Beyond the Bubble: Girl Power
By Madeline Taylor
Published on Monday, February 4, 2013
The entertainment world is still buzzing with Tina Fey’s impact on women in television both on and offscreen following the season finale of “30 Rock.” Fey, who both created the show and starred as its leading lady Liz Lemon, is hailed by many critics as a feisty comedic visionary who pushed women to new prominence in the television world. Her legacy of female-powered comedy continues in new shows such as “The Mindy Project,” featuring Dartmouth graduate Mindy Kaling and HBO’s increasingly popular sitcom “Girls.”
The art world recently celebrated the life of Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the iconic 1930s music trio the Andrews Sisters, who died on Jan. 30 at the age of 94. With their unique swing harmonies and constant stream of chart-topping singles, the three sisters were superstars of the World War II era. Their influence lasted beyond their years, impacting female music groups throughout the decades and continuing into today’s artists.
From music to the visual arts, performance artist Mireille Suzanne Francette Porte spoke out about her bold choice of artistic canvas — her body — in an interview with The Huffington Post on Jan. 29. By transforming her own body through plastic surgery, Porte, popularly known as Orlan, challenges the nature of beauty and its relationship to the female form, confronting common conceptions about the accepted presentation of female identity and sexuality.
While Orland has not undergone any new surgeries recently, the procedures remain a vital aspect of her art and still influence her unique perception of her provocative subject matter. Through her art, Orland is interested in exploring different standards of beauty across time and cultures, revealing how they affect people’s perception of women.
This week, the arts community faces the question of how the legacies of these powerful female art icons will continue — will their fellow women artists carry on the spirit of breaking traditions?