Jody Hewgill illustration for OUT MAGAZINE. “I was asked to create an illustration to accompany “THE KNOCKOUT,“ an excerpt from the novel LAST NIGHT, by Brendan Lemon, which is about a young American gay male who journeys to Cuba in pursuit of an 18-year-old Cuban boxer."
THEY'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY
How far have women come in parity to their male counterparts?
San Jose State University professor Alice “Bunny” Carter, author
of The Red Rose Girls: An Uncommon Story of Art and Love, The Art of
National Geographic, and Cecilia Beaux: A Modern Painter in the Victorian
Age, discusses the early days of women in illustration (and
believe me girls, it wasn’t always rosy):
“In the 19th century, women were expected to be moral exemplars
who upheld the ethical standards of the family and saved the men from their baser instincts. Toward this end, training in art
was considered beneficial,” Carter explains.
“For American men working towards an art career, a number
of excellent schools were available. But women’s institutions were
scarce. Until the middle of the 19th century, it was considered
needless and inadvisable for a woman to prepare for any professional
career. For women interested in art, and fortunate enough
to be provided with a fashionable education, private tutors taught
lessons,” she notes.
“The curriculum, known as drawing from the ‘flat,’ consisted
of copying the tutor’s own drawings or replicating engravings of
work by well-known artists. Although amateur accomplishment
in art was considered an advantageous social refinement, professional
studies in figure drawing classes were feared to compromise
a woman’s virtue by inflaming her passions and making her un. t
for marriage,” Carter relates.
Thankfully, the attainment of marriage is no longer the primary
goal of most women, and female art students are allowed
into figure drawing classes where male models are permitted full
exposure (imagine having to draw nude castrated corpses, which
is how some schools eluded that issue!). Even so, in the visual arts
today, says Carter, “There is still a reluctance to afford distinction
to the unique voice of women, and only the most able and persistent
succeed.”
Portrait of Christopher Carrabba, the lead singer of EMO band DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL,
for ROLLING STONE. “... EMO music is all about emotion and wearing your heart on your sleeve. He is wearing his tattoos on his sleeve and is holding his heart in his offering hand.”
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY
The women contacted for this article feel that female illustrators
today have the same opportunity to succeed enjoyed by their
male counterparts if they work hard and market themselves well.
Unlike their earlier predecessors, many female illustrators—
Kinuko Y. Craft, Anita Kunz, Jody Hewgill, Cathie Bleck, and
Luba Lukova, to name a few—have recognizable names, receive
awards, and exhibit their work in galleries. There is a camaraderie
and mutual admiration among illustrators; sexual equality rarely
seems an issue—after all, erosion of intellectual rights and media
consolidation are not gender-specific. Pay equity may still need to
be addressed, but only one woman I spoke with felt more competitive
with her male peers than with her sisters. If there is a divide,
it’s more generational than sexual—more about technological
comfort levels and discovering new markets—the same old school/
new school schism that affects all creative industries.
“This industry is a meritocracy,” states Toronto illustrator
Anita Kunz. “At best, it shouldn’t make any difference if an artist
is male, female, gay, straight, black, white, or green. What should
ultimately matter is the quality of the work and the professionalism
the artist displays.” She expressed ambivalence about being
asked to contribute to women’s shows or women’s articles. “It’s so
easy to make generalizations based upon personal experience. I’m
dubious whether focusing on a certain group of artists is useful or not. I’ve been asked many times by students if being female has impacted my career in any way, and I have to answer that I don’t
have personal experience any other way so I simply don’t know!
Certainly there is much racism and sexism in the world and it follows
that there would be some in this industry. To think otherwise
is naive.”
Fellow Canadian Jody Hewgill believes, “The best illustrators,
regardless of their gender, can create visual solutions for any subject
matter, but in general terms, perhaps women have more of an
affinity for sensitive material.” While she feels that women often
draw upon their intuitive and empathic sensibilities, she also says,
“I think a woman’s sensibilities can bring an interesting perspective
to a stereotypical male subject matter.” She enjoys tackling a
variety of subjects. “I would be bored without the diversity. I’m
just as comfortable illustrating a story on boxers, or Mexican wrestlers,
as I am doing an article on breast cancer.”
“If anything, women are now in a unique position to make a
difference in art because the world is ready to listen,” claims Los
Angeles-based Ann Field, outgoing president of ICON and head
of the illustration department at Art Center School of Design in
Pasadena. “We are in the freest place on earth, the United States
of America, where anything really is possible. Women are listened
to, and sought out.” As an immigrant (now citizen) looking back
on her career, she can recall certain projects where her sex was a
plus to the agency or art director, the Levi’s Jeans for Women campaign
for instance, which has become a calling card for her. “The
art directors particularly wanted a woman’s point of view, and I
was able to contribute with ideas as well as artwork,” Field says. “I
see this as a continuing trend. It is simply a smart thing for the client
to do.”
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