Imagine it's 1981. You're an artist, in love with art, smitten with art history. You're also a woman, with almost no mentors to look to art history just isn't that into you. Any woman approaching art history in the early eighties was attempting to enter an almost foreign country, a restricted and exclusionary domain that spoke a private language.
In this passage, Jerry Saltz reflects on the challenges women faced in the early 1980s when trying to enter the art world. He highlights the lack of female mentors and the feeling of being an outsider in a male-dominated field. Saltz's words evoke a sense of empathy and understanding for the women who struggled to make a name for themselves in this environment.
Saltz's quote serves as a powerful reminder of the barriers that women faced in the art world during the early 1980s. It emphasizes the importance of representation and the need for female role models in order to break down these barriers.
The early 1980s were a time of significant change in the art world, with the rise of postmodernism and the increasing recognition of women's contributions to the field. However, despite these advancements, women still faced many challenges in terms of representation and recognition.
Jerry Saltz is a renowned American art critic and journalist. He has written for numerous publications, including New York Magazine and Art in America. Saltz is known for his insightful and engaging writing style, which has earned him widespread recognition and respect within the art world.
Saltz's quote can be seen as a call to action, encouraging women to pursue their passions in the art world despite the challenges they may face. It also highlights the importance of representation and the need for female role models in order to break down these barriers.