Written by | Tan Xurui
Ditchling will hold an Wikipedia editing meeting, aiming to correct gender inequality
In June this year, the Ditchling Museum of Arts and Crafts in the UK will hold a Wikipedia "Editor Marathon", inviting hundreds of volunteers to edit Wikipedia entries. The main purpose of this edit is to refine what Wikipedia has about female craftsmen in the 20th century, one of hundreds of “editor marathons” to correct gender bias around the world.
The museum's efforts are to prevent the contributions made by women from being ignored. Image source: Guardian.
Ditchling Arts and Crafts Manager Abby Bucher
(Abby Butcher)
said that female craftsmen are undoubtedly at risk of being forgotten. Male artists have always dominated the history of handicrafts, in which women suffer from serious gender bias and discrimination. "This is the result you can imagine: they are women, they lived in the early 20th century, and there were many male craftsmen who dominated the entire industry, which was obviously made by patriarchal power." Bucher believes that less than 10% of the women in Wikipedia's edits have also worsened this gender bias.
Starting from June 1, volunteers can edit entries on Wikipedia in museums. Bucher believes that the Internet is a very important research tool for the younger generation, and if artists don’t appear in it, they will be quickly forgotten.
"Editor Marathon" is a very important activity to support female artists, although it is not perfect yet. "We invite volunteers to come to the museum and learn how to edit Wikipedia with experts. It's a start, and after that they can do the work at home: all you need is a laptop and the network. We hope everyone can stick to it," Buchel said.
Germain Greer publicly satirizes " Mona Lisa ", and Leonardo da Vinci has no imagination?
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the death of the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci . Events have been held in many places to commemorate this great Renaissance art master.
But at the Welsh Hay Festival, a writer, Germaine Greer,
(Germaine Greer)
publicly satirized the painter.
"Mona Lisa, a half-dead woman, with a strange green face."
"I can't forgive " Last Supper ", it was painted on the walls of all monasteries in Italy, but it is obviously one of the worst paintings."
The famous painting "Mona Lisa" surrounded by many tourists. Image source: Guardian.
It is obvious that in Germain Greer's heart, Leonardo da Vinci is not a top artist. Greer said that she has been repeatedly disappointed with Leonardo as an artist in recent years. His famous painting "Mona Lisa" was very common in Venetian art at that time. "As for that famous smile, this is what I call the Leonardo fake smile, you can find it anywhere."
Greer traveled from Australia to Europe when he was young. In the Louvre in Paris, she was shocked by the paintings of Raphael . "This work is gentle, elegant, and very well painted, but no one looks at it, and everyone is staring at the strange green-faced woman."
Lille believes that Leonardo is unqualified as an artist. He is always distracted by other things. "He is very interesting, but he is also impetuous. I think he is always easily distracted from his creations." "I can respect Leonardo as an experimenter, although sometimes he seems to be an experimenter who lacks imagination."
Artemisia self-portraits are on display in British prisons, attracting heated discussions among female prisoners
Recently, the famous painter Artemisia Gentilleschi
(Artemisia Gentileschi)
's self-portrait is on display in a prison in a suburb of the UK.
The National Gallery of Britain bought this self-portrait of Artemisia for £3.6 million last year and lent the artworks in the collection to a prison for the first time. Prison administrator Karin Dixon said she was more afraid of the paintings destroying the work than they feared that the paintings caused riots among prisoners.
Artemisia's self-portrait is on display in prison, attracting a large number of female prisoners. Image source: Guardian.
Atemisia was born in 17th century Roman , and her father was a famous local painter. At the age of 17, Artemisia was sexually assaulted by a painter Tasi. Due to the lack of perfect laws to protect women, Tasi eventually escaped the punishment and accused Artemisia of prostitution, leaving her torture. After this incident, Artemisia and her father came to Florence to live and officially began her painting career.
Artemisia's works have extremely high saturation and baroque style, and the themes are often related to violence and revenge. Critics have always believed that there is a deep hatred for men in her works. Her work resonates with many female prisoners, “72% of women are subjected to some form of abuse in prison,” Dixon explains. The work's exhibition in prison will be part of the National Gallery Artemisia Tour next year.
Stonewalls 50th anniversary, New York sets monument for two trans activists
As New York City begins to address gender and gender differences between its public statues, it announced it will set up monuments for two trans activists Martha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera at Greenwich Village . The monument will be located on Sixth Avenue, just steps from the historic Stonewall Hotel.
Martha Johnson is a well-known black gay activist. Since she was five years old, she has tried to wear women's clothing and is known as the "first black drag queen".
Martha Johnson in women's clothing. Image source: Wikipedia.
Martha has devoted her life to homosexual and transgender High-rights movements. When some young people are excluded and homeless by their families because of their non-traditional sexual behavior and gender performance, Martha is also actively fighting for their rights. Professor Susan Stsyke, who studies gender and women's issues, said in an interview with the New York Times : "Martha Johnson is probably the most marginalized person - black, gay, poor, transgender. You may think that people in this position are vulnerable and easily defeated, but Martha is the opposite. She can find happiness in a painful world."
Like Martha, Rivera is also an important participant in the Stone Wall Movement. In 1970, Martha and Rivera jointly established the Street Transvestite Revolutionaries Association in New York,
(STAR), to provide young transgender people with accommodation, clothing, food and other daily necessities.
In 2017, New York City opened its first municipal shelter for homeless LGBTQ personnel, named Marsha’s House in memory of Marsha’s Johnson. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stone Wall Movement, and this action in New York City is also believed to be a commemoration of the gay equal rights movement.
References
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/may/30/edit-a-thons-aim-to-ensure-craftswomens-legacy-on-internet
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/27/short-of-imagination-germaine-greeer-scorns-leonardo-da-vinci-art
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/27/short-of-imagination-germaine-greer-scorns-leonardo-da-vinci-art
Guardian: https://www.the guardian.com/artanddesign/2019/may/28/artemisia-gentileschi-painting-tour-women-jail-send-prison
Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/news/artsy-editorial-new-monument-new-york-city-will-honor-two-pioneering-transgender-activists
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