Abstract :
The article seeks to explore some of the difficulties
that may be experienced within higher art education
both by the student of art who is lesbian and by
researchers focusing on the subject of lesbians and
art. For those interested in this area of study there
may be particular obstacles which are not present
for heterosexual students and which act as a barrier
to exclude more readily available information and
images. The potential importance and relevance of
these exclusions for the lesbian student of art are
examined in relation to the political and social
oppression which lesbians have experienced, the
effects of which can be seen in both historical and
contemporary lesbian images and artwork. The article
also examines possible issues around ‘comingout’
and homophobia for lesbian students and
researchers within education generally, the prevalence
of assumptions of heterosexuality, and the
importance of awareness of these issues for educators
of gay students. The conclusion drawn is that
there is diversity inherent within any grouping but a
more inclusive art education policy would inform
the culture of all.
During the thirty years I have taught in art schools,
many student artists have been young lesbians
who have expected to be able to access contemporary,
and earlier, lesbian art in a similar way to the
many other areas of art history they are required to
study in their course. Relevant critical and historical
material such as books and articles have been
extremely difficult to find and so reproductions of
work created by lesbian artists or for a lesbian audience
were rare…They quickly understood that this
was one of the ways that lesbian invisibility within
the visual arts was manifested. But the result was
that most turned to topics which were more accessible,
abandoning their original interest [1].
