Reimagining the Ultra-Contemporary Art Landscape: Challenges and Market Dynamics for Women Artists

Odile Chen / Ravenel Quarterly No. 43 / May 2023

In this column, I delve into a compelling and timely subject: the burgeoning influence of women in the art world and the current market dynamics surrounding female artists. This topic has ignited a global discourse among curators and scholars, with gender equality gaining prominence even within the auction market. Despite the 21st-century focus on human rights and freedom of expression, achieving gender equality within the art industry remains an ongoing and gradual process, signifying that there is still a considerable journey ahead.

According to an article from "The Art Newspaper" on April 4, 2023, major international auction houses, such as Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams, still exhibit a gender pay gap in staff salaries, with men earning more than women in the year 2022. Although there has been gradual improvement in recent years, a significant disparity remains. Now, what about the market for artists? It has been suggested that the most stable and reliable factor in the art market so far is the dominant position of white male artists. However, in terms of comparative value, shouldn't we pay more attention to undervalued female or non-white artists?

Misogyny in Art History

Writer Virginia Woolf once said, "For most of history, anonymous was a woman."

In the past, women were burdened with norms such as not being able to be in the spotlight or pursue their artistic careers after marriage or becoming mothers. Pregnant female artists, for example, were considered high risk by Western galleries, and ruthless measures like suspending representation were taken. Looking back at history, women have always been treated unfairly both in the eastern and western contexts, and the historical records of art were predominantly written by men, many of whom harbored a misogynistic view of women.

Imagine this: The 1962 art textbook "History of Art" by Horst Woldemar Janson (1913-1982) achieved global success, with 15 language versions and over four million copies distributed. Astonishingly, the original edition completely omitted the names and works of any female artists, effectively erasing women from the narrative of art history. It wasn't until later adaptations that the inclusion of female artists began to expand. Similarly, "The Story of Art" by Ernst Gombrich (1909-2001), another renowned introductory art book for young people, has garnered immense popularity, selling millions of copies and being translated into over 30 languages. However, even in its original 1950 edition, the book neglected to mention any female artists. In this monumental work, spanning thousands of years and spanning over six hundred pages to cover the vast history of art, it wasn't until the 16th edition in 2022 that a solitary female artist, Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) from Germany, was finally acknowledged.

Looking back at the discourse on art history, it has predominantly been shaped from the perspective of white male artists in the Western world, while the contributions of women and artists from non-white backgrounds have often been overlooked or given limited attention. Renowned feminist art historian Linda Nochlin (1931-2017) made a significant breakthrough in contemporary discussions on the status of women artists with her 1971 article "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" published in Artnews magazine. Nochlin argued that societal barriers hindered women from pursuing art, art institutions imposed limitations on women, and art history was dominated by male elitism. Traditional social systems and educational structures were not supportive of women's participation in art academies, as seen in restrictions such as women students being barred from life drawing classes. Nochlin incorporated feminism into the realm of art history, conducting research on active women artists from the past four centuries. She organized traveling exhibitions in museums and published catalogs, thus challenging the male-dominated hegemony of discourse within the art world.

Linda Nochlin went even further to study "Orientalism," exploring how male artists for centuries used Orientalism to depict themes of sexuality and violence. These themes were not necessarily promoting the hegemony of colonialism but rather reflected the chauvinism and misogyny prevalent in early French society. Her ideas spread like seeds across the world, taking root and exerting a profound influence. Another peak of the feminist movement is marked by the "Guerrilla Girls," a group of activists.

In 1985, seven female artists donned gorilla masks and adopted the aliases of deceased women artists and writers to launch the "Guerrilla Girls" movement in New York. Their aim was to protest against the longstanding gender discrimination and racism deeply embedded within the art world. The catalyst for this movement was the exhibition "An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture" held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York the previous year (1984). The exhibition claimed to showcase the works of 165 contemporary artists from 17 countries, yet only 13 of them were women, accounting for less than 8% of the total. The representation of artists from non-white racial backgrounds was even more minuscule.

The "Guerrilla Girls" once again brought to light the issue of discrimination in cultural politics. Members spent several years visiting and tallying the representation of male and female artists in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 1989, they found that less than 5% of the artworks in the museum were by female artists, while 85% of the nude artworks were representations of women. The "Guerrilla Girls" movement in the late 20th century served as a powerful voice for women artists, shining like fireworks illuminating the night sky, evoking admiration

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The True Artist Must Be 'Neither Woman Nor Man, Neither Old Nor Young'

The issue of women art ists is periodical ly brought up for discussion, but once the heat dies down, it seems to return to reality. Numbers speak for themselves, and individuals concerned about these issues have helped compile data.

Charlotte Burns, an independent editor, and Julia Halperin from Artnet News collaborated to create the "Burns Halperin Report" in 2018. This annual research report focuses on the representation of Black artists, women artists, and Black women artists in American museums and the global art market. The 2022 report highlighted that progress in the American art world has been minimal, while there have been gradual improvements on the international stage. The acquisition of artworks by women artists reached its peak in 2009, with a slight increase in 2016 and 2017 following the emergence of the #MeToo movement. Similarly, acquisitions of artworks by Black American artists peaked in 2015, two years after the establishment of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of artworks found in museum collections continue to be created by male artists, and international auction houses tend to showcase a higher number of works by male artists compared to their female counterparts. However, there is some positive news to highlight in the realm of contemporary art: significant progress has been achieved!

In the post-pandemic 2022 Venice Biennale, a significant turning point was witnessed as there were more female artists participating than male artists. However, it is important to refrain from framing this as a "victory of women over men," as some media outlets might suggest. Instead, it should be celebrated as a triumph for society at large! Curator Cecilia Alemani, responsible for curating the Venice Biennale, emphasized that her selection process was not influenced by gender but rather focused on the individual artists themselves.

The late New York School artist Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) once said, "the true artist must be 'neither woman nor man, neither old nor young.'" Mitchell's remarkable legacy includes holding the record for achieving the highest price for a female abstract expressionist artist.

The Rise of Female Power in the Auction Market

In this presentation, I will delve into the remarkable auction record accomplishments of several influential female artists from the 20th century, all of which were realized within the past decade.

- The most expensive female artist : Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) with "Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1." It sold for US$44,405,000 on November 20, 2014, at Sotheby's New York.

- The most expensive sculpture female: Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) with "Spider." It sold for US$40,000,000 at the Haus & Wirth, Art Basel 2022 in Basel, Switzerland. Her highest auction record was set in 1996 with another "Spider" artwork, which sold for US$32,804,500 on May 19, 2023, at Sotheby's New York.

- The most expensive painting by Latin American female artist: Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) with "Diego y yo" (Diego and I). It sold for US$34,883,000 on November 16, 2021, at Sotheby's New York. - The most expensive female abstract expressionist: Joan Mitchell (1926-1992) with "Blueberry." It sold for US$16,625,000 on May 17, 2018, at Christie's New York.

- The most expensive painting by living female artist: Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) with "Untitled (Nets)." It sold for US$10,496,000 on May 18, 2022, at Phillips New York.

- The most expensive female photography artwork: CindySherman (b. 1954) with "Untitled Film Stills." It sold for US$6,773,000on November 12, 2014, at Christie's New York.

The increased visibility of female artists is not limited to the Venice Biennale, but it has also extended to institutional exhibitions, making its mark in the art market as well. The art market has shown a strong interest in and demand for collecting female art. According to the "Art Market in 2022" report published by the art database platform Artprice, the section on "Trends in Contemporary Art" highlights the growing attention received by female artists. Even non-contemporary artists like Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), an Impressionist painter, have achieved new auction records, reaching nearly $7.5 million. American post-war abstract expressionist artist Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989) has surpassed the million-dollar mark, while artists such as Mary Heilman (b. 1940) and Etel Adnan (1925-2021), a Lebanese-American artist, have also set new auction records.

According to data from the Artprice website, there is also a significant level of enthusiasm among young collectors for contemporary artists. This year, thewre was a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and the renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, which later culminated in the largest-scale event ever held in Hong Kong. In 2022, Kusama also set her new auction record. Several other contemporary female artists have also achieved new auction records in the past two years. These include Christine Ay Tjoe from Indonesia ($1,732,158), Katherine Bernhardt from the United States ($764,411), Shara Hughes from the United States ($2,940,000), María Berrío from Colombia ($1,603,000), Chiharu Shiota from Japan ($396,751), Mayuka Yamamoto from Japan ($281,385), and many others. Their remarkable achievements highlight the growing recognition and demand for contemporary female artists in the art market.

Empowering the Art World: Trailblazing Women Artists in the 'Ultra-Contemporary' Market

In 2019, Artnet News editor coined the term "Ultra-Contemporary"to refer to contemporary artists born after 1975, providing a more precisecategorization of contemporary art. Artists within the "Ultra-Contemporary"category have gained significant prominence in the recent secondary artmarket.

The rise of the market for "Ultra-Contemporary artists" has beenastonishing. The international emerging artists' market has broken through thelimitations of gender and nationality, overturning the aesthetic standards ortraditional constraints of a new generation of collectors. Whether or not theyhave received institutional or museum recognition or collection, these artistshave pioneered a greater number and breadth of high-price records compared to others.

Here are several outstanding ultra-contemporary artists in the art market, including: Avery Singer from the United States ($5,253,000), Loie Hollowell from the United States ($2,292,383), Christina Quarles from the United States ($4,527,000), Lucy Bull ($1,449,941), Lauren Quin ($588,042), Issy Wood ($588,042), Danielle Orchard ($287,500) from the United States, Cristina Banban from Spain ($198,216), Flora Yukhnovich from Norway and the United Kingdom ($3,601,641), Anna Weyant from Canada ($1,623,000), Njideka Akunyili Crosby, a Nigerian artist of African descent ($4,740,000), Ayako Rokkaku from Japan ($1,323,836), Miwa Komatsu from Japan ($215,530), Moe Nakamura from Japan ($176,560), and many more talented artists contributing to the ultra-contemporary art scene.

Young female artists are defying age and experience barriers, as collectors are increasingly recognizing their talent regardless of these factors. Their market value has witnessed a significant surge between 2022 and 2023, thanks to their innovative styles and the influence of social media. The younger generation of collectors displays a remarkable openness to challenging artistic traditions and refuses to diminish the value of these women based on gender or ethnicity. This inclusive mindset has paved the way for the emergence of more female artists born

in the 1980s and 1990s, shaping a promising future for the art scene. The annual reports from Artprice have always been regarded as a benchmark and have gained a good reputation in the industry. In their "2022 Ultra Contemporary Art Market Report," the article titled "The new and preponderant place of women" discusses the "situation reversal" for female artists in the first half of 2022.

"Women are the majority in the Top 10 under-40 artists ranked by H1 2022 auction turnover! If we look at the Top 50, twenty-one are women. This ranking reveals the ten young (living) artists whose work elicited new auction records during the first half of 2022. Women artists clearly dominate with six results (highlighted), including the four best results! Never have women been so present and successful on the auction market."

In another article published on March 8, 2023, on the Artsy art platform by Casey Lesser, titled "The Ultra-Contemporary Women Artists at the Forefront of the Art Market," it is mentioned that the market size for ultra-contemporary female artists grew by 4,071% from 2012 to 2022, with sales increasing from 5.28 million USD to 202.4 million USD. The number of young artists participating in auctions has significantly increased. Interestingly, in the ultra-contemporary art field on the Artsy platform, the proportion of male and female artists is 56.1% and 43.6%, respectively (the remainder being unclassified). In all categories of artists, the proportion of male and female artists is 88.24% and 9.39%, respectively. However, when narrowing the scope to artists born after 1985 (including 1985), there is a "reversal" in the proportion, with female artists reaching 63.8%, significantly surpassing the proportion of male artists.

In Taiwan, gender equality is relatively well protected and respected, and there is not a significant wage gap between male and female staff in the art industry. It can be said that the status of women in the art scene in Taiwan is no less than that of men. Research has shown that, disregarding the information on the walls, the delicate thinking and aesthetic sense of female artists often have the ability to instantly capture the attention and favorability of collectors. As the world continues to progress, we are pleased to witness advancements in society and institutions. When appreciating or collecting artworks, it is important to prioritize artistic value and the ability to resonate with viewers, without considering gender as a factor.

In the "SELECT" specialized session of the Ravenel Spring Auction 2023, which I was in charge of, we curated the largest collection of works by female artists ever consigned, accounting for over one-third of the total. With the art world becoming increasingly receptive, we can aspire to achieve a future where the representation of male and female artists is more balanced. We eagerly await the realization of that day.