A Little Reflection

[Zara McPartland]

This presentation was both informative and inspiring; exploring subgenres and topics within art is always exciting (its boundless and evolutionary nature leaves so much to be experienced), but it was particularly enlightening to listen to Ms. Fabijanska. I had never heard of ecofeminism before this class; of course I had seen art created with an ecological impact in mind, but never with the additional intent to advance women’s rights. It was truly disheartening and aggravating to hear about women’s presence (or rather, lack thereof) in the art world; it was a hefty reminder of the gender disparities that exist outside of legislation, wages, and other mainstream topics. When Ms. Fabijanska pointed out the origins of the word ‘masterpiece’, I had to take a second to process. It had never occurred to me, despite how obvious it is, that even the world ‘masterpiece’ is attributed to men. In my high school art program, I constantly used ‘masterpiece’ to describe the amazing work of the girls around me; it almost diminishes the memories I have of their beautiful paintings and sketches, knowing that the word was never meant for us in the first place. On a different note, it’s exceptionally satisfying, knowing that some of their artwork would have been hanging in the MET had there not been a pandemic. I hope our progress makes the old, ignorant artists of the past roll in their graves.

In the future, I’ll be on the lookout for any potential ecofeminist exhibitions! I think it would be quite lovely and worthwhile to speak to these talented women.

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