Frau (Woman)
Frau (Woman) was created in 1972 by Birgit Jürgenssen, an Austrian feminist who used art to protest during the second wave of the Austrian women's rights movement. Frau (Woman) is a self-portrait of Jürgenssen. Her clothing is reminiscent of a ballerina's, suggesting that the poses she contorts herself into are unnatural for the average person. The red ink contrasts the black-and-white photography, standing out much more than black ink would have. The red ink is controlling Jürgenssen's body, with the red signifying that it is in a demanding or negative way. "Frau", or woman, is being unfavorably imposed on Jürgenssen. Jürgenssen's work was significant in the late 20th century, when the Austrian women's rights movement was no longer focused on women's suffrage, but rather on reconstructing the systemic boundaries of women's behavior. Frau (Woman) raises the question of how systemic expectations of women impact their identity and constrict their ability to express themselves fully.
