Artworld Visibility, Gender and Ageism: ‘But men are allowed to be old or ugly!’

This paper argues that one of the main gendered inequalities in the visual arts is that of ageism. Many female artists drop out of practice, and older women artists in particular are less likely to achieve success than men (a theme in common with Siri Hustvedt’s The Blazing World). This is discussed with reference to younger female practitioners who use images of their youth and sexuality to promote their artwork and thus improve their painting valuation and validation, ultimately impacting upon female artists’ shelf life as successful painters. The research builds upon that of David Galenson, and is based on a series of in-depth interviews with international artists, and a large database evaluation of the art market, museum inclusion and art prizes. It expands upon Helen Gørril’s new book (Women Can’t Paint: Gender, the Glass Ceiling and Values in Contemporary Art – I.B. Tauris, 2018), in which she reveals prolific discrimination in the artworld.