The Life Histories of Five Contemporary Welsh Women Artists : The Interweaving of Art Into Living and Living Into Art

This book demonstrates the value and achievement of a group of artists who are usually neglected by art historians and critics because they are female. The purpose of this book is to make public the lives and works of women artists who until recently have been little known because of marginalization due to gender. Through a life history methodology the research was able to focus on the subjective lives of four Welsh women artists and to collaborate with them in the research process to provide new insights about their lives and art careers. A biographical approach was used to write the narrative about the fifth artist who is no longer living. Obstacles to women's careers in art continue to be a concern for the artists. They reported tensions: within the home, in their art training, in attempting to exhibit and gain critical recognition, in their identification as Welsh, in their choice to work in Wales rather than in the leading art centers such as London, and in their choice of art media, genre and content. The central theme of the book is the diversity of women's contributions to the visual culture of Wales. Collet examines how various women artists have contributed to the artistic and cultural identity of Wales. Often overlooked, these female artists have played an enormous role but have rarely been given credit for their achievements. She notes that there is a growing literature on the topic of women in art that claims women were not always excluded from artistic representation, but that this is a recent development. Also, the book discusses problems women face that impede or contribute to their artistic drive like motherhood and family responsibilities. This Book Demonstrates The Value And Achievement Of A Group Of Artists Who Are Usually Neglected By Academic Art Historians And Critics Showing The Diversity Of The Women's Contributions To The Visual Culture Of Wales.