Critiquing Women

This stop is important to highlight how even feminist theory there is divergence over the best ways to combat gendered hierarchies. On the one hand liberalists may choose to reclaim sexuality in order to achieve empowerment, or access to what women have historically been denied. On the other hand radical feminists would argue that the reclamation is false, and only exists within a paradigm of male power. To elaborate, reclaiming sexuality/femininity as Cherie Buttonss does arguable boxes women into a specific narrative. This critique is visible in a paste-up seen in Collingwood that satires Cherie Buttonss social success which condemns the sexualisation of women within her work. “No art is descent without big tits and a trout pout”.

The paste-up however, departs from ideological critique and then lends itself to more personal attacks against Cherie's artistic style and her authenticity as a street artist. Though the gender of the artist who made the paste-up is unknown this is an important time to discuss the ways women are taught to compete with each other for success. I contacted Cherie Buttonss myself and she has stated that she does not believe gender has negatively impacted her as an artist in any way, and women that do aren’t pushing hard enough. I would argue that this is because she has been afforded other social privileges and would ask the tour group to consider the gaping absence of women of colour from mainstream street art. While we all know the name Banksy, why do so few know women of colour artists?

Images

Map