Palmer Museum of Art Visit

Self-Portrait as Women Recovering from Effects of Male Gaze (What’s Underneath), Julie Heffernan, oil on canvas, 1992

      When I first saw the painting it just looked like simple painting of apples and pears full of reds, greens, and browns. It looked appealing but nothing out of the ordinary or special. When I looked a little deeper into it I saw that mixed within the apples and pears were different individual pictures. I realized that it wasn’t just a nice painting of some random apples and pears, but a beautiful piece that held multiple pieces with deep meaning in them. Some of the inner drawings were more detailed than the others and some depicted different scenes in life. Some of the inner images consisted of a woman with a man tied up, a woman at a lake with a child while a man was off in the distance, a girl eating breakfast in bed, quotes that are very hard to read, and many more.

    Made in 1992 it feels like the artist is trying to prove that women are still not equal to men or are still facing hardships from men, even though equal rights have been established. Its making a social comment to men and women that even though they are considered equal on paper they aren’t necessarily in life. One of the pictures that stuck out to me was of a man tied up and a woman standing next to him, to me it is like the artist is voicing her feministic opinion that women need to be more in control.  Another one of the smaller pictures was of a woman and child at a lake with a man off in the distance, almost as if to symbolize that, men can go out as they please while it’s expected of a woman to stay with the children. Almost all of the smaller things in the portrait express the artist feminist views as well.

      For me this piece really worked a range of emotions. I wouldn’t say it invokes anger but it did make me somewhat upset at what role women are cast into even today.  It also somehow gave me a slight feeling of empowerment because in some of the scenes the women are in power and it gives the sense that I wasn’t the only one with the feeling of how wrong the roles of society are. It connected to my values because I too believe that men and women should be equal and if a woman wants to be the money winner in the family and not stay at home cooking, cleaning, and watching children then all the power to her. I don’t really feel it’s a major problem today because if a woman really wants to then she can go and get an education and have a career, but I feel it’s still somewhat expected of her to be the one who takes care of the home and it shouldn’t be.

      The artist is credible because she has a B.F.A. with high honors from University of California, and a M.F.A from Yale School of Art. She has won many awards and fellowships for her work, and has also had teaching experience in the field.

         My overall experience at the Palmer was unexpectedly enjoyable. I love going museums, but it was my first time going to an art museum and I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. You would think with me being from the area I would have been there before, but it was a completely new experience for me. When I went I was one of the only people there and it was a pleasant, calm, relaxing, atmosphere. I wandered around a bit awestruck at most of the pieces especially the older pottery. When I went upstairs I was really impressed with everything. I would see myself going back possibly when I want some peace and quiet or just to relax and look at some of the art again. 

 

Citations

"P·P·O·W | Julie Heffernan | Biography." P·P·O·W. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.                        <http://www.ppowgallery.com/biography.php?artist=10>.