The Canvas Ceiling: Women Artists through the
ages
This series examines the involvement of women in art, not as
models to be painted by men for men, but as significant artists in
their own right. From the 17th century to the
early 20th, female artists were very much in the
minority. Two women were amongst the founder members of the
Royal Academy in 1768, but it was 168 years before another woman
was permitted to add ‘RA’ to her name.
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman?
Tuesday 12 January
Lecturer: Jo Walton
In this lecture we’ll discover some of the powerful and
determined women who forged careers for themselves as artists. The
realm of home and family may have provided subject matter for some,
but others tackled Biblical violence, military disaster, emerging
technology and the glamour of High Society. It’s all a long way
from a cultivated lady doing a little light sketching as one of her
many accomplishments.
Frida Kahlo – a life on canvas
Tuesday 19 January
Lecturer: Frank Woodgate
After a terrible accident as a child,
Frida Kahlo was seldom without pain, and she charted her life,
including her two marriages to the same man, Diego Rivera, through
a series of fascinating and revelatory self-portraits and other
colourful (and sometimes disturbing) works. As well as
illustrating her personal agonies and ecstasies, her art reflected
her attitude to pre-Columbian tradition, capitalism and
Communism.
“We can’t get even, so we’re gonna get
mad.” Art and the F-Word: Feminism
Tuesday 26 January
Lecturer: Linda Smith
After many years of agitation, feminism has
managed to achieve major legislative changes in many parts of the
world. As all women know, however, changing the law is one
thing, but changing attitudes and cultural practice is quite
another. Feminism in art has used various strategies, ranging
from humour and irony through to confrontation and downright
belligerence. This lecture will look at some key artists and
their work, and ask questions about what kind of impact feminism
has had on art, and whether overt political content compromises
artistic integrity.
Modern Mothers
Tuesday 2 February
Lecturer: Melanie Paice
Modern portrayals of motherhood by women
artists are far removed from traditional images such as the Madonna
and child. Today we are presented with everything from giant
spiders to candid photographs taken one hour, one day and one week
after giving birth. What are these artists telling us about
their view of the relationship of mother and child?
Georgia
O’Keeffe
Tuesday 16 February
Lecturer: Peter Scott
Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the most popular
artists in America, known principally for her semi-abstract
paintings of Nature, particularly flowers, which are said to
contain strong erotic undertones. However, during her 70
years as an artist, she produced works of great originality,
variety and complexity. Conventionally trained in the most
prestigious art schools in the United States, she developed her
unique style after studying Kandinsky’s works and writings and
coming under the influence of Alfred Stieglitz, the great
photographer and gallerist. This lecture aims to explore some
of the life and work of this eccentric and pioneering woman.
“Mad Tracey from
Margate”
Tuesday 23 February
Lecturer: Rosalind Whyte
Tracey Emin shot to fame and notoriety with
My Bed in 1999. She has since earned fortune and
criticism in virtually equal measure. She is frequently
accused of being self-indulgent because of the autobiographical
nature of much of her work, yet many artists have used their life
experiences to inform their work (including Frida Kahlo from
earlier in the series), without attracting the criticism of
self-obsession. This lecture looks at some aspects of what is
a wide-ranging and varied body of work, and seeks to examine some
of the reasons behind the antagonism Emin faces.
All six speakers lecture
extensively for Tate Britain, Tate Modern, throughout Britain and
internationally
Series of 6 lectures £50, £40 Friends
Single lectures £10, £8 Friends
For information on how to book your tickets please click
here