our androcentric culture-第7部分

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Sculpture；　Painting；　Music　and　the　Drama；　we　find　women　in　their
primitive　environment　making　flowers　of　wax；　and　hair；　and　worsted；
doing　mottoes　of　perforated　cardboard；　making　crazy　quilts　and　mats　and
〃tidies〃as　if　they　lived　in　a　long　past　age；　or　belonged　to　a　lower
race。

This；　as　part　of　the　general　injury　to　women　dating　from　the　beginning
of　our　androcentric　culture；　reacts　heavily　upon　the　world　at　large。　
Men；　specializing；　giving　their　lives　to　the　continuous　pursuit　of　one
line　of　service；　have　lifted　our　standard　in　aesthetic　culture；　as　they
have　in　other　matters；　but　by　refusing　the　same　growth　to　women；　they
have　not　only　weakened　and　reduced　the　output；　but　ruined　the　market　as
it　were；　hopelessly　and　permanently　kept　down　the　level　of　taste。

Among　the　many　sides　of　this　great　question；　some　so　terrible；　some　so
pathetic；　some　so　utterly　absurd；　this　particular　phase　of　life　is
especially　easy　to　study　and　understand；　and　has　its　own　elements　of
amusement。　　Men；　holding　women　at　the　level　of　domestic　service；　going
on　themselves　to　lonely　heights　of　achievement；　have　found　their　efforts
hampered　and　their　attainments　rendered　barren　and　unsatisfactory　by　the
amazing　indifference　of　the　world　at　large。　　As　the　world　at　large
consists　half　of　women；　and　wholly　of　their　children；　it　would　seem
patent　to　the　meanest　understanding　that　the　women　must　be　allowed　to
rise　in　order　to　lift　the　world。　　But　such　has　not　been　the
methodheretofore。

We　have　spoken　so　far　in　this　chapter　of　the　effect　of　men　on　art
through　their　interference　with　the　art　of　women。　　There　are　other　sides
to　the　question。　　Let　us　consider　once　more　the　essential
characteristics　of　maleness；　and　see　how　they　have　affected　art；　keeping
always　in　mind　the　triune　distinction　between　masculine；　feminine　and
human。　　Perhaps　we　shall　best　see　this　difference　by　considering　what
the　development　of　art　might　have　been　on　purely　human　terms。

The　human　creature；　as　such；　naturally　delights　in　construction；　and
adds　decoration　to　construction　as　naturally。　　The　cook；　making　little
regular　patterns　around　the　edge　of　the　pie；　does　so　from　a　purely　human
instinct；　the　innate　eye…pleasure　in　regularity；　symmetry；　repetition；
and　alternation。　　Had　this　natural　social　instinct　grown　unchecked　in
us；　it　would　have　manifested　itself　in　a　certain　proportion　of
specialistsartists　of　all　sortsand　an　accompanying　development　of
appreciation　on　the　part　of　the　rest　of　us。　　Such　is　the　case　in
primitive　art；　the　maker　of　beauty　is　upheld　and　rewarded　by　a　popular
appreciation　of　her　workor　his。

Had　this　condition　remained；　we　should　find　a　general　level　of　artistic
expression　and　appreciation　far　higher　than　we　see　now。　　Take　the　one
field　of　textile　art；　for　instance：　that　wide　and　fluent　medium　of
expression；　the　making　of　varied　fabrics；　the　fashioning　of　garments　and
the　decoration　of　themall　this　is　human　work　and　human　pleasure。　　It
should　have　led　us　to　a　condition　where　every　human　being　was　a　pleasure
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　t