Online Art Courses: Female Masters in Modern and Contemporary Art

Learn why some female artists should be called “Masters”—a term traditionally used to refer to men of skill.

This course has been designed as a continuation to From Invisibility to the Spotlight: 20th- and 21st-Century Female Artists You Need to Know, offered by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao a few years ago.

Conducted by: Susana Blas Brunel, art historian specializing in contemporary art and feminism

Target audience: people 18+ interested in contemporary art
Type of course: online
Structure: 4 modules, 16 video lessons, additional resources
Workload: 6 hours (at your own pace)
Language: Spanish
Certification: Upon completion of the course, participants will get a certificate

What will you learn in this course?

• The role played by women in the history of art, especially women whose work was a turning point in the history of modern and contemporary art.
• The contributions made by women to 20th- and 21st-century art, and their place in contemporary art.
• Women as pioneers in the development of certain artistic expressions, challenging social norms and defying convention.
• The links between female artists and particular narrative or concepts rather than technical details.

CONTENTS

Module I: Spiritualism
Female artists and spiritism, anthroposophy, dowsing, Taoism, and other spiritual or religious movements, or the place where they lived or the natural world.

Video 1: Georgiana Houghton
Video 2: Hilma af Klint
Video 3: Georgia O’Keeffe
Video 4: Agnes Martin

Module II: Propaganda
Female artists and politics or ideology: denunciation and defense of ideals.

Video 1: Lyubov Popova
Video 2: Leni Riefenstahl
Video 3: Barbara Kruger
Video 4: Julie Mehretu

Module III: Feedback
Female artists and creative processes that feed on the circulation of energy and information intellectually, mentally, performatively, or in connection with the land.

Video 1: Tarsila do Amaral
Video 2: Ana Mendieta
Video 3: Esther Ferrer
Video 4: Yayoi Kusama

Module IV: Equality
Female artists and social convention: fighting society for equality through clash or delicacy.

Video 1: Maruja Mallo
Video 2: Guerrilla Girls
Video 3: Kara Walker
Video 4: Mona Hatoum

Image credits: Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirrored Room — A Wish for Human Happiness Calling from Beyond the Universe, 2020