Sherrie Wolf, Self Portrait with My Museum, 2014, oil on linen
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Waves in Feminism
The feminist movement in America has seen its waves of public activity. From the mid-1800s to today, the fight for equality between men and women has progressed, changed, and evolved drastically. “Waves” are not only distinguished by different core issues and goals but by the mediums used to fight for these changes. Artist Sherrie Wolf came into her artistry during the second wave of feminism, a wave that was focusing on challenging gender roles of the time and fighting for women to be recognized for their contributions to traditionally male spheres.
Much of Wolf’s still lifes reference male painters idolized in art history. Her piece Self-Portrait with My Museum references Charles Willson Peals’ piece The Artist in his Museum, which takes Peals’ pose in the self-portrait and inserts herself in his place. She also adds her own flair, with an array of fruits in the bottom right corner and Michelangelo's David behind the curtain. Wolfe literally paints herself into art history with this piece, demanding a spot at the table for herself and other women who have been overlooked in the Art world.
Learn more about the feminist movements and their impact with the link below, and visit the Schneider Museum of Art to see Self-Portrait with My Museum in our summer exhibition To InStill Life on display now.
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Sherrie Wolf, Ophelia, 1998, oil on canvas
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Shakespeare in Art
Shakespeare’s impact on the English language and theater is undeniable, but his presence in other art forms, specifically painting, is sometimes overlooked. From Henri Fuseli’s Lady McBeth with Three Daggers to John Everett Millais's Ophelia, Shakespeare’s stories have been referenced in the art of different eras from different European countries. Sherrie Wolf does her own take on Millais's Ophelia in her piece with the same title.
Along with her small rendition of the original, which can be found right above the center, Wolf adds the imagery of the lake and the flowers that accompanied Ophelia to her death in the play. With both the actual play and Millais’ piece acting as visual references, Wolf also gives Ophelia her own voice in death, something that both male artists failed to do. With somber waters contrasted by bright flowers, the weight of Ophelia’s death is fully recognized as a loss of a person, not just an aesthetic or tragic device. See more on the major Shakespeare plays that influenced popular paintings with the link below, and see Wolf’s Ophelia on display at the Schneider Museum of Art in the Heiter Gallery today.
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Sherrie Wolf, Kitchen Matisse, 2018, oil on canvas
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Henri Matisse
Sculptor and post-modernist painter Henri Matisse was born in France in 1869. He is sometimes referred to as the greatest colorist of the 20th century, with much of his work utilizing color in bright and decorative ways. For example, rather than using shading to create dimension, Matisse used contrasting areas of color to create the representational form. His work is often described as “unsettling” or “disorienting”, the combination of color and pattern gives a dynamic and off putting energy to his work.
Artist Sherrie Wolf references Matisse in her piece titled Kitchen Matisse, with his work appearing on postcards on the table surrounded by vibrant purple tulips and an array of fruits. His name also appears on the spine of a book in her piece A Few of My Favorite Things. Between Wolf’s expert use of saturation and Matisse’s legacy, the use of color becomes a tie and another boundary to be played with. See the Matisse inspired pieces by Sherrie Wolf at the Schneider Museum of Art today, and learn more about Mattise’s impact on art history with the link below.
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(VIDEO) What the Robin Whispered: A Procession to Celebrate the Coming of Spring by Dennis McNett
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