Women Can't Paint: Gender, the Glass Ceiling and Values in Contemporary Art

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In 2013 Georg Baselitz declared that women dont paint very well. Whilst shocking, his comments reveal what Helen Grrill argues is prolific discrimination in the artworld. In a groundbreaking study of gender and value, Grrill proves that there are few aesthetic differences in men and womens painting, but that mens art is valued at up to 80 per cent more than womens. Indeed, the power of masculinity is such that when men sign their work it goes up in value, yet when women sign their work it goes down. Museums, the author attests, are also complicit in this vicious cycle as they collect tokenist female artwork which impinges upon its artists market value. An essential text for students and teachers, Grrills book is provocative and challenges existing methodologies whilst introducing shocking evidence. She proves how the price of being a woman impacts upon all forms of artistic currency, be it social, cultural or economic and in the vanguard of the Me Too movement calls for the artworld to take action.

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A detailed analysis of how women are sidelined in the art world and how they can fight back a sound expos of the systematic vilification of art by women. * Times Higher Education *

Author Bio

Helen Grrill holds a PhD in the gendered economic and symbolic values in contemporary painting. She is an artist, academic and author, lecturing in visual culture and (in)equalities.