In today’s society, we are more accepting of gender equality - and rightly so. After years of oppression, women are finally given the chance to speak up when it comes to politics, business and something as simple as their general, social attitude.
Art that reflected women empowerment began around the times when women began to fight back. Hoping to take the proper gander approach, famous artists like Emily Andrews sarcastically painted women as ‘Convicts’ and ‘Lunatics’ to ‘ruffle the nation’s feathers’ in 1912.
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” - Margaret Thatcher.
Modern-day rights for women are much better than what they were in the early 1900’s. However, some still believe that women don’t have the mental strength to have a role in politics. Many still stand by the idea that women are too impulsive and indecisive to make rash decisions, which has caused an uproar over the last few years in our society.
There have only been few influential Woman politicians in the world over the past couple of hundred years, women such as Michelle Obama, Indira Gandhi and Princess Diana. This was a huge opportunity for Artists to capture the range of attitudes to this topic. Modern artists such as Shepard Fairey and Angela Y. Davis to create controversial pieces around societal issues.
Gheorghe Virtosu, a well-known contemporary artist, designs pieces based on problems within the modern social hierarchy; including women empowerment. His most recent work on this topic, ‘Woman Politician’, really plays with the idea of the outcomes of politics being heavily run by women.
Woman Politician – (2017)
As you can see here, Virtosu uses an awful lot of pink in this piece to portray the idea of women being associated with the color pink. The fury and mixture of the dull and bright shades allow the audience to interpret the experiences and attitudes regarding women’s rights in the modern day society.
The painting is sort of dull, in the sense that although there is an improvement towards women in politics, it is still viewed as a negative idea, and the audience gathers an overall feeling of sadness upon viewing.
Much like an angered nation, the brush can touch the canvas gently, or attack in a swiping motion. This really captures Gheorghe's feelings towards this social issue. Gheorghe constantly blurs the borders between objective and abstract within this piece.
Virtosu strengthens his attitude towards women empowerment, with another painting named ‘Female Samurai Warrior’, in which he displays a fiery range of orange tones, and deep onyx brush strokes to portray the image of battle and strength.
Female Samurai Warrior (2017)
This not only reflects the attitudes towards women empowerment but displays that this ‘Female Samurai Warrior’ is finally fighting back. You really feel the frustration of her battle and are somewhat intimidated by what she has to offer.
Gheorghe Virtosu’s art is a ‘vibrant living manifestation of the world around’. And you can really see this in his work.
Woman Politician – (2017)
