Linda Nochlin's Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists

Language, whether it be through words, actions, or visuals serves as the bane of human existence. It is one of the elements that proves consciousness, acts as a method of communication, and works to define humanity. Through language there is a structure of power, and it is though political or creative actions that the hierarchy of power can be shown. The power of language not only means language as a conduit of influence but a service that can manipulate power. In art, the idea that language is universal in art, a language that speaks to both horrors as well as beauty, is complex and ultimately naïve; emotions and expressions are personal, not universal. It is through artistic language that individuals can express both pain and beauty in life.

When discussing art, language holds the power to shape opinions and fuel new ideas. In the case of artistic feminism, one main event that inspired the formation of the modern feminism art movement is Linda Nochlin’s “Why have there been no great women artists.” As suggested in the title, Nochlin seems to accept the fact that women have failed to live up to the expectation of “great.” However, Nochlin does not blame the women, she blames the art world, and the male powers that have decided what constitutes greatness. To showcase this, Nochlin writes, “the fault lies not in our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles, or our empty internal spaces, but in our institutions.” This profound statement calls into attention that power in the art community has been dominated by men not because of the lack of capability in women, but due to sexism in society. In her essay, Nochlin uses language too lay a foundation for public understanding of how social and systematic barriers have prevented women from being included in the art world (Caldwell, pg. 37). Through her writing, Nochlin questions the role of the male gaze, while also expanding upon the field of gender studies and feminism. As summarized in her work, the question of women’s equality in art revolves are found the very nature of institutional structures and how they impose on human beings (Nochlin, 150).

In art, it is so often that audiences cannot fully grasp the message or emotional connection the art has. Art possesses a personal truth to the viewer, but may not be the emotional response the artist intended. Language serves as provider of power in the form of an artist talking about their piece, because it allows for the power to be transferred back to the artist. With Tracey Emin, she as an artist, commented on her own work, as well as the institutions and galleries she was involved with. Her piece My Bed was a violent message of life, sex, and death. Her life was shared through installations of her confessional self-portrait that may have featured stained sheets, cigarette butts, empty alcohol bottles, and used condoms. This imagery may have spoken for itself, but Emin has communicated and written about this piece since its showing, filling in the blank narratives, and expanding the public’s comprehension. Her “magic carpet” of a piece is ever changing and continues to evolve as the piece becomes new and as she grows older (Emin, artnet interview). As Emin’s piece grows older, the work of art grows further away from her past identity and closer to the eyes of the viewer. The use of her own words when talking about her piece allow her to regain authority of the meaning of the work. To Emin, the piece was more than just a visual self-portrait, but a message of