Week 12: Apply and Reflect Queer Theory
Art has always been allowed to challenge culture.
Artists have changed the rules of art and questioned who can even do art. It is
the idea that art is expressive enough to where it can have an identity outside
of the proper word. Artists have created a place where they can
bring their ideas to the table and be judged or admired for their talent. With
that being said, art culture has put constraints on people that are deemed
apart from the establishment. Since art culture is influenced by society.
Examples of these influences is the rejection of John Singer Sargent Portrait
of Madame X, and the accepting of makeup artists that perform drag. Art culture
can benefit from the teaching of Judith Butler, but mainly art culture is an
example of leaving certain society’s limitations behind too.
In “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in
Phenomenology and Feminist Theory” by Judith Butler informs the reader that
gender identity and gender norms are focused onto people by the culture they
live in. By placing these roles onto gender, it has devolved rules
and punishments to keep order and forbid anyone from stepping outside of the
gender norms. And art is no different the punishment received by John Singer
Sargent was to first fix his art piece then to hide Portrait of Madame
X. Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau the woman in the portrait posed
with one of her black dress straps draped around her shoulder in a sexual and
scandalous way. The gender identity of Madame X allowed her body position to
view as too sexual went against the norms.
Now women are free to play
with the concept of gender because gender exists, but it can be fluid since all
people have feminine and masculine traits. Like Judith Butler says, “gender
reality is performative which means, quite simply, that is real only to the
extent that it is performed.” Women that are playing with the idea of
femininity are faux queens. Faux queens or bio queens are women that
take part in the world drag and use exaggerated makeup or body props to
ridicule the idea and construction of femininity. It is the same construct as
males performing drag and is not cultural appropriation. Just as in all communities, there exist those who challenge the freedom of art in the drag community and those who oppose that freedom. And yes, I
am talking about the most famous drag queen of them all RuPaul and his remarks
about banning cis and trans women from drag. If gender is an act, it does not
belong to anyone because we all are actors when it comes culture gender and we
should treat it that way.
Hi Rachel, I think you did a great job of tying the ideas in Butler’s essay to the art world. Do you think that challenging gender norms with art can lead to more acceptance of gender non-conformity in the “real” world? It is interesting how gender has created discrimination in the world of drag, which was built on subverting gender norms. Seems pretty ironic to me.
ReplyDeleteHello Rachel! This is Laura Acevedo. I think you did a wonderful job covering the essential ideas from the text and finding applications. I particularly enjoyed the way you integrated your quotes into your argument. I could be wrong, but I think RuPaul has apologized for his statements about drag not including those who are trans women or cis-gendered. Please correct me if I'm wrong, of course. Why do think there are still people who do not consider masculine and feminine as ideas rather than strict guidelines?
ReplyDeleteGreat job applying the concept of what Butler was saying in her essay. How do you think society can change the idea's about what gender is thought to be? It seems that people who express themselves get ridiculed for it and I'm wondering what people can do to change the way society thinks. Maybe the way gender is portrayed is a beginning.
ReplyDelete