GENDER VARIATIONS OF FEMININITY IN CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN ART PRACTICES

Abstract

The aim of the article is to identify and analyze the main directions of gender to identify and analyze the gender variations of femininity in modern artistic practices, created by Ukrainian women-artists in contrast to «traditional» masculine strategies in art. The variability of femininity as a gender and cultural construct in art practices will allow tracing certain vectors of gender transformations in today’s Ukrainian culture. Methodology of the research. The culturological research has a complex interdisciplinary nature, which allows to highlight the peculiarities of gender transformations in Ukrainian art practices. Gender analysis made it possible to identify ways of problematizing gender variations of femininity in women's art, their correlation with gender trends of Western European culture. The use of a semiotic approach made it possible to analyze representations of femininity in art practices, to
investigate their semantic and pragmatic aspects. With the help of content analysis, the reception of gender transformations in media was investigated.
Result. Ukrainian visual art is a space for reflection on gender and a tool for the articulation of gender transformations in today's culture. Art practices are a sensitive area in relation to general cultural trends, while other spheres of Ukrainian culture are more influenced by gender tradition.
For centuries, masculine gender narratives have been normative in art. Today women artists face the task of developing new creative strategies and new gender representations of femininity aimed at overcoming negative gender stereotypes. The conducted research made it possible to identify the main directions of transformation of female gender stereotypes: 1) the vector of corporeality as a socio-cultural construct (problems of sexuality, beauty standards, women's health, gender deviations, etc.); 2) vector of social (gender) roles; 3) vector of the meaning field of She/War (art practices that
appeared after February 24, 2022). The feminist narratives in art of the last years are using the «rhetoric of diversity». Such a concept manifests itself in the intention to establish a diversity of gender models as a new cultural norm.
The scientific novelty. The main vectors of gender variations of femininity in contemporary practices of women's art are identified and classified. This principle can be applied to the analysis of gender transformations in other sociocultural practices. The study of gender variability in the cultural dimension enriches the problematic field of domestic cultural studies.
Practical value. The results of the conducted research are of practical value for curators of contemporary art exhibitions, art critics, organizers of public lectures or discussions on the problems of actual art practices. Also, the questions discussed in the article are relevant for other workers in the sociocultural sphere (organizers of lectures on gender history, gender equality, etc.).