Gender and Evaluation in Fine Art

Abstract

The significance of gender and its potential as a stigmatic social label in the field of art is investigated. As art objectifies both a society's ideals and biases, the recognition and appreciation of art can be seen as a pivotl point from which to study social values. Gender, having been previously identified as a stigmatic label in formalized careers, is hypothesized to account for the lack of recognized art works by women: Especially as the realm of art has no formalized criteria for evaluatlng competence. The supposed existence of an aesthetic difference between the art works of men and women is also explored.