Reengaging with the Art-Historical Female-Nude Subject through Feminist Deconstruction in Contemporary Painting
type: CreativeWork
description: How can painting be used to reengage with the art-historical female-nude subject through its feminist deconstruction – and what does this mean in relation to contemporary art? There is still a tendency among scholars to privilege formal analysis of an artwork at the expense of discussing (gendered) identity or, conversely, to focus exclusively on identity politics so that it overwhelms any discussion of form. This practice-based research thesis holds the two approaches in tension by examining the act of painting – itself a mode of generative research – while also investigating feminist art practice and criticism on painting and the body. Some practitioners working in contemporary figurative painting reengage with the art historical subject of the female nude. A number of them are given attention for the way they subvert and overthrow conventional narratives and histories. Reviewing these closely reveals a consistent avoidance among painting practitioners of a certain type of image or pose too firmly situated within historical convention. My practice-based research which is situated in the field of feminism and contemporary painting therefore seeks to discuss the possible reclamation of a space for representing what could be described as an ‘indeterminate’ and ‘beautiful’ female nude in reaction to strands of feminist art practice and criticism that have problematised the representation of a formalised ideal body. My thesis considers whether this subversion reaches the heart of the issue given our knowledge of the persistence of such historical paradigms. From a practitioner’s point of view, specifically with regard to my own practice, this thesis operates as a ‘post-rationalisation’ of creative practice, for which feminist scholarship led by figures such as Griselda Pollock and Hilary Robinson has been pivotal. This research contributes to the thinking around how the implications of second-wave feminism have affected the terms of contemporary painting, adding to deb…
abstract: How can painting be used to reengage with the art-historical female-nude subject through its feminist deconstruction – and what does this mean in relation to contemporary art? There is still a tendency among scholars to privilege formal analysis of an artwork at the expense of discussing (gendered) identity or, conversely, to focus exclusively on identity politics so that it overwhelms any discussion of form. This practice-based research thesis holds the two approaches in tension by examining the act of painting – itself a mode of generative research – while also investigating feminist art practice and criticism on painting and the body. Some practitioners working in contemporary figurative painting reengage with the art historical subject of the female nude. A number of them are given attention for the way they subvert and overthrow conventional narratives and histories. Reviewing these closely reveals a consistent avoidance among painting practitioners of a certain type of image or pose too firmly situated within historical convention. My practice-based research which is situated in the field of feminism and contemporary painting therefore seeks to discuss the possible reclamation of a space for representing what could be described as an ‘indeterminate’ and ‘beautiful’ female nude in reaction to strands of feminist art practice and criticism that have problematised the representation of a formalised ideal body. My thesis considers whether this subversion reaches the heart of the issue given our knowledge of the persistence of such historical paradigms. From a practitioner’s point of view, specifically with regard to my own practice, this thesis operates as a ‘post-rationalisation’ of creative practice, for which feminist scholarship led by figures such as Griselda Pollock and Hilary Robinson has been pivotal. This research contributes to the thinking around how the implications of second-wave feminism have affected the terms of contemporary painting, adding to deb…
author: Vickers, Anna
language: en
keywords: Feminism, Women's Studies, Fine Art, Painting
identifier: Vickers, Anna <https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/view/creators/Vickers=3AAnna=3A=3A.html> (2022) Reengaging with the Art-Historical Female-Nude Subject through Feminist Deconstruction in Contemporary Painting. PhD thesis, University of the Arts London.
date published: 2022-01
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:00:50Z
provider: University of the Arts London
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of the Arts London