Stories of the “Woman Experience” in art… or the lack of it

Visit any major museum in any large city, and your experience will be one of visual stimulation, and one of inevitably also a source of information. Information about experiences that are considered important by the museum curators to share. I do wonder how much thought is actually being put as to whose experiences are we including, and most importantly, whose experiences are being excluded?

I am driven by research and by my personal desire to find representation, and in the lack of it, to create that representation in my own art.

As I am preparing for a community building activity that focuses on “Seeing Mothers” through Art, I had selected a couple of artworks from the digital catalogue on the National Museum’s website. I headed there yesterday to see these paintings in person, my notes were ready, and I was looking to have a quiet moment of reflection seeing the artworks I had selected in person. To my surprise the paintings were not in display, as they had been removed since my last visit. Except for one of them. I then decided to actively look for alternative paintings to include in my talk.

What became consistently obvious, was the lack of accurate representation for minorities, or for diverse experiences with regards to motherhood, loss, queer experiences and as a whole, the woman experience. I left feeling disappointed but not entirely finding this to be a unique experience when visiting any museum.

I have to ask these questions as I see the perpetuation of narratives that as a society are no longer relevant or acceptable. I appreciate the opportunity I have to see the art, but I demand more as it is not right that so much is being left out.