Art and Art history

Kim Dingle’s artwork challenges how the gender and behavior of girls are generally acknowledged in society.  The analysis of her Study for the Perfect Suckerpunch painting will explore the overall sociological implications of what it means to be a little girl and why this painting, along with her other works, is in opposition to a socially accepted female gender identity.  This accepts the sociological concept of ‘doing’ gender, and the subsequent idea of gender performing, where it is concluded that gender is learned, socially constructed and conclusively understood to dictate male and female behavior.  Throughout Dingle’s body of work, pre-adolescent girls create a dualism of female gender norms, where they, in appearance, display the markers of femininity in their fancy dresses, but they are acting like little boys, that is they are violent, mischievous, angry and indecent in their behavior.  While their appearance preserves the female gender norm, their behavior is in opposition to their gender norms.  Gender is the main focus in Dingle’s work, but there is an additional dimension created with the depiction of race among the little girls.  Gender is understood as socially constructed, but race is another sociological factor that informs behavior.  The paintings and installations of Dingle’s little girls all form a body of work that makes it possible for the viewer to confront their ideologies regarding gender and confront what ‘doing’ gender really means.