our androcentric culture-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


never　looked；　from　a　frankly　human　standpoint；　at　their　position　and　its
peculiarities；　until　the　present　age。

In　the　effect　of　our　wrong　relation　on　the　world's　health；　we　have
spoken　of　the　check　to　vigor　and　growth　due　to　the　housebound　state　of
women　and　their　burdensome　clothes。　　There　follow　other　influences；
similar　in　origin；　even　more　evil　in　result。　　To　roughly　and　briefly
classify　we　may　distinguish　the　diseases　due　to　bad　air；　to　bad　food；
and　that　field　of　cruel　mischief　we　are　only　now　beginning　to
discussthe　diseases　directly　due　to　the　erroneous　relation　between　men
and　women。

We　are　the　only　race　where　the　female　depends　on　the　male　for　a
livelihood。　　We　are　the　only　race　that　practices　prostitution。　　From　the
first　harmless…looking　but　abnormal　general　relation　follows　the　well
recognized　evil　of　the　second；　so　long　called　〃a　social　necessity；〃　and
from　it；　in　deadly　sequence；　comes　the　〃wages　of　sin；〃　death　not　only　of
the　guilty；　but　of　the　innocent。　　It　is　no　light　part　of　our　criticism
of　the　Androcentric　Culture　that　a　society　based　on　masculine　desires
alone；　has　willingly　sacrificed　such　an　army　of　women；　and　has　repaid
the　sacrifice　by　the　heaviest　punishments。

That　the　unfortunate　woman　should　sicken　and　die　was　held　to　be　her　just
punishment；　that　man　too　should　bear　part　penalty　was　found　unavoidable；
though　much　legislation　and　medical　effort　has　been　spent　to　shield　him；
but　to　the　further　consequences　society　is　but　now　waking　up。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


IV。

MEN　AND　ART。


Among　the　many　counts　in　which　women　have　been　proven　inferior　to　men　in
human　development　is　the　oft…heard　charge　that　there　are　no　great　women
artists。　　Where　one　or　two　are　proudly　exhibited　in　evidence；　they　are
either　pooh…poohed　as　not　very　great；　or　held　to　be　the　trifling
exceptions　which　do　but　prove　the　rule。

Defenders　of　women　generally　make　the　mistake　of　over…estimating　their
performances；　instead　of　accepting；　and　explaining；　the　visible　facts。　
What　are　the　facts　as　to　the　relation　of　men　and　women　to　art？　　And
what；　in　especial；　has　been　the　effect　upon　art　of　a　solely　masculine
expression？

When　we　look　for　the　beginnings　of　art；　we　find　ourselves　in　a　period　of
crude　decoration　of　the　person　and　of　personal　belongings。　　Tattooing；
for　instance；　is　an　early　form　of　decorative　art；　still　in　practice
among　certain　classes；　even　in　advanced　people。　　Most　boys；　if　they　are
in　contact　with　this　early　art；　admire　it；　and　wish　to　adorn　themselves
therewith；　some　do　soto　later　mortification。　　Early　personal
decoration　consisted　largely　in　direct　mutilation　of　the　body；　and　the
hanging　upon　it；　or　fastening　to　it；　of　decorative　objects。　　This　we　see
among　savages　still；　in　its　gross　and　primitive　forms　monopolized　by
men；　then　shared　by　women；　and；　in　our　time；　left　almost　wholly　to　them。
　In　personal　decoration　today；　women　are　still　near　the　savage。　　The
〃artists〃　developed　in　this　field　of　art　are　the　tonsorial；　the
sartorial；　and　all　those　specialized　adorners　of　the　body　commonly　known
as　〃beauty　doctors。〃

Here；　as　in　other　cases；　the　greatest　artists　are　men。　　The　greatest
milliners；　the　greatest　dressmakers　and　tailors；　the　greatest
hairdressers；　and　the　masters　and　designers　in　all　our　decorative
toilettes　and　accessories；　are　men。　　Women；　in　this　as　in　so　many　other
lines；　consume　rather　than　produce。　　They　carry　the　major　part　of
personal　decoration　today；　but　the　decorator　is　the　man。　　In　the
decoration　of　objects；　woman；　as　the　originator　of　primitive　industry；
originated　also　the　primitive　arts；　and　in　the　pottery；　basketry；
leatherwork；　needlework；　weaving；　with　all　beadwork；　dyeing　and
embroideries　of　ancient　peoples　we　see　the　work　of　the　woman　decorator。　
Much　of　this　is　strong　and　beautiful；　but　its　time　is　long　past。　　The
art　which　is　part　of　industry；　natural；　simple；　spontaneous；　making
beauty　in　every　object　of　use；　adding　pleasure　to　labor　and　to　life；　is
not　Art　with　a　large　A；　the　Art　which　requires　Artists；　among　whom　are
so　few　women　of　note。

Art　as　a　profession；　and　the　Artist　as　a　professional；　came　later；　and
by　that　time　women　had　left　the　freedom　and　power　of　the　matriarchate
and　become　slaves　in　varying　degree。　　The　women　who　were　idle　pets　in
harems；　or　the　women　who　worked　hard　as　servants；　were　alike　cut　off
from　the　joy　of　making　things。　　Where　constructive　work　remained　to
them；　art　remained；　in　its　early　decorative　form。　　Men；　in　the
proprietary　family；　restricting　the　natural　industry　of　women　to
personal　service；　cut　off　their　art　with　their　industry；　and　by　so　much
impoverished　the　world。

There　is　no　more　conspicuously　pathetic　proof　of　the　aborted　development
of　women　than　this　commonplacetheir　lack　of　a　civilized　art　sense。　
Not　only　in　the　childish　and　savage　display　upon　their　bodies；　but　in
the　pitiful　products　they　hang　upon　the　walls　of　the　home；　is　seen　the
arrest　in　normal　growth。

After　ages　of　culture；　in　which　men　have　developed　Architecture；
Sculpture；　Painting；　Music　and　the　Drama；　we　find　women　in　their
primitive　environment　making　flowers　of　wax；　and　hair；　and　worsted；
doing　mottoes　of　perforated　cardboard；　making　crazy　quilts　and　mats　and
〃tidies〃as　if　they　lived　in　a　long　past　age；　or　belonged　to　a　lower
race。

This；　as　part　of　the　general　injury　to　women　dating　from　the　beginning
of　our　androcentric　culture；　reacts　heavily　upon　the　world　at　large。　
Men；　specializing；　giving　their　lives　to　the　continuous　pursuit　of　one
line　of　service；　have　lifted　our　standard　in　aesthetic　culture；　as　they
have　in　other　matters；　but　by　refusing　the　same　growth　to　women；　they
have　not　only　weakened　and　reduced　the　output；　but　ruined　the　market　as
it　were；　hopelessly　and　permanently　kept　down　the　level　of　taste。

Among　the　many　sides　of　this　great　question；　some　so　terrible；　some　so
pathetic；　some　so　utterly　absurd；　this　particular　phase　of　life　is
especially　easy　to　study　and　understand；　and　has　its　own　elements　of
amusement。　　Men；　holding　women　at　the　level　of　domestic　service；　going
on　themselves　to　lonely　heights　of　achievement；　have　found　their　efforts
hampered　and　their　attainments　rendered　barren　and　unsatisfactory　by　the
amazing　indifference　of　the　world　at　large。　　As　the　world　at　large
consists　half　of　women；　and　wholly　of　their　children；　it　would　seem
patent　to　the　meanest　understanding　that　the　women　must　be　allowed　to
rise　in　order　to　lift　the　world。　　But　such　has　not　been　the
methodheretofore。

We　have　spoken　so　far　in　this　chapter　of　the　effect　of　men　on　art
through　their　interference　with　the　art　of　women。　　There　are　other　sides
to　the　question。　　Let　us　consider　once　more　the　essential
characteristics　of　maleness；　and　see　how　they　have　affected　art；　keeping
always　in　mind　the　triune　distinction　between　masculine；　feminine　and
human。　　Perhaps　we　shall　best　see　this　difference　by　considering　what
the　development　of　art　might　have　been　on　purely　human　terms。

The　human　creature；　as　such；　naturally　delights　in　construction；　and
adds　decoration　to　construction　as　naturally。　　The　cook；　making　little
regular　patterns　around　the　edge　of　the　pie；　does　so　from　a　purely　human
instinct；　the　innate　eye…pleasure　in　regularity；　symmetry；　repetition；
and　alternation。　　Had　this　natural　social　instinct　grown　unchecked　in
us；　it　would　have　manifested　itself　in　a　certain　proportion　of
specialistsartists　of　all　sortsand　an　accompanying　development　of
appreciation　on　the　part　of　the　rest　of　us。　　Such　is　the　case　in
primitive　art；　the　maker　of　beauty　is　upheld　and　rewarded　by　a　popular
appreciation　of　her　workor　his。

Had　this　condition　remained；　we　should　find　a　general　level　of　artistic
expression　and　appreciation　far　higher　than　we　see　now。　　Take　the　one
field　of　textile　art；　for　instance：　that　wide　and　fluent　medium　of
expression；　the　making　of　varied　fabrics；　the　fashioning　of　garments　and
the　decoration　of　themall　this　is　human　work　and　human　pleasure。　　It
should　have　led　us　to　a　condition　where　every　human　being　was　a　pleasure
to　the　eye；　appropriately　and　beautifully　clothed。

Our　real　condition　in　this　field　is　too　patent　to　need　emphasis；　the
stiff；　black　ugliness　of　our　men's　attire；　the　irritating　variegated
folly　of　our　women's；　the　way　in　which　we　spoil　the　beauty　and　shame　the
dignity　of　childhood　by　modes　of　dress。

In　normal　human　growth；　our　houses　would　be　a　pleasure　to　the　eye；　our
furniture　and　utensils；　all　our　social　products；　would　blossom　into
beauty　as　naturally　as　they　still　do　in　those　low　stages　of　social
evolution　where　our　major　errors　have　not　yet　borne　full　fruit。

Applied　art　in　all　its　forms　is　a　human　function；　common　to　every　one　to
some　degree；　either　in　production　or　appreciation；　or　both。　　〃Pure　art；〃
as　an　ideal；　is　also　human；　and　the　single…hearted　devotion　of　the　true
artist　to　this　ideal　is　one　of　the　highest　forms　of　the　social
sacrifice。　　Of　all　the　thousand　ways　by　which　humanity　is　specialized
for　inter…service；　none　is　more　exquisite　than　this；　the　evolution　of
the　social　Eye；　or　Ear；　or　Voice；　the　development　of　those　whose　work　is
wholly　for　others；　and　to　whom　the　appreciation　of　others　is　as　the
bread　of　life。　　This　we　should　have　in　a　properly　developed　community；
the　pleasure　of　applied　art　in　the　making　and　using　of　everything　we
have；　and　then　the　high　joy　of　the　Great　Artist；　and　the　noble　work
thereof；　spread　far　and　wide。

What　do　we　find？

Applied　art　at　a　very　low　level；　small　joy　either　for　the　maker　or　the
user。　　Pure　art；　a　fine…spun　specialty；　a　process　carried　on　by　an　elect
few　who　openly　despise　the　unappreciative　many。　　Art　has　become　an
occult　profession　requiring　a　long　special　education　even　to　enjoy；　and
evolving　a　jargon　of　criticism　which　becomes　more　esoteric　yearly。

Let　us　now　see　what　part　in　this　undesirable　outcome　is　due　to　our
Androcentric　Culture。

As　soon　as　the　male　of　our　species　assumed　the　exclusive　right　to
perform　all　social　functions；　he　necessarily　brought　to　that　performance
the　advantagesand　disadvantagesof　maleness；　of　those　dominant
characteristics；　desire；　combat；　self…expression。

Desire　has　overweighted　art　in　many　visible　forms；　it　is　prominent　in
painting　and　music；　almost　monopolizes　fiction；　and　has　pitifully
degraded　dancing。

Combat　is　not　so　easily　expressed　in　art；　where　even　competition　is　on　a
high　plane；　but　the　last　element　is　the　main　evil；　self…expression。　
This　impulse　is　inherently　and　ineradicably　masculine。　　It　rests　on　that
most　basic　of　distinctions　between　the　sexes；　the　centripetal　and
centrifugal　forces　of　the　universe。　　In　the　very　nature　of　the
sperm…cell　and　the　germ…cell　we　find　this　difference：　the　one　attracts；
gathers；　draws　in；　the　other　repels；　scatters；　pushes　out。　　That
projective　impulse　is　seen　in　the　male　nature　everywhere；　the　constant
urge　toward　expression；　to　all　boasting　and　display。　　This　spirit；　like
all　things　masculine；　is　perfectly　right　and　admirable　in　its　place。

It　is　the　duty　of　the　male；　as　a　male；　to　vary；　bursting　forth　in　a
thousand　changing　modificationsthe　female；　selecting；　may　so
incorporate　beneficial　chang