Made By Women is celebrating the women artists we love and making art history accessible
As art history continues to be dug up and explored, it has become evident how many women and minority artists have been left out of the narrative. One artistic explorer who is trying to fill these gaps is Laura Moseley, the founder of Made By Women and creator of amazing zines about women from art history. Alongside illustrations and designs by contemporary women artists, these zines are truly championing females through and through.
Since January 2019, Made By Women has been showcasing women artists through these zines and Laura hopes that this will encourage people to acknowledge their outstanding work. From Artemisia Gentileschi to Tarsila Do Amaral, Made By Women have created six issues so far for you to browse but don’t worry, Laura tells us there are so many more artists on her list! We spoke with the founder to take a peek into her process and passion, which shines through her work: “At the core of everything I do will be celebrating women artists and making art history accessible!”
Let’s fight the art history narrative! How do you aim to increase awareness of women artists through your zines?
The zines talk about their lives and their work but they also talk about some of the potential reasons that these women have been left out of the narrative as you say. For example, Amrita Sher-Gil (issue five) and Pauline Boty (issue three) both tragically died very young, so they didn't have the opportunity to establish their legacy or see their work develop fully, but they still both produced really significant work that should be celebrated. The issue on LGBTQ Women Artists also looks at how art history has left queer artists out of the picture, and how work that looks at queer sexuality or identity has been deemed 'inappropriate'.
”Behind every single male artist there is a woman who was doing it first, at the same time, or better!” – Laura Moseley
Looking forward, how do you support and collaborate with women artists working today?
The zines are a real team effort, with at least four women helping to create each one (me, the illustrator, the designer, and the printer) who each get paid their rates so they are being supported financially by the zines, which is an important part for me. I'm also really keen on promoting and supporting women artists online and in real life. I post and share a lot of work by women artists on my Instagram and I am always attending art fairs (shoutout to the Fierce Babe Markets in Norwich) where I chat and buy from local women artists.
We’re all about celebrating and exploring the work of women artists. What have you learnt about the artists through making your zines?
That behind every single male artist there is a woman who was doing it first, at the same time, or better! We have long accepted that the great 'masters' of art are responsible for all major developments and innovations in art but this is incorrect. For centuries, women have been making work that was equally as significant as their male counterparts, but for various reasons it has been forgotten by the art history canon. We need to start unearthing the work of women and talking about how it corresponds to the famous male artists, and questioning why it is only the men who have risen to celebrity status.
Grab your copy on Etsy and keep an eye out to see what Made By Women are doing next, from zines and workshops, to exhibitions and maybe even a collaboration with The Gallyry! Stay tuned…
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