Women in Arts in Communist times

The research exhibition is analyzing the women`s presence in the Romanian Arts, during the communist times. Communist ideology was placing women on the same level with the men in society. The women artists` activities were related to the new artistic types of jobs of the new creative industries. Therefore the women artists were hired full-time or commissioned by several industrial arts and crafts sectors like: illustration for books, magazines and outlets, prints and graphic design, public monumental sculpture, decorative arts or artistic departments in industry sectors like ceramic, textile, design. Especially these sectors were also mainly used in the political programs of propaganda in shaping the social life of the ”new man”.

Empowerment of women artists in communist society was made not only by recognizing the new status of the woman as artist, but also placing her in well remunerated artistic fields. Although some names are remembered for several artistic accomplishments, most of the women artists do not benefit from surveys about their work – they represent pieces of the puzzle, they should seen as part of the then social phenomenon.

The research is analyzing the empowerment given to the couples of artists like: Anamaria Smigelschi – Ion Alin Gheorghiu, Sofia Uzum – Paul Uzum, Medi Wechsler Dinu – Gheorghe Dinu, Michaela Nica-Crăciun – Eugen Crăciun, Ada Geo Medrea – Cornel Medrea, Zoe Baicoianu – Boris Caragea, Xenia Eraclide Vreme – Leon Vreme, Silvia Radu – Vasile Gorduz, Florica Cordescu – Anatol Vulpe, Marcela Cordescu – Vladimir Colin, Georgeta Năpăruș – Octav Grigorescu, Corina Beiu Angheluţă – Octav Angheluţă, Angela Balogh – Peter Balogh. Thus they accomplished the new successful model of the family in the socialist society. In many cases, those family couples were working together side by side in art commissions. These special artworks are spotted and individually analyzed in the study. Some of the artists couples`s children have meanwhile become artists themselves. This development turned in time into a kind of legacy, the children staying side by side their parents and forming family artistic ”dynasties”.

Many themes and subjects of the women`s artworks reflect the official ideology, through a new developed iconography. There is a predilection for themes like Fight for Peace, Homeland, Socialism, Motherhood, some of them related to the events of Mother’s Day – March 8, celebrated with a national iconography.

Another analyzed aspect is considering the percentage of women artists and their artworks in the important annual official exhibitions organized by the Artists Union (Uniunea Artiștilor Plastici). The research is sociologically analyzing the increase and decrease in numbers of the participation of the women artists to the artistic and social life.

A part of the study is dedicated to the individual short biographies of the women artists: Ana Iliuț (1913-1991), Lena Constante (1909-2005), Geta Brătescu (b. 1926), Xenia Eraclide Vreme (1930-2007), Puia Hortensia Masichevici (1917-2010), Alma Redlinger (1924-2017), Eva Cerbu (1924-2008), Cornelia Daneț (1929-2015), Florica Cordescu (1913-1965), Marcela Cordescu (1913-1984), Sofia Uzum (1911-1988), Michaela Nica-Crăciun (b. 1934), Medi Wechsler Dinu (1909-2016), Lelia Zuaf (b.1923), Ada Geo Medrea (1917-1992), Iulia Onita (1923-1987), Zoe Baicoianu (1910-1987), Ioana Maria Cocea (b.1935), Anamaria Smigelschi (1938), Doina Lie (1929), Geta Caragiu (b.1929), Silvia Radu (b.1935), Georgeta Năpăruș (1930-1997), Elena Bianu, Natalia Matei, Frieda Imling.

Women in Arts in Communist times is reflecting a cultural delicate phenomenon, not yet researched in the present context.