Art and Sex Connect People, Female Gaze Divides

Female Gaze originates from discussions on the Male Gaze, a concept formulated by Laura Mulvey in 1975. Mulvey analyzed the visual narrative in film as a means of objectifying women. In contrast, the Female Gaze is presented as an alternative way of seeing, belonging to female authors and conveying their experiences.

But does categorizing viewing by gender liberate art or limit its universal power?

The Female Gaze, if seen only as a reaction to the Male Gaze, retains the structure of gender division, which undermines the freedom of artistic expression. Art is an act of sharing that transcends individual perspective. History shows that art unites people after wars and conflicts cultural events are often the first bridges to reconciliation. The Female Gaze, instead of being unifying, creates theoretical walls.

Examples from art illustrate the paradox of the theoretical framework. Francesca Woodman creates works where the body is a space for self-discovery, not as a political or gender statement but as an existential metaphor. She dismantles the dichotomies of the gendered gaze. In her work, the body disappears and reappears as part of a broader narrative on human vulnerability.

Susan Sontag also distances herself from categorizations that limit aesthetic freedom. Her view that “art should be an experience, not an explanation” affirms that art loses its universal language when confined to frameworks.

“If we don’t understand art, maybe we don’t need to. Art is an experience that lives by itself.” - Susan Sontag.

The Female Gaze is a theoretical construct that redirects artistic goals toward political and gender boundaries. Instead of creating space for free interpretation, it turns art into a tool for division. Sex and art, by their very nature, connect people, offering a universal language of intimacy and understanding, not limitation.

In Japan, the concept of wabi-sabi emphasizes beauty in imperfection and transience, avoiding categories that limit narratives along gender lines. Wabi-sabi celebrates the impermanence of life and creates an inclusive and universal aesthetic perspective. Rather than encoding the gaze according to gender parameters, Japanese aesthetics promote deep harmony between the viewer and the object. This approach transcends gendered definitions of perception, placing the experience first, free from perspective restrictions.

The Female Gaze, by framing art within the division, denies exactly what concepts like wabi-sabi affirm the freedom of interpretation and the beauty of the undefined. From this perspective, art preserves its universality through its intimacy and freedom of interpretation.