With enough experience,

could you tell if an artwork was created by a woman or a man?

 

Almost certainly not.

 

Physical differences between women and men have little impact on the art they create. Even strength, or the size of hands, really has little impact.

 

You can still find publications which say that women artists are ‘more naturally’ inclined towards domestic subjects, to nature, to watercolour and to small canvases. Or that there is some distinctive essence in women’s art which distinguishes it from men’s art.

No. Not true.

 

But the artist's gender profoundly affects what they bring to the work; to what their artwork has to say to us.

 

Every artist brings their priorities in life and in art;

their life experiences;

the way they see the world.

And these will often be very different for women and for men.

 

An exhibition is currently running at Worthing Art Gallery which examines these very issues.

 

Female Voices runs until 15 February 2020.

See it soon!