Through the Female Gaze
Gallery Henoch
This online exhibition is on view through September 30, 2024
Gallery Henoch proudly presents Through the Female Gaze, an online exhibition showcasing paintings that celebrate women as subjects, muses, and creators.
Throughout art history, women have always held a significant place, with the female form being a favoured subject across all artistic periods. Iconic works like Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Ingres’ neoclassical Grand Odalisque, and Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe during the Impressionist era are just a few examples. Though revered and influential, these masterpieces have often been critiqued for portraying women through a distorted male perspective.
16 x 20 in., 40.6 x 50.8 cm.
In today’s world, female artists are bridging these gaps, offering a more authentic and nuanced portrayal of women, enriched by their own experiences and sensitivities.
SHARON SPRUNG
Sharon Sprung, best known for her figurative work and significant portrait commissions, depicts her subjects with warmth. The paintings that highlight women are especially tender. With her distinctive style and bold use of color, Sprung reinterprets female nudes and portraiture in an empowering change to the way women are represented in art.
Oil on Panel, 44 x 36 in., 111.8 x 91.4 cm.
In Resting but Complicated a young woman grips her pillow, reposing in a dreamlike state and suggesting a variety of nuanced emotions. Through her handling of paint in Back Nude of R, the artist imparts a naturalistic texture to the piece’s surface. In combination with this soft finish, her subject comes to exude vulnerability and a sense of connection, despite being turned away from us.
Mavis Smith
Mavis Smith also uses her medium to add dimension to her work. She specializes in egg tempera, which facilitates the creation of intimate detail and the application of luminous layers of color. She depicts women in everyday environments, capturing the scene like a snapshot and giving it spontaneity and authenticity.
31 1/2 x 24 in., 80 x 61 cm.
For instance, Take Out shows a woman lounging on her couch with containers of Chinese food on the table in front of her. An observant eye will notice that there are two plates, indicating the presence of another person. Smith invites us into the lives of her subjects by invoking a spirit of curiosity, urging viewers to form narratives around the subject and to hypothesize about what is going on beyond the borders of the canvas.
20 x 16 in., 50.8 x 40.6 cm.
Through the work of contemporary artists like Sharon Sprung and Mavis Smith, the art historical canon is evolving to be more inclusive of female experience, humanizing the subjects and giving them importance beyond their bodily appearance.
Through the Female Gaze is on view through September 30, 2024, at Gallery Henoch’s website
©2024 Gallery Henoch
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