My youngest sister moved to Chicago two years ago to study painting at Columbia College. As she develops her aesthetic, she’s been looking to both art history and contemporary pieces for inspiration. She’s only 20 years old, and she’s already discouraged: In her classes, she tells me, the students mostly read about male artists—it’s only in discussions about feminist art that women are mentioned. During her critiques, she says, anything she creates relevant to her feminine identity is scrutinized by her professors in a way that none of her male peers experience. And as she builds a portfolio and learns about careers in the field, she’s constantly worried that she won’t be taken seriously because of her gender. Even as she pushes through and continues working, she’s stymied by the possibility that there may be no place for her in the present-day art world.
Ellen Berkenblit’s Love Letter to Violet directly subverts feminine ideals. A rough depiction of the profile of a woman’s face is weighed down by thick strokes of eyelashes, and a small hair barrette restrains a few thin, dark strands amid an outburst of colors and patterns. A more conventional interpretation of femininity is evident in the oldest piece in the collection, Ree Morton’s One of the Beaux Paintings (#4). Created in 1975, Beaux features a delicate bow in the center surrounded by different textures created through paint and canvas manipulated to resemble pleated fabric.
Through 6/2: Tue 10 AM-8 PM, Wed-Sun 10 AM-5 PM Museum of Contemporary Art 220 E. Chicago 312-280-2660mcachicago.org $12, $7 students and seniors, free for kids 12 and under and members of the military, free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays
