editorial
Our autumnal offering is a rich harvest of articles, reviews and notes, with a special accent on ‘Women in the Arts.’ It is now universally accepted that histories of art forms have in the past downplayed the contribution of women. New historical studies try to remedy the situation through critical revaluations; concomitantly, art critics have become more receptive to the distinctive contributions of contemporary women artists. The possibility of overcompensation cannot be denied: mediocre works may be hyped by Feminist critics simply because they are by women artists. But such distortions of aesthetic judgment may be seen in every part of the art world.
Discerning readers will readily see that the contributions in this issue focus on achievements of women artists that deserve a high rating not because of gender politics but because they add something valuable to culture as a whole. Women artists do evince certain gender-related concerns, but so do male artists. These are not obstacles to universal appreciation; quite the contrary in fact: a male aficionado can only feel enriched by engaging with the ‘feminine’ aspects of a work of art, and vice versa.
We have broad critical pieces on women artists in the Arab World (by Wejdan Almannai), Korea (by MeeAe Lee), Australia (by Ken Bolton) and Europe (by Katy Deepwell); an essay highlighting four leading Bangladeshi women artists (by Syed Manzoorul Islam) and an interview with another; essays on women in the Pakistani theatre (by Sarwat Ali) and the influence of Pakistani crafts on the country’s women artists (by Salima Hashmi); essays on two very different women artists, an expatriate Indian tablaist (by Jeet Thayil) and a German sculptress (by Charles P. Sarvan). Another essay on Indian dance (by Lubna Mariam) highlights the innovativeness of women. Our review section has been considerably enlarged. Book reviews cover a recent major book on Bangladeshi art (by Fakrul Alam), another on South African women artists, and there are comprehensive reviews of recent shows in Bangladesh (by Kaiser Haq) and of a major show by a woman artist in Thailand (by G. Gaweewong).
We hope every art lover will find things of interest here. Our next issue, as already announced, will be a 160-page annual special—on popular art.
Our autumnal offering is a rich harvest of articles, reviews and notes, with a special accent on ‘Women in the Arts.’ It is now universally accepted that histories of art forms have in the past downplayed the contribution of women. New historical studies try to remedy the situation through critical revaluations; concomitantly, art critics have…