We're having this discussion. Again.
Just a question I often ask. That I have been asking myself since since I discovered the fun and exciting worlds of Fantasy/SciFi/Illustration/Concept art. I think I first asked this question when I was still in high school, which has been awhile, but no one could really give a really great non-politically correct explanation, then or now, and I still haven't seen any great leaps.
Maybe I need to update my artist lists and browse more but it seems there are a select number of artists, compared to the huge number of artists we have, who display of variety in race/ethnicity and body types in their women.
For example, we are constantly surprised, happily surprised, to flip through a catalog or walk through a show, and see any Black women at all. Why is it that we are still surprised? Seriously, it's 2009 people. Yet all the mainstream stuff is still dominated by Caucasian or Asian females. That is only TWO ethnic groups out of how many to choose from??
I know it's partly a money thing. People draw what sells. But I believe there is way more ethnic variety in the artists and the collectors these days. I would love to see some stats on that, the number of male and females working, and their backgrounds.
Aside from money, what else could account for the lack in variety??? Hopefully there will be more creative things going on with the figures in art sometime this century. :o/
Hmm...will probably add another comment or two this later, after I stop my wet hair from dripping into my keyboard! Towel fail.
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Dry your keyboard and read your e-mail..... :)
ReplyDeleteORLY??? :D Gotta see this... XD
ReplyDeleteOooo, boy. Yes, read it. And YES, we have discussed just about all of those thing during our conversations on this.
ReplyDeleteI will update my post here soon, with our collective comments, present and past (including the stupid Yahoo group) and my thoughts on them. A heads up, most of the reasons that were presented to me, I shot down as a poor excuse. Just sayin'. :D
Oh, and I mean I shot down the reasons presented to me by the others; they weren't nearly as tactful or adept either, btw. :D
ReplyDeleteMy tactfulness and adeptness match your inquisitiveness and pithiness. Face it--we're the Reese's cup of colloquy! :D
ReplyDeleteI can only hypothesize, as it seems there is No Good Reason for the lack of diversity in females in Sci-Fi/Fantasy art (ethnicity, race, size, body type, and age). I think it keeps Sci-Fi/Fantasy art from being viewed as 'serious art'.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered this blog post and your entry on ConceptArt.org. It was sad and hilarious at the same time that the posters could accept the notion of people riding around on dragons and unicorns, but the idea of putting a Black person on the backs of those fantasy--FANTASY---creatures just shattered, utterly shattered, their narrow little world view.
ReplyDelete- JEP
Beth: I can't even tell you how so much of the Fine Art comm STILL looks down on SciFi and Fantasy Art. I'm talking about seriously. LOL
ReplyDeleteMy fav instructor actually had a list of cliche art subjects that no one was allowed to paint in his classes. A list. A HUGE, and very, very long list. Posted on the studio wall! And a lot of that list was common SciFi and Fantasy themes. LOL Remind me to tell you about the time he gave me a hard time for going to Dragon*Con. LULZ!!
Ah, good times, good times. I miss that man. :D
Jay, hi!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it does shatter their nerves a bit. *shakes head* Honestly, I don't think I ask any unreasonable questions.
I agree, reactions are sad and totally hilarious at the same time when you really think about it. If artists can't even have a real discussion about it, then who can?
You aren't the first person to say to me off-board that some of the responses are completely ridiculous, and nope, not all of the people who said so are even Minorities, so clearly there is a large mixed bag of artists and/or collectors out there who agree with what we're saying.
Just a matter of waiting to see if more of them will actually try something different for a change.
P.S. I'm following your FB and Twitter now!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see some mixed race people appear as well.
ReplyDelete