Elaine Sturtevant

As a woman who stood up to question the hierarchy of gender, Elaine Sturtevant was a female artist who took works of famous male artists of the 20th century, like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Marcel Duchamp, and recreated them calling her approach “repetition.”  Sturtevant was not trying to duplicate the works of these artists, but instead, she was attempting to challenge the concept of ‘originality and ownership’ (Widewalls).  Some of these male artists enjoyed her works and helped her, like Warhol, who gave Sturtevant copies and outlines of his works in order for her to better understand his technique to essentially create better copies (Widewalls).  However, other male artists were angered at her attempt to ‘recreate’ their works, and her art was not well understood in the 1970s.  It was not until the late 80s when people began to understand and appreciate her art seeing that Sturtevant was trying to show the “relationship between repetition and difference--or how to make people look beyond the surface” (Widewalls).  

Sturtevant was always focused on the political and cultural issues that were going on during the different time periods.  In other words, in her earlier works, she questioned the male hierarchy in art, so she focused on recreating works that were created by men.  In her later years, Sturtevant turned towards film and video with a purpose of challenging and reflecting how people act in the culture that we are immersed in today (Widewalls).  By doing this, she was able to take clips that were “in mass media and popular entertainment to challenge the politics of image production”(“Sturtevant”).  Sturtevant was always challenging the norm and even though she was criticized and even at times dismissed with her works, she achieved the Golden Lion award in 2011 (“Sturtevant”).  She passed away in May of 2014, but her works continue to challenge the status quo and inspire other artists.

Works Cited

K., Dea. “Elaine Sturtevant.” Widewalls, 30 Aug. 2016, https://www.widewalls.ch/artist/elaine-sturtevant/.

“Sturtevant.” 17 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, https://www.artsy.net/artist/sturtevant-1.

Sturtevant
STUPIDITY, 2013
Air de Paris

Sturtevant
Warhol Diptych
Christie's

Sturtevant
Warhol Flowers
Art Window

Sturtevant
Warhol Licorice Marylin, 2004
Simon Lee Gallery