Final reflective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final reflective - Essay Example Whether art gallery owners and museum curators have understood their ability in this representation, this conflict between what women contribute and how they are exploited is in itself a reflection of gender dynamics. It is interesting that the way in which women are often allowed to express their artistic beliefs and experiences is through what men often termed as craft. The American art of quilting is often marginalized, but the development of many of these quilts is justice poignant as an oil painting or sculpture. I was fascinated by learning about the meaning of quilting and what it represented in American society. Their social aspects to it that are woven into the development of the art form. As well, there are symbols and meanings that not everyone will understand when you look at quilts but thats our past within cultures as specific messages. One example of this is the ‘eye of God’ which is in many traditional American quilts. This comes from purposely making sure that one section, no matter how small, is in perfect. The message is that nothing on earth is perfect and only God can make something that is perfect (Manairdi 340). I do think that its humorous because its just tha t everything else in the quilt is perfect and there is a certain tongue-in-cheek arrogance to that idea. Discussions on the human body also relate to a reflection of the feminine. It is not that male bodies are not represented in art, but that they are not exploited in quite the same way that womens bodies are exploited. This is a great deal to do with the fact that artists who are accepted as ‘great’ are mostly men. It is the male gaze from which male and female gender differences are most often defined. Walters discusses the idea that there are three ‘looks’ that represent the male gaze. The first is that as men gaze at women, women become the object of the gaze. The second is that the male gaze acts as spectator and women are