I am excited to announce that I am finally publishing my book and Ecourse Women Artists And Identity Formation in a Postmodern Era, in 2023
Excerpt From Preface: Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society
This book seeks to clarify the various ways in which women have come to assume identities as artists and how their identities have developed over time. The purpose of this book is to contribute to the feminist art movement and the revaluing of women artists in their process of coming to terms with who and what they are. This book addresses such questions as; Why is having an identity important to women artists? Are there common themes or stages that all women go through in their identification process as artists? What are the common constraints that a large number of women artists experience in their developmental process? What effects does the lack of an artistic identity have on individual women’s psychological health, work performances, and attitudes towards others and the world in general? And what effects does a lack of an artistic identity among large numbers of women artists have on them as a group, politically, economically, and socially?
Whether you are a woman who is grappling with the idea of assuming an artistic identity or are firmly rooted in your identity, this book will serve as a valuable source of wisdom for women at various stages or phases in their identification process who are seeking in-depth understanding about what it means to be a woman artist in a rationally and scientifically oriented culture. By reading the stories of a variety of women who have assumed artistic identities, and the ways in which they have been enhanced and/or impeded in that process, it is my hope that others will gain insight and courage in their own identification processes.
As a white, female, artist from the lower middle class, I’ve experienced first-hand the deep complexities that occur within an artist’s psyche. I know deep in my soul what it is like to try to form an identity as an artist in a culture that not only devalues women, but art as well. Because of my unique standpoint as a Sociologist, Feminist, Artist, and Jungian psychotherapist, I am particularly sensitized to the internal psychodynamics of women artists as well as the larger social structural issues that both inspire and constrain identity formation, particularly for women in poverty. Furthermore, I’ve spent five years researching the topic of women artists and identity formation in a Masters in Sociology program at Northern Arizona University as well as speaking at various art centers and women’s organizations on the topic.
Through in-depth interviews with a diversity of women artists, I’ve learned that issues of identity are of enormous concern. Yet, several artists have voiced that there are few current sources of information that truly speaks to their hearts. Women artists need a source of information they can go to that will not only console them in times of doubt and despair, but also empower them through the enhancement of their minds.
Amazingly enough, literature and research about how a woman comes to assume an identity in a postmodern society are scare. Although feminist art historians reveal the ways in which women's identities have been constrained historically, few reveal the implications of identity formation and development in current times. Furthermore, although there is an assortment of research on identity formation and how an artist is made, there has yet to be a comprehensive analysis which emphasizes the experiences of women artists as unique to the experiences of male artists. Although there are similarities in the ways in which male and female artists develop identities, there are experiences that are very specific to women, and these kinds of experiences will not only speak directly to their hearts, but also help them to know they are not alone.
Most of the pertinent literature that addresses artists and issues of identity comes from feminist art historians, the psychology of art, and the sociology of art. All of these approaches encompass a variety of perspectives on artists, ranging from aesthetic and humanist explanations, to sociological, social psychological, psychological and psychoanalytic perspectives. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the feminist movement that real concern for women artists began to interest scholars, which partly explains why there is a lack of research that specifically addresses women artists and issues of identity. In addition, beginning with Freud, theories of human development have traditionally been conceived in terms of male development, with female development either ignored or treated as an afterthought. In other words, developmental theorists have traditionally established men’s experience and competence as a baseline against which both men’s and women’s development are evaluated, which has led to the misreading of women’s experiences (Bakan 1966; Chodorow 1978; Gilligan 1977; 1979, 1982; McMillan 1982)
Furthermore, prior research on women artists and identify formation has tended to take either a strictly “externalist” social constructionist approach or an “internalist” psychological or biological approach, assuming that identity formation is determined by either socio-cultural factors, or internal, psychodynamic mechanisms. Yet, this research, by examining the conditions by which women artists formulate identities, cannot help but reflect the complex interplay of both internal and external factors responsible for the shaping of their artistic identities. My research on women artists suggests an explanation of identity formation that is different from the dominant social constructionist approach. It attempts to bridge the chasm between the modern “internalist” and postmodern “externalist” approaches to identity. Rather than conceptualizing identity as either the product of internal, psychodynamic mechanisms or external, socio-cultural influences, it suggests that we must begin to think dialectically about identity. In other words, it seems more appropriate to say that identity is the product of a multiplicity of factors—both internal and external. It is both self-created and socially constructed.
The reader will discover in this book a complex psychoanalytic and sociological analysis of a diversity of women and their process of forming an artistic identity. Although I have tried to be comprehensive in my analysis of identity, I do not intend this book to stand as the definitive statement. On the contrary, after years of consistent research, I have only scratched the surface as far as forming an artistic identity is concerned. Although I have managed to bring more clarity to the process of identification, it still remains a mystery in many respects. And to some extent I am deeply thankful for this mystery. Like an absolute concept, identity is both universal and unique. It is as common as the air we breathe, yet it is as unique as an individual snowflake. Thus, because it is not humanly possible to capture the totality of identity, there remain numerous areas for future research. It is my hope that this piece of research will not be the last word on the subject.
E-Course Key Learning Points:
1. Gain more understanding about what identity means and the importance of having an identity in society.
2. Gain more clarity and self-awareness about your unique identification process, but also the common stages that all women go through in their identity change process.
3. Gain valuable psychological and sociological tools to help you become more aware of internalized social forces of oppression and how to decolonize the psyche so that you can be more liberated creatively and boost self-esteem.
4. Become more aware of the common social supports and constraints that a large number of women artists experience in their developmental process.
5. Become more aware of internal psychodynamic mechanisms and cues that both aid and hinder a woman in her identification process.
6. Gain more understanding about how the internalization of a spoiled artistic identity can effects women’s psychological health, work performances, and attitudes towards others and the world in general.
7. And how does a lack of an artistic identity among large numbers of women artists have on them as a group, politically, economically and socially?