Welcome to the first episode of season 2. We're kicking the season off by talking about the male gaze in the museum with the help of art historian and writer Elise Bell! We are so delighted to have Elise on the podcast. We consider the art historical developments of the male gaze, its existence in popular culture and the way contemporary artists look to upset and subvert it. What are the implications of having these types of artworks in the museum space? We think about ways that this patriarchal way of seeing and being seen can be constructively moved away from, and talk about the importance of education.

The Medium of the Museum is a conversation twice a month which examines the responsibilities of museums and galleries in modern society through a lens of history, culture and thematic insights. We would love to hear from you so email us [email protected], or contact us on Twitter @MediumMuseum or Instagram @mediumofthemuseum.

Elise Bell can be found on Twitter @eliseybell.

Our recommendation and further reading
Ben Davis, 'I Looked Through All 5,000 Images in Beeple's $69 MIllion Magnum Opus. What I Found Isn't So Pretty', ArtNet
https://news.artnet.com/opinion/beeple-everydays-review-1951656?utm_content=from_artnetnewsbar&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EU%2018%20March%20AM&utm_term=EUR%20Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BMORNING%5D

John Berger, Ways of Seeing  (1972)
 
Laura Mulvey Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975)

Lorraine O'Grady, 'Olympia's Maid: Reclaiming Black Female Subjectivity', 1992-4

Roberta Smith, 'Paula Modersohn-Becker and Her Thwarted Ambitions' The New York Times, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/arts/design/paula-modersohn-becker-and-her-thwarted-ambitions.html

Many thanks to Immy Patron for creating our podcast graphic and Theo Young-Smith for our jingle!