As a medium embroidery and other textile based arts have not been considered an art form during most of the past, or even the present. These media were related to women's work in the house and seen as mere domestic crafts, and thus were of no importance to the male-dominated world of western arts until the rise of feminism. New forms of embroidery and textile arts were developed within the overbearing stereotype in the past decades.
For instance, more abstract and massive installations were created by women artists who managed to break through in the male dominated art scene. Most famous in this choice of medium is feminist artist Judy Chicago's Dinner Party (1979, Image 1), consisting of three long tables placed in a triangular form (resembling the female symbol of the upside down triangle) on which famous women from history and mythology are resembled. The richly embroidered personalised name tags and beautifully crafted and suggestively painted porcelain are all considered women's works, on top of the theme of making the table ready for dinner.
For instance, more abstract and massive installations were created by women artists who managed to break through in the male dominated art scene. Most famous in this choice of medium is feminist artist Judy Chicago's Dinner Party (1979, Image 1), consisting of three long tables placed in a triangular form (resembling the female symbol of the upside down triangle) on which famous women from history and mythology are resembled. The richly embroidered personalised name tags and beautifully crafted and suggestively painted porcelain are all considered women's works, on top of the theme of making the table ready for dinner.
At this very moment however, there seems to be a big rise in finer, more delicately embroidered pictures, that can be found declaring political and feminist messages, which are mostly brought to our attention via social media such as Instagram.
As the contemporary artform we see it in today, most often there is a reaction or connection to mass produced media and consumerism, such as magazines and newspapers, but social media plays a big role as well in the contemporary form of embroidered art. The contrast lies within these themes of throw-away culture versus the time consuming, hand made medium.
As the contemporary artform we see it in today, most often there is a reaction or connection to mass produced media and consumerism, such as magazines and newspapers, but social media plays a big role as well in the contemporary form of embroidered art. The contrast lies within these themes of throw-away culture versus the time consuming, hand made medium.
As women are often portrayed in mass media as objects of the male gaze or forced to consume products to become more attractive or a better woman in life, these artists reclaim these visualised bodies with the power of cross-stitch (Image 2, Inge Jacobsen). Other embroidered pieces seen online reclaim the female body directly, stitching images of vulvae and celebrating female sexuality with a stereotypical, domestically female medium
Even more direct in reclaiming the body is stitching directly onto the skin, as seen in work by Eliza Bennet, who projects female stereotypes and social constructs onto herself in this way in her photographic series A woman's work is never done (2013, Image 3). This series represents how traditionally women's work is often seen as light and easy, while in reality the hard manual labour women traditionally do is often undervalued (and underpaid).
Even more direct in reclaiming the body is stitching directly onto the skin, as seen in work by Eliza Bennet, who projects female stereotypes and social constructs onto herself in this way in her photographic series A woman's work is never done (2013, Image 3). This series represents how traditionally women's work is often seen as light and easy, while in reality the hard manual labour women traditionally do is often undervalued (and underpaid).
Embroidery, as well as other media that might not be considered immediately as a form of high art, can hold a strong political message in itself. The choice of medium is an important one, considering its meaning in the past and present. Combined with feminist themes considering female stereotypes and reclaiming the body from the male gaze, the medium of embroidery tells a new story within a female historic context in a even more democratic, open form via social media.