. (63.3% B.F.A., 43% M.F.A., and 50% D.F.A.) and women earned 77.8% of all art history degrees (80.5% B.A., 65% M.A., and 48% Ph.D.) “Whatever women write about ‘woman’, we may in the end reserve a good suspicion as to whether woman really wants or can want enlightenment about herself . . . unless a woman is looking for a new adornment for her- self in this way — self adornment pertains to the eternal womanly, does it not?” The figures show that the majority of art students are women yet the percentage of women on art faculties in 1973 was only 21%. And while these figures are from early 70’s U.S. reports, Rosenberg’s 1977 survey shows only 14% women on full time teaching staff of Canadian universities (up 1% from 1972!) and that in 1976 male full time faculty salary in the fine arts was 12% higher than female full time salary. “Those figures do not include all the people who teach the low paid evening or summer courses who work on a one-term or one- year-at-a-time basis, many of whom are women.” (OUTREACH?) There have been many reports in the past few years docu- menting the overall wage gaps between men and women. Today most women still earn only 53% of what men earn. There are exceptional women who are highly paid it’s true but the economic, legal and medical situation of the average woman is still oppressive and for anyone working in any field this situation will affect their work. “Maybe | am the first psychologist of the eternally feminine. Women all like me... but that’s an old story: save, of course the abortions among them, the emanci- pated ones, those who lack the wherewithal to have children.” The Women’s Caucus for Art newsletter, Winter, 1978, report on M.F.A. programs shows more than half of all the M.F.A. graduates in June 1978 were women yet: — “women have not been hired to MFA faculties in numbers proportionate to their representation in the pool of qualified canditates, — women who have been hired have not achieved tenure, rank, or salary levels comparable to male faculty, and — women MFA candidates have not received a pro- portionate share of the available assistantships, and have not had opportunities to study a variety of women artists/teachers (the ratio of female MFA candidates to full time female graduate faculty was 15 - 1, compared to a similar ratio of 2 - 1 for males).” “And our artists are only too closely related to little hysterical women. But this is to speak against ‘today’ and not against the ‘artist’.”’ How do these facts, especially the lack of female faculty, affect women art students’ work? In the psychology of women quarterly, Elizabeth Dovan writes that the role of the crucial older woman has been present in biographies of many women successful in politics, business, the academic world, psychoanalysis, etc. “In a focused study of 25 married women Ph.D.’s nearly all spoke with passion of the importance an older woman teacher had had in stimulating them not only toward professional careers but in alleviating the guilt that might have been incurred being working mothers” What do young women do for professional identifications when there are no female models available? Dovan says, “The problem for the young woman entering a male dominated field can be seen and treated conceptually as a mobility prob- lem exactly the same as the situation of the minority group member, the immigrant, or member of any under- class moving to the higher status world without losing one’s identity and touch with one’s own history.” Mothers too can be role models for their daughters. One friend told me (several weeks before | read Dovan’s article) how important her mother was to her as a role model. She said, “Now that my mother is back on her feet and no so crazy, | think I can do it too. She’s working and being successful again after a long battle with depres- sion. Now I’m less anxious about being able to do the same in my own work.” “She is trying to inspire fear of herself — perhaps she is seeking dominion. But she does not want truth: what is truth to a woman! From the very first nothing has been more alien, repugnant, inimical to woman than truth — her great art is the lie, her supreme concern is appear- ance.” Elizabeth Baker in “Sexual Art Politics” in Art News, January 1971, found that the post World War II retreat to the home propaganda of the 50’s affected the art world too. The professional woman is often depicted as frustrated, neurotic, careerist, the implication being that she certainly might be successful but will obviously never be able to REALLY fulfill herself as a woman. The connotations of the enterprising woman being an aggressive bitch has strongly affected women’s desires to gain recognition. In “Sexual Politics Art Style” Art In America, 1971, Lucy Lippard writes: “The worst source not only of discrimination but of the tragic feeling of inferiority so common among women artists is the art schools and college art departments, most of which have little or no female faculty. Women comprise a majority of art stu- dents at least for the early years; after that they begin to drop out as a result of having no women teachers after whom to model themselves, seeing few women shown in museums and galleries, lack of encouragement from male professors who tell them that they'll just get married anyway, that the only women artists who make it are dykes, etc.” “And in truth, they too are men, those feminists so derided by Nietzche. Feminism is nothing but the operation of a woman who aspires to be like a man. And in order to resemble the masculine dogmatic philosopher this woman lays claim — just as much claim as he — to truth, science and objectivity in all their castrated delusions of virility.” —Derrida Sandra Packard writes that often the methods used in hiring decisions tend to favor men. “In studio departments emphasis is placed on good exhibition records, visibility as an artist, past college teaching experience, all of which are difficult for women to obtain.” Lack of visibility in exhibitions (SEE AGAIN ROSENBERG’S STATISTICS), and on-college faculties has made it difficult for women to present themselves as serious artists and teachers. “Is it not the worst of taste when woman sets about becoming scientific in that fashion? Enlightenment in this field has hitherto been the affair and the endow- ment of men — we remained ‘amongst ourselves’ in this.” Recently a male faculty member said that while the women students he taught were very conscientious, often worked harder and were superior in the classroom to the men students, he found that the women simply did not know how to operate in the world outside the college. They didn’t know how to hustle in the art world and so did not gain the same kind of recognition outside of school that the men did. This opinion brings up all kinds of questions, so do the other Opinions and statis- tics, so do the quotes from Nietzche . . . comments are welcome in the next issue of the ‘‘X”. Josie Cook YOUR COMMENTS AND ARTICLES ARE REQUESTED FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE X. THIS ISSUE WILL BE PRINTED NEXT WEEK SO ALL MATERIAL MUST BE HANDED IN TO THE MAIN OFFICE OR THE OFFICE IN THE HELEN PITT BY THIS THURSDAY' APRIL 17TH' 1980. Volume 2, number 13. Published by Student Services, Emily Carr College of Art, 249 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, B.C. Printed by Press Gang Typeset by Makara Pyramid at Pubis etching by M.J. Arbour etching by M.J. Arbour sesame Facts and Fables This article is a summary of the research | did as part Of this team’s work/study project for Eva Allen. Meredith Kimball and Avis Rosenberg were both extremely help- ful in sending me articles and reports that in turn led me to other articles and reports. All the material | collected is in xerox form and available in the counselling office. All quotes in italics are by Friedrich Nietzche unless otherwise noted. ‘Avis Rosenberg's recent article (which has been posted ‘outside the main office for the past month and is till there) is the result of several years of research on women and the art world. In a survey she made in 1976 she found: 1. men hold the vast majority of full-time and/or remu- erative teaching positions 2, men have the vast majority of one person shows and representation in group shows 3. men receive the majority of Canada’ Council.“ srants in the visual arts, and 4, men constitute the vast majority of jurors for the Canada Council While over 50% of the students in at schools are women, she found: ~ 16.1% of artists handled by commercial galleries in 1977 were by women, and ~ 18.1% of works in permanent collections in Canadian ‘museums are by women. “Women have known how to secure for themselves by their subordination the greatest advantage, and in fact, the ‘upper hand.” It is interesting to compare the figures in Rosenberg’s Paper to the figures in an article by Barbara White in Art Journal, Summer, 1976. She found a government report which shows that in 1971: women earned 60.5% of all studio art degrees. (63.3% BLF.A,, 43% M.F.A,, and 50% D.F.A.) and women earned 77.8% of al art history degrees (80.5% B.A., 65% M.A., and 48% Ph.D.) “Whatever women write about ‘woman’, we may in the end reserve a good suspicion as to whether woman realy wants or can want enlightenment about herself tunless a woman Is looking for a new adornment for her- self in this way — self adornment pertains to the eternal womanly, does it not?” The figures show that the majority of art students are women yet the percentage of women on art faculties in 1973 was only 21%. And while these figures are from early 70's US. reports, Rosenberg's 1977 survey shows only 14% women on full time teaching staff of Canadian Universities (up 1% from 1972!) and that in 1976 male fulltime faculty salary in the fine arts was 12% higher than female full time salary. “Those figures do not include all the people who teach the low paid evening or ‘summer courses. who work on a one-term of 0 Year-ata-time basis, many of whom are women, (OUTREACH?) There have been many reports in the past few years docu: ‘menting the overall wage gaps between men and women. Today most women stil earn only $3% of what men earn, There are exceptional women who are highly” paid it's true but the economic, legal and medical situation of the average woman is still oppressive and for anyone working in any field this situation will affect their work, ‘Maybe Iam the first psychologist of the eternally feminine. Women all like me . .. but that's an old story: save, of course the abortions among them, the emancl- pated ones, those who lack the wherewithal to have children.” The Women’s Caucus for Art newsletter, Winter, 1978, report on M.F.A. programs shows more than half of all the MFA. graduates in June 1978 were women yet — “women have not been hired to MFA faculties in ‘numbers proportionate to their representation in the ool of qualified canditates, — women who have been hired have not achieved tenure, rank, or salary levels comparable to male faculty, and = women MFA candidates have not received a pro portionate share of the avalable asistantships, and have not had opportunities to study a variety of women artssteachers (the ratio of female MFA candidates to full time female graduate faculty” was 15-1, compared toa similar ratio of 2-1 for males)” “And our artists are only too closely related to little ‘hysterical women. But this is to speak against ‘today’ ‘and not against the ‘rtst’.” How do these facts, especially the lack of female faculty, affect women art students’ work? {In the psychology of women quarterly, Elizabeth Dovan Writes that the role of the crucial older woman has been present in biographies of many women successful in Politics, business, the academic world, psychoanalysis, etc “In a focused study of 25 married women Ph.D.’s nearly all spoke with passion of the importance an older woman teacher had had in stimulating them not only toward professional careers but in alleviating the guilt that might hhave been incurred being working mothers” What do young women do for professional identifications when there are no female models available? Dovan says, "The problem for the young woman entering a male dominated field can be seen and treated conceptually as a mobility prob- lem exactly the same as the situation of the minority group member, the immigrant, or member of any under Class moving to the higher status world without losing ‘one's identity and touch with one’s own history.” Mothers too can be role models for their daughters One friend told me (several weeks before | read Dovan’s article) how important her mother was to her as a role model. She said, "Now that my mother is back on her feet and no so crazy, I think | can do it too. She's working, and being successful again after a long battle with depres: sion. Now I'm less anxious about being able to do the same in my own work.” “She is trying to Inspire fear of herself — perhaps she is seeking dominion. But she does not want truth: what is truth to a woman! From the very first nothing has been ‘more alien, repugnant, inimical to woman than truth — hher great art is the lie, her supreme concern is appear- Elizabeth Baker in “Sexual Art Politics” in Art News, January 1971, found that the post World War Il retreat to the home propaganda of the SO’s affected the art World too. The professional woman is often depicted as frustrated, neurotic, careerist, the implication being that she certainly might be successful but will obviously never be able to REALLY fulfill herself as a woman. The ‘connotations of the enterprising woman being an aggressive bitch has strongly affected women’s desires to gain recognition. In “Sexual Politics Art Style” Art In America, 1971, Lucy Lippard writes: ‘The worst source not only of discrimination but of the tragic feeling of inferiority s0 common among women artists is the art schools and college art departments, most of which have little or no female faculty. Women comprise a majority of art stu: dents at least for the early years; after that they begin to drop out as a result of having no women teachers after whom to model themselves, seeing few women shown in ‘museums and galleries, lack of encouragement from male Professors who tell them that they'll just get married anyway, that the only women artists who make it are dykes, etc.” “And in truth, they too are men, those feminists so derided by Nietzche. Feminism is nothing but the operation of a woman who aspires to be like aman. And in order to resemble the masculine dogmatic philosopher this woman lays claim — just as much claim as he — to truth, science ‘and objectivity in all their castrated delusions of vrlity.”” Derrida Sandra Packard writes that often the methods used in hiring decisions tend to favor men. “In studio departments ‘emphasis is placed on good exhibition records, visibility as an artist, past college teaching experience, all of which are difficult for women to obtain.” Lack of visibility in exhibitions (SEE AGAIN ROSENBERG'S STATISTICS), and on-college faculties has made it difficult for women to present themselves as serious artists and teachers "Is it not the worst of taste when woman sets about becoming scientific in that fashion? Enlightenment in this field has hitherto been the affair and the endow- ‘ment of men — we remained ‘amongst ourselves’ in this.” Recently a male faculty member said that while the women students he taught were very conscientious, often worked harder and were superior in the classroom to the men students, he found that the women simply did not know how to operate in the world outside the college. They didn’t know how to hustle in the art world and so did not gain the same kind of recognition outside ‘f school that the men did. This opinion brings up all kinds of questions, so do the other opinions and statis- ties, so do the quotes from Nietzche . . . comments are welcome in the next issue of the “X". r YOUR COMMENTS AND ARTICLES ARE REQUESTED FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE X. THIS ISSUE WILL BE PRINTED NEXT WEEK SO ALL MATERIAL MUST BE HANDED. IN TO THE MAIN OFFICE OR THE OFFICE IN THE HELEN PITT BY THIS THURSDAY’ APRIL 17TH! 1980. ie Cook Volume 2, number 13. Published by Student Services, Emily Care College of Art, 249 Dunsmuir Si Vancouver, B.C. Printed by Press Gang “Typeset by Makara Pyramid at Pbis etching by M.J. Arbour ching by MJ. Arbour