our androcentric culture-第8部分

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to　the　eye；　appropriately　and　beautifully　clothed。

Our　real　condition　in　this　field　is　too　patent　to　need　emphasis；　the
stiff；　black　ugliness　of　our　men's　attire；　the　irritating　variegated
folly　of　our　women's；　the　way　in　which　we　spoil　the　beauty　and　shame　the
dignity　of　childhood　by　modes　of　dress。

In　normal　human　growth；　our　houses　would　be　a　pleasure　to　the　eye；　our
furniture　and　utensils；　all　our　social　products；　would　blossom　into
beauty　as　naturally　as　they　still　do　in　those　low　stages　of　social
evolution　where　our　major　errors　have　not　yet　borne　full　fruit。

Applied　art　in　all　its　forms　is　a　human　function；　common　to　every　one　to
some　degree；　either　in　production　or　appreciation；　or　both。　　〃Pure　art；〃
as　an　ideal；　is　also　human；　and　the　single…hearted　devotion　of　the　true
artist　to　this　ideal　is　one　of　the　highest　forms　of　the　social
sacrifice。　　Of　all　the　thousand　ways　by　which　humanity　is　specialized
for　inter…service；　none　is　more　exquisite　than　this；　the　evolution　of
the　social　Eye；　or　Ear；　or　Voice；　the　development　of　those　whose　work　is
wholly　for　others；　and　to　whom　the　appreciation　of　others　is　as　the
bread　of　life。　　This　we　should　have　in　a　properly　developed　community；
the　pleasure　of　applied　art　in　the　making　and　using　of　everything　we
have；　and　then　the　high　joy　of　the　Great　Artist；　and　the　noble　work
thereof；　spread　far　and　wide。

What　do　we　find？

Applied　art　at　a　very　low　level；　small　joy　either　for　the　maker　or　the
user。　　Pure　art；　a　fine…spun　specialty；　a　process　carried　on　by　an　elect
few　who　openly　despise　the　unappreciative　many。　　Art　has　become　an
occult　profession　requiring　a　long　special　education　even　to　enjoy；　and
evolving　a　jargon　of　criticism　which　becomes　more　esoteric　yearly。

Let　us　now　see　what　part　in　this　undesirable　outcome　is　due　to　our
Androcentric　Culture。

As　soon　as　the　male　of　our　species　assumed　the　exclusive　right　to
perform　all　social　functions；　he　necessarily　brought　to　that　performance
the　advantagesand　disadvantagesof　maleness；　of　those　dominant
characteristics；　desire；　combat；　self…expression。

Desire　has　overweighted　art　in　many　visible　forms；　it　is　prominent　in
painting　and　music；　almost　monopolizes　fiction；　and　has　pitifully
degraded　dancing。

Combat　is　not　so　easily　expressed　in　art；　where　even　competition　is　on　a
high　plane；　but　the　last　element　is　the　main　evil；　self…expression。　
This　impulse　is　inherently　and　ineradicably　masculine。　　It　rests　on　that
most　basic　of　distinctions　between　the　sexes；　the　centripetal　and
centrifugal　forces　of　the　universe。　　In　the　very　nature　of　the
sperm…cell　and　the　germ…cell　we　find　this　difference：　the　one　attracts；
gathers；　draws　in；　the　other　repels；　scatters；　pushes　out。　　That
projective　impulse　is　seen　in　the　male　nature　everywhere；　the　constant
urge　toward　expression；　to　all　boasting　and　display。　　This　spirit；　like
all　things　masculine；　is　perfectly　right　and　admirable　in　its　place。

It　is　the　duty　of　the　male；　as　a　male；　to　vary；　bursting　forth　in　a
thousand　changing　modificationsthe　female；　selecting；　may　so
incorporate　beneficial　changes　in　the　race。　　It　is　his　duty　to　thus
express　himselfan　essentially　masculine　duty；　but　masculinity　is　one
thing；　and　art　is　another。　　Neither　the　masculine　nor　the　feminine　has
any　place　in　artArt　is　Human。

It　is　not　in　any　faintest　degree　allied　to　the　personal　processes　of
reproduction；　but　is　a　social　process；　a　most　distinctive　social
process；　quite　above　the　plane　of　sex。　　The　true　artist　transcends　his
sex；　or　her　sex。　　If　this　is　not　the　case；　the　art　suffers。

Dancing　is　an　early；　and　a　beautiful　art；　direct　expression　of　emotion
through　the　body；　beginning　in　subhuman　type；　among　male　birds；　as　the
bower…bird　of　New　Guinea；　and　the　dancing　crane；　who　swing　and　caper
before　their　mates。　　Among　early　peoples　we　find　it　a　common　form　of
social　expression　in　tribal　dances　of　all　sorts；　religious；　military；
and　other。　　Later　it　becomes　a　more　explicit　form　of　celebration；　as
among　the　Greeks；　in　whose　exquisite　personal　culture　dancing　and　music
held　high　place。

But　under　the　progressive　effects　of　purely　masculine　dominance　we　find
the　broader　human　elements　of　dancing　left　out；　and　the　sex…element　more
and　more　emphasized。　　As　practiced　by　men　alone　dancing　has　become　a
mere　display　of　physical　agility；　a　form　of　exhibition　common　to　all
males。　　As　practiced　by　men　and　women　together　we　have　our　social
dances；　so　lacking　in　all　the　varied　beauty　of　posture　and　expression；
so　steadily　becoming　a　pleasant　form　of　dalliance。

As　practiced　by　women　alone　we　have　one　of　the　clearest　proofs　of　the
degrading　effect　of　masculine　dominance：the　dancing　girl。　　In　the
frank　sensualism　of　the　Orient；　this　personage　is　admired　and　enjoyed　on
her　merits。　　We；　more　sophisticated　in　this　matter；　joke　shamefacedly
about　〃the　bald…headed　row；〃　and　occasionally　burst　forth　in　shrill
scandal　over　some　dinner　party　where　ladies　clad　in　a　veil　and　a
bracelet　dance　on　the　table。　　Nowhere　else　in　the　whole　range　of　life　on
earth；　is　this　degradation　foundthe　female　capering　and　prancing
before　the　male。　　It　is　absolutely　and　essentially　his　function；　not
hers。　　That　we；　as　a　race；　present　this　pitiful　spectacle；　a　natural　art
wrested　to　unnatural　ends；　a　noble　art　degraded　to　ignoble　ends；　has　one
clear　cause。

Architecture；　in　its　own　nature；　is　least　affected　by　that　same　cause。　
The　human　needs　secured　by　it；　are　so　human；　so　unescapably　human；　that
we　find　less　trace　of　excessive　masculinity　than　in　other　arts。　　It
meets　our　social　demands；　it　expresses　in　lasting　form　our　social
feeling；　up　to　the　highest；　and　it　has　been　injured　not　so　much　by　an
excess　of　masculinity　as　by　a　lack　of　femininity。

The　most　universal　architectural　expression　is　in　the　home；　the　home　is
essentially　a　place　for　the　woman　and　the　child；　yet　the　needs　of　woman
and　child　are　not　expressed　in　our　domestic　architecture。　　The　home　is
built　on　lines　of　ancient　precedent；　mainly　as　an　industrial　form；　the
kitchen　is　its　working　centre　rather　than　the　nursery。

Each　man　wishes　his　home　to　preserve　and　seclude　his　woman；　his　little
harem　of　one；　and　in　it　she　is　to　labor　for　his　comfort　or　to　manifest
his　ability　to　maintain　her　in　idleness。　　The　house　is　the　physical
expression　of　the　limitations　of　women；　and　as　such　it　fills　the　world
with　a　small　drab　ugliness。　　A　dwelling　house　is　rarely　a　beautiful
object。　　In　order　to　be　such；　it　should　truly　express　simple　and　natural
relations；　or　grow　in　larger　beauty　as　our　lives　develop。

The　deadlock　for　architectural　progress；　the　low　level　of　our　general
taste；　the　everlasting　predominance　of　the　commonplace　in　buildings；　is
the　natural　result　of　the　proprietary　family　and　its　expression　in　this
form。

In　sculpture　we　have　a　noble　art　forcing　itself　into　some　service
through　many　limitations。　　Its　check；　as　far　as　it　comes　under　this　line
of　study；　has　been　indicated　in　our　last　chapter；　the　degradation　of　the
human　body；　the　vicious　standards　of　sex…consciousness　enforced　under
the　name　of　modesty；　the　covered　ugliness；　which　we　do　not　recognize；
all　this　is　a　deadly　injury　to　free　high　work　in　sculpture。

With　a　nobly　equal　womanhood；　stalwart　and　athletic；　with　the　high
standards　of　beauty　and　of　decorum　which　we　can　never　have　without　free
womanhood；　we　should　show　a　different　product　in　this　great　art。

An　interesting　note　in　passing　is　this：　when　we　seek　to　express　socially
our　noblest；　ideas；　Truth；　Justice；　Liberty；　we　use　the　woman's　body　as
the　highest　human　type。　　But　in　doing　this；　the　artist；　true　to　humanity
and　not　biassed　by　sex；　gives　us　a　strong；　grand　figure；　beautiful
indeed；　but　never　_decorated_。　　Fancy　Liberty　in　ruffles　and　frills；
with　rings　in　her　earsor　nose。

Music　is　injured　by　a　one…sided　handling；　partly　in　the　excess　of　the
one　dominant　masculine　passion；　partly　by　the　general　presence　of
egoism；　that　tendency　to　self…expression　instead　of　social　expression；
which　so　disfigures　our　art；　and　this　is　true　also　of　poetry。

Miles　and　miles　of　poetry　consist　of　the　ceaseless　outcry　of　the　male
for　the　female；　which　is　by　no　means　so　overwhelming　as　a　feature　of
human　life　as　he　imagines　it；　and　other　miles　express　his　other
feelings；　with　that　ingenuous　lack　of　reticence　which　is　at　its　base
essentially　masculine。　　Having　a　pain；　the　poet　must　needs　pour　it
forth；　that　his　woe　be　shared　and　sympathized　with。

As　more　and　more　women　writers　flock　into　the　field　there　is　room　for
fine　historic　study　of　the　difference　in　sex　feeling；　and　the　gradual
emergence　of　the　human　note。

Literature；　and　in　especial　the　art　of　fiction；　is　so　large　a　field　for
this　study　that　it　will　have　a　chapter　to　itself；　this　one　but　touching
on　these　various　forms；　and　indicating　lines　of　observation。

That　best　known　form　of　art　which　to　my　mind　needs　no　qualifying
descriptionpaintingis　also　a　wide　field；　and　cannot　be　done　full
justice　to　within　these　limits。　　The　effect　upon　it　of　too　much
masculinity　is　not　so　much　in　choice　of　subject　as　in　method　and　spirit。
　The　artist　sees　beauty　of　form　and　color　where　the　ordinary　observe