CHERCHEZ LA FEMME, PART II

THE FIGURE REVEALED
On view at the University of Southern Maine/Lewiston-Auburn College
From September 7 to October 18, 2003

Reviewed by Laurie Meunier Graves

Not long ago, I wrote a review of exhibits by two artists, Rachael Eastman and Mary B. Harrington, and both exhibits were being shown at the Hay Gallery in Portland, Maine. In the review, I wondered how gender affected art and if there was any difference between art that women produced and art that men produced. In the review, I referred to the title from one of Peter Schickele’s shows, and that title was “Cherchez la Femme.” Like Mr. Schickele, I was searching for women in art, and while I had a few ideas that revolved around nature and nurture, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to find. However, in the end, I concluded “There is no longer any need to “cherchez la femme.” They are among us [as artists], and it’s about time.”

I was unexpectedly reminded of this at a wonderful juried exhibition, The Figure Revealed, that is being shown in the Atrium Gallery at the University of Southern Maine/Lewiston-Auburn College. In the various paintings, sketches, and sculptures, the figures revealed are primarily those of “la femme.” They are represented in all the various stages and shapes that women acquire as they age. There are breasts hanging long and loose, sagging stomachs that bear the traces of past pregnancies, and wide buttocks. There are also firm hips, long, smooth backs, and trim thighs. Our younger selves and our older selves totally revealed without any clothes. There is an undeniable beauty in these many depictions of the female body, but there is also a kind of terror from having so much examined and so much shown.

There are some male nudes, but they are definitely in the minority. Yes, I counted. Whenever possible, I find it is better to count and confirm my hunches, which of course can be incorrect. In this case, I was not incorrect. In a rough count, I came up with seventeen men and fifty-six women. I do want to qualify this by adding that some of the work was so abstract that I couldn’t tell whether the subjects were men or women. When that happened, I just skipped those pieces and didn’t count them for either.

Why this fascination with the female figure? According to the excellent gallery handout, this hasn’t always been the case. Like so much great art, figure drawing of the nude began in Italy during the early Renaissance in the fifteenth century. However, “Studio assistants, all male, served as models for…preparatory drawings…and it is very common to see drawn male nudes reappear in paintings as the Virgin, male and female saints, or angels.” Therefore, those serene Virgins, those “lady graces,” were more likely to be based on a he rather than a she.

As usual, I digress. The trend for male nudes has definitely changed, and I reflected on this as I studied the work in this exhibition. There are many fine paintings, drawings, and sculptures, but naturally it would be impossible to describe them all. Here are descriptions of those that especially caught my attention.

There is Sienna Study #9 by Philip Paratore. Standing in profile with her hair drawn back, this nude woman looks cool and classical, as though she has visited from ancient Greece or Rome.

Sunlit Back by Janet Ledox shows a woman sitting with her back to the viewer. It is a pastiche of colors—blue, yellow, green, violet—and the effect is luminous. The picture is positively aglow.

On the other hand, there is Margaret Leonard’s Gabriella From Romania. This portrait of a young woman is done in a series of lines, slashes, and circles in deep, rich colors. The young woman’s eyes are so dark that they almost disappear, and her mouth is a stroke of red, giving her a fey, witchy look.

In Column by Colin Page, a woman sits on a stool. Her hands are clasped in her lap, and her face is composed. She has been asked to sit without her clothes on and that is what she is doing. I can imagine that when the session is over, she will put on her clothes and remember how the stool felt against her bare buttocks.

Finally in Janet Manyan’s Mary, a woman reclines in a chair covered with a red cloth, and her head rests against one of her hands. She is wearing silver bracelets and green rings. Her breasts and her stomach hang as if overcome by gravity, yet the overall affect is not unappealing. She looks ripe rather than worn.

Ripe women, classical women, composed women, fey women, luminous women. Elemental and exposed, they, as well as other aspects of womanhood, are all at this exhibition. The seventeen or so nude males seem almost beside the point, as though they are mere adjuncts.

Finally, I must admit that I did one more count, this time to see how many of the artists are women and how many are men. I must say I was surprised by the tally; more than half of the artists are women. At least in this exhibition, women are just as fascinated with the female body as men are.

Is this a healthy interest or a not-so-healthy obsession that is reflected in our society in a myriad of ways? Or, does the emphasis merely reflect the interests of the jurors for the exhibition?

I suspect these questions mean there will be a Cherchez la Femme, part III.

 

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