Gibson Girls by Astra de la Crème in London

Watercolour and Ink on Paper. Inspired by the illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson, the American graphic artist is best known for the creation of his iconic Gibson Girls. The artist represented the ideal of what an independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century should be/act/look like. I was particularly interested in Gibson's work at the time, as I was starting to really understand further Feminist theories and Gender politics within my life and also the world. ⁠ Dana represented an assertive ideal of women that demonstrated a certain conflict with the existing sexual hierarchies and gender roles at that time. However, despite Gibson's 'attempt to elevate the women's image in society, the conversation was again approached in a conservative and limiting way, and still via the male gaze.⁠ At the same time, I was reading a book called The Bed in the Balcony by the Brazilian psychoanalyst and writer, Regina Navarro Lins. This book was on the biggest success of the 90s, as is discussed in a revolutionary manner, the human sexual history, the empowerment of women in the Antiquity to the rise of patriarchy and new social norms. ⁠