Reflections at the Nash
I was very interested in the mixed media piece Doll (1970's-early 1980s) by Sandra Menefee. The piece was a collage of sorts. It seems as though Menefee used old reading lessons (which addressed issues of domesticity) as a canvas. On this she painted patterns to a very traditional childs (or perhaps a dolls) dresses. The various layers of paint made it harder to see the reading lessons below giving the piece a ghostly appearance. The juxtaposition of a traditional medium, painting, with collage creates an irony that lead me to read the piece as a critique of traditional gender roles and the channels through which they are enforced.
This in mind I found it very interesting the the piece neighboring Doll was Isabel Bishop's Two Girls Talking (1935). This piece is a grey wash on wove paper of two young girls talking. It is a sketch that uses minimal details to very effectively portray a scene. This piece is very traditional in all elements of the work. It uses a traditional drawing medium on a very traditional surface to portray a very traditional scene.
I feel that it is important to look at the time in which these pieces where created to further understand their relationships. Bishops pieces was created in 1935 a time where women artists a time when women artists were slowly gaining some recognition. In contrast Mennefee's piece was in the late 70's and 80's a time when feminist art was on the scene and (some) women artists were using their art to make bold statements!
I felt that the placement of these two pieces provided an interesting dialogue concerning the history of women artists.