Art as collective action: the collective work of feminist artists and the critique to the individual (male) genius: the case of Claire Fontaine

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the phenomenon of feminist artistic collectives. It explores the reasons that led to feminist art as a collective activity, especially from the second wave of feminism. The thesis confronts the typical modalities of male presence in the art world, the myth of the exceptional individual and the solitary approach to the artistic work . My perspective focuses on critical reviews that thematize artistic work as a collective activity, case study’s analysis and interview. The first chapter analyzes the figure of the “genius” artist and its conception in the Western tradition of Art History. It discusses how social systems disadvantage women artists, discussing the sociological theory of Howard S. Becker and the sociological perspective of Natalie Heinich. The second chapter investigates how Feminism theorized the arts, their idea of the professional artist and the collective as a way to escape the professional and cultural isolation where they have been relegated for decades. The third chapter analyzes Feminist Art History from its beginning in the late Sixties/early Seventies, referring to feminist artistic collective actions and artworks. It reviews some of the actions of the pioneering feminist artists who began to theorize and spread feminism in the art field. The fourth chapter eventually examines the case studies of the feminist artistic collective Claire Fontaine and its relation with Carla Lonzi, one of the pioneering Italian feminist theorists and art critics.