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Thank you, Bonfim, I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you said. It warms my heart!
I believe sexism truly does exist in the art world, that it is not just in the mind of this woman who asked the question. It's also not a self-esteem issue, though having self-confidence is a very important ingredient for success. The realization of the "uneven playing field" happened in a similar way to me. As a child, I always wanted to be an artist and I was totally encouraged by my parents in this. I don't remember ever doubting my abilities. Self-doubt was just not on my radar. I assumed I could be whatever I wanted to be. And why not?
When I was a little older, maybe 12 and into my teens, I became aware that my mother was having problems in her career. She was passed over for tenure although she was more than qualified. She was kept at a lower level as a professor and was denied benefits that other people got at her level. She complained and got nowhere. She wasn't a social reformer taking on the system, but a single mother and working professional. Architecture was (and is) her life and she was trying to support herself and me, while asking for what she deserved. As a result she got negative reactions from people in her department. As you know, universities are very political places and you have to play the game. She never knew how to play the game, she was just straightforward and it got her nowhere. I also saw female colleagues of hers become known just as much for their outspoken ("strident") views on women's rights as for their work, when their outstanding work should have been totally the focus of people's attention. This was a time when there were very few women architects, so in order to be well known you had to be pretty darn good.
I suppose I drove my mother nuts when I would say to her that I just didn't see any problem for women artists. She would say, "Well, honey, that's wonderful and I hope you never do." Like many young people, I thought her problems were of the past generation, and that I would never see things like that happen. Also, there were many more female artists, so they would never be in the minority like female architects. In 1995 I joined a gallery that has a good balance of male and female artists. We were (and are) all treated well and so I continued blissfully along thinking there was no sexism in the art world, or that I was immune to it.
Then I began to hit the glass ceiling. Actually I think there are many, many glass ceilings at many heights. At first I didn't realize what was happening. I just felt that I was expending an enormous amount of effort (something I do anyway) and getting nowhere. Eventually I did get somewhere but I began to realize I would have to work about twice as hard!
I was shocked to find out that a woman I know was told by her gallery that their work has to be priced lower because the men are the breadwinners and their careers needed more push. I was shocked to realize my art history textbook only had one woman artist in it--and I had never noticed! Or that only 9% (or some ridiculously low percentage) of work in museums is by women. I was horrified to hear that people don't collect work by women because it is "less collectable," i.e. doesn't rise in value as fast or as much. WHY? It's a very complex interweaving of subtle factors that feed each other in a vicious cycle. People have underlying assumptions and attitudes that they communicate to others without realizing it. It's impossible to know what causes what.
I'm concerned about the problem in general and what it means for all women and men (my artist friends and beyond), and I wish the problem didn't exist. But I have very little interest in whining and complaining. When Michele says she does her very best for her family and clients, that strikes a chord with me. Working is much more interesting and rewarding than spending my time complaining about inequities, etc.. I am a naturally upbeat person and I naturally keep focused because there's a lot I want to say in my lifetime and life is so short! If I have to work even harder, so be it. At least I'm dong what I love to do, which is more than a lot of people can say.
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