Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research question of this thesis was: What is the nature of the social
boundaries that define women as a group, how has this been depicted throughout
the ages and, more specifically, in the work of South African artists, Vladimir
Tretchikoff and Irma Stern, and what comment does my own work seem to make
on these boundaries? The study used an analytical approach to pursue these
questions, while the works of art were analysed according to the levels of
interpretation suggested by Panofsky and Dietrich, The aim of this research was
also to analyse my own body of work more theoretically within the context of
postmodern feminist thought to determine how it resonates with earlier
assumptions regarding women. For this purpose a comparison was made between,
on the one hand, what Tretchikoff and Stern's respective depictions of women
reveal about traditional conventions that hold women captive and, on the other,
how my own work seems to question the boundaries that society imposes on
women.
Both Tretchikoff and Stern were successful enough to raise public consciousness
on issues that concerned female subjugation. Seemingly for very different
reasons, however, they remained apathetic to the quest for women's liberation.
The study shows that Tretchikoff's work reflects a blatant disregard of the
identities and social realities of his models, and romanticises their constraints
instead. Stern, on the other hand, could not have been unaware of the societal
limitations imposed on women. Yet she chose to remain aloof. While she seemed
to be able to move masculine requirements and the demands of society to the
background to depict women as natural and almost free of stereotype in some of
her works, she cannot be seen to have made a major contribution to the liberation
of women. In contrast, I have found many similarities throughout the study
between feminist thought of the Second Wave and the thought processes mirrored
in my art.
In addition to the expected outcome, the study has shown that it is possible to
trace developments in feminist thought in art. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingsvraag behels die volgende: Wat is die aard van die maatskaplike
grense wat vroue in 'n ondergeskikte posisie in die gemeenskap gehou het, en hoe is
dit naspeurbaar in kuns, en meer spesifiek in die werk van twee Suid-Afrikaanse
kunstenaars, Vladimir Tretchikoff en Irma Stem. Laastens, hoe lewer my eie werk
kommentaar op hierdie vorm van onderdrukking. Die studie volg 'n analitiese
benadering in die ontleding van die geselekteerde kunswerke, soos voorgestel deur
Panofsky en Dietriech. Die doel van die studie was om binne die konteks van 'n
postmodernistiese feministiese raamwerk 'n meer teoretiese ontleding van my eie
werk te maak om vas te stel hoe dit ooreenkom met vroeer aannames oor die vrou.
Vir hierdie doel is daar 'n vergelyking getref tussen, aan die een kant, die
kommentaar wat Tretchikoff en Stem se werk oor die onderdrukking van vroue
maak en, aan die ander kant, hoe my eie werk hierdie konvensies blootle.
Beide Tretchikoff en Stern was in die posisie om die publiek bewus te maak van die
ondergeskiktheid van vroue binne hulle gemeenskap. Ten spyte hiervan, toon die
studie dat beide apaties gestaan het teenoor die lot van vroue, hoewel om
verskillende redes. Terwyl Tretchikoff se werk die toonbeeld van 'n blatante
miskenning van die verskillende indentiteite en maatskaplike realiteite van sy
modelle is, en eerder kies om hulle toestande te romantiseer, kon Stern, as 'n vrou,
nie onbewus gewees het van die lot van die vroue van haar tyd nie. Ten spyte
hiervan, het sy apaties teenoor die ondergeskiktheid van vroue gestaan. Terwyl dit
wil voorkom as of sy die patriargale eise van die gemeenskap op die agtergrond kon
skuif om haar vroue as natuurlik en bykans vry van stereotipes uit te beeld, kan sy
nie gesien word as iemand wat daadwerklik tot vroue se strewe na gelykheid
bygedra het nie. In teenstelling hiermee, het die studie deurgaans 'n ooreenkoms
aangetoon tussen die feministiese denke van die "Tweede Golf' en die denkprosesse
wat in my eie kuns weerspieel word.
'n Bykomende bevinding van die studie is dat die ontwikkeling van feministiese
denke in die kuns nagespeur kan word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52855 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Keith, Marlise |
| Contributors | Gunter, E., Groenewald, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 154 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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