Cui Xiuwen

I didn't feel like I really connected with the work of Cui Xiuwen. To be honest, all female artists who try to be "female" artists, who define themselves by their gender, don't really appeal to me. Although, while looking at her work, I did get a sense of abandonment and isolation, as well as maternity themes (which, let's be honest, is pretty obvious, as she hits you over the head with the theme in all of her "Angel" series). I think what bothers me the most about her work is the fact that the works look like they were created in Photoshop, and not masterfully. I actually like the first of the series - the woman stands in a body of water, cradling her pregnant belly. But as a body of work, I tend to shy away from work like Cui Xiuwen's.

Cindy Sherman

I have a give-and-take relationship with Cindy Sherman - it's the same sort of one I have with Cui Xiuwen. I like certain film stills of her, but as a whole, I feel it's a bit of overkill of subject matter. I want to see her do something other than take pictures of herself in poses like she's in a film. However, when she does photo manipulation, I'm not impressed. I think I just find it hard to relate to any feminist artist. And looking at Cindy Sherman's work over and over only makes me dislike her work more and more.

Frida Kahlo

When it comes to female artists though, I find I actually enjoy looking at Frida Kahlo's work. She paints herself, sure, but there aren't many feminist ideas that she constantly shoves in the viewer's face. She just paints how she feels - which is often in pain, as you can tell from the way she sometimes literally wears her heart on the outside or adorns a necklace of thorns. I think Kahlo does a great job expressing herself while also making me want to understand why she is feeling this way. She creates an interesting tension between realist and surrealist ideals - she paints herself in a realistic manner but then puts herself in settings that couldn't possibly be or with details that are not real to life. Which is the main reason I don't find Frida Kahlo's art difficult to view.