{"title":"A Phenomenological Study of Taiwanese Lesbians Viewing Female Figures in Paintings.","authors":"Yi-Hsin Tzeng","doi":"10.1080/00918369.2023.2217316","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a response to the lack of academic attention paid to the relationship between lesbian spectatorship and aesthetic perceptions of paintings, this study is an inquiry into the Taiwanese lesbian experience of viewing paintings containing female figures. Descriptions and themes regarding the phenomenon were generated through semi-structured, in-person interviews with twenty participants according to phenomenologist van Manen's existential methods. Each participant took part in a minimum of two interviews. The first aimed to explore their previous experiences of viewing original paintings. The second examined how participants selected and made sense of the images of paintings they had chosen. The findings showed that, firstly, participants were able to draw connections to themselves, other women, and the spaces occupied by women in a wider patriarchal society through the act of viewing female figures in paintings. Secondly, participants demonstrated a high awareness of issues surrounding gender and other inequalities, which they often derived from female figures in paintings that they selected. The experience of viewing paintings can be considered a safe place of self-discovery, thereby promoting paintings as a platform for initiating discussions related to social and gender issues. Thus, this study not only sheds light on a group of people underrepresented in the visual arts and art education, but it also offers a unique, intimate understanding of the lived experiences of Taiwanese lesbians.</p>","PeriodicalId":48221,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Homosexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Homosexuality","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2023.2217316","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/6/5 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
As a response to the lack of academic attention paid to the relationship between lesbian spectatorship and aesthetic perceptions of paintings, this study is an inquiry into the Taiwanese lesbian experience of viewing paintings containing female figures. Descriptions and themes regarding the phenomenon were generated through semi-structured, in-person interviews with twenty participants according to phenomenologist van Manen's existential methods. Each participant took part in a minimum of two interviews. The first aimed to explore their previous experiences of viewing original paintings. The second examined how participants selected and made sense of the images of paintings they had chosen. The findings showed that, firstly, participants were able to draw connections to themselves, other women, and the spaces occupied by women in a wider patriarchal society through the act of viewing female figures in paintings. Secondly, participants demonstrated a high awareness of issues surrounding gender and other inequalities, which they often derived from female figures in paintings that they selected. The experience of viewing paintings can be considered a safe place of self-discovery, thereby promoting paintings as a platform for initiating discussions related to social and gender issues. Thus, this study not only sheds light on a group of people underrepresented in the visual arts and art education, but it also offers a unique, intimate understanding of the lived experiences of Taiwanese lesbians.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Homosexuality is an internationally acclaimed, peer-reviewed publication devoted to publishing a wide variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship to foster a thorough understanding of the complexities, nuances, and the multifaceted aspects of sexuality and gender. The chief aim of the journal is to publish thought-provoking scholarship by researchers, community activists, and scholars who employ a range of research methodologies and who offer a variety of perspectives to continue shaping knowledge production in the arenas of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) studies and queer studies. The Journal of Homosexuality is committed to offering substantive, accessible reading to researchers and general readers alike in the hope of: spurring additional research, offering ideas to integrate into educational programs at schools, colleges & universities, or community-based organizations, and manifesting activism against sexual and gender prejudice (e.g., homophobia, biphobia and transphobia), including the promotion of sexual and gender justice.