Have re jiggled my plan's for upcoming exhibition ('Points of connection' at Kingsland studios) and decided to make a film installation using the female experiences I've been gathering. I have come across many amazing women who have shared their experience's with me of what it is to be a woman, some of which I've posted on my other blog
we-voice.blogspot.com
For this particular piece I have been recording face to face conversations with some of these women on my dictaphone. The experiences I've focused on are those that involve domestic and sexual violence as I see it as an issue that still needs to be explored and addressed within the art world. I have recently written an essay about the worrying increase in numbers of reports of these crimes against women which is posted to this blog.
So come along and view my work and have a look at my we-voice blog.
Monday 27 February 2012
'Points of Connection' group exhibition
'Points of Connection' group exhibition at Kingsland road studio, The basement, 284-288 Kingsland road, London E8 4DN. 8-10 march 2012. 11am-5pm daily. Private view 8th march 6-9pm.
Essay: ‘Feminism today: how much has changed in the last 30 years or so? Since the 70's second wave feminism are we closer to gender equality? (Focusing on the issues of domestic and sexual violence).
‘Feminism today: how much has changed in the last 30 years or so? Since the 70's second wave feminism are we closer to gender equality? (Focusing on the issues of domestic and sexual violence).
In this essay I am going to look at gender inequalities in current society, specifically at domestic and sexual violence toward women. I will looking to see if feminism has continued to move forward since the second wave. I will look at how today’s media and society at large are representing women, along with a look at the legal system. I will finally look to see if the art world is addressing these issues and how.
The second wave feminist movement of the 1970/80’s had a great impact on the lives of many women and brought about a lot of change. But So much still needs to change and the only way this will happen is for one, by the government supporting, addressing the issues and changing laws.
'Without a political change, it seems unlikely there will be a progress for equality for women' (http://lezgetreal.com/2012/01/wheres-feminism-at-today/)
With such a small amount of women actually in power in the UK government it is an even harder battle. On a government website the attitude and statistics are positive about the increase of women in parliament but it is still too low for real change, the power balance is uneven (male to female).
‘Currently there is a higher percentage of female MPs among the younger generation of politicians being elected than in previous parliaments. Of the 28 MPs currently under the age of 30 in the House of Commons half are female and half male. Although this could be seen as a sign of progress there is still some way to go; overall the number of women in Parliament is still less than 25%.' (http://www.parliament.uk/)
With so much gender inequality in today’s society, among many other things, women still fight for equal pay, for equal job opportunities and maternity leave is still, in this country, only available to women.
Looking at statistics on crimes against women, particular domestic and sexual violence there has been an increase since second wave feminist movements. It is said that 1 in 4 women have experienced rape or attempted rape in their lives. This is a big problem and there are not satisfactory ways of dealing with these issues. Education is not ahead of the game, which is partly where it needs to begin, with prevention. Even sadder are the statistics on children that are witness to the domestic violence experienced by their mothers which has a knock on effect to the next generation who see domestic violence in the home as ‘normal’.
'A study by the National Children's Homes Action for Children (1994) found that 75% of mothers subjected to domestic violence said their children had witnessed it.' (http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full).
Another a big issue today is Britain’s gang culture, it is on the increase and is bringing up more cases of inequality, violence and sexual violence. It isn’t unheard of within the culture that girls are being initiated into the gang’s by having sex with the male members. It is lack of education that is enhancing the growth of this culture.
‘Being raped by a gang is normal – it's about craving to be accepted'. (Isha Nembhard used to belong to a gang in Peckham, south London.) (Mark Townsend, home affairs editor. The Observer, Sat 18 Feb 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/being-raped-by-gang-normal
There has been increase in the porn industry and general objectification of women in today’s popular culture. This must have some effect on society? The new generation of youth are seeing this culture all around them, its unavoidable. Magazines, films, newspapers and music videos all display sexually provocative and derogatory visual language associated with women. And with easier access to the world of hardcore pornography on the Internet it isn’t surprising that attitudes toward women is increasingly worrying.
Looking at crime figures of domestic and sexual violence show an increase in reported crimes. Are more people speaking up about these crimes? Could it be that media coverage has increased on such crimes? Has the victims fear in reporting such cases decreased because of better laws in place or better policing and attitudes toward these crimes in society and the media?
And not to seem sexist, domestic violence and rape are not just claiming female victims but male too although figures suggest that Women amount for 70% of domestic incidents that are reported. (Neil Blacklock. Mirlrees-Black et al, 1998. http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full).
So of the few women that make it to court (Home Office research (1999 A Question of Evidence) suggests that the CPS drop around a fifth of the cases referred to them and that around 20% of all reported rapes make it to court.') (http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/brighton1.htm), many are put on trial themselves, scrutinized closely about their behavior, about the clothes they wore, the amount of sexual partners they have had. The justice system is failing many of them as society and the media still view female sexuality as a lure for men and by wearing provocative clothing she is seen as ’asking for it’.
Even though in 1976 the government passed the Sexual Offences Act which says that questions about the victim’s sexual history are not to be brought into a court case, it is still at the discretion of the judge, and so today, in many cases these questions are still allowed.
This seems to deter many women from speaking up, from fear of judgment and humiliation, not just in court but from police officers dealing with the case when first reporting the incident. The amount of actual constabularies that are properly trained and have sympathetic understanding of rape reports is small on the whole.
The table (diag 1)On the site below shows the percentages of rapes in England and Wales convicted in the courts in recent years. (http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/brighton1.htm)
Despite the sad crime statistics and lack of support in government (or low numbers of female support in actual governments jobs) and the media representations of women, there are luckily feminist organizations campaigning & educating today’s society and numbers are increasing in support.
A human rights organization that are fighting the sexual objectification of women are ‘OBJECT: women not sex objects’. ‘Object’ started in response to the increase in ‘lads’ mags, Internet porn & pole dancing clubs. They are very active, among other work they are doing they joined forces in a project called ‘Demand change’ with another group, 'Eaves' in an aim is to address prostitution and violence against women. They have been successful in brining about a new law around prostitution and policing.
‘Clause 14 (formerly 13) of the Policing & Crime Act was passed, putting the rights of exploited women over those of pimps and punters. In focusing on the demand for sexual services, Clause 14 shifts criminal liability away from people exploited through prostitution and places responsibility firmly on the shoulders of those who contribute to commercial sexual exploitation by choosing to purchase girls, boys, women and men for sexual use.’ (http://www.object.org.uk/take-action-feminist-fridays)
Another interesting group are ‘Go Feminist’ are addressing issues of marginalized groups, they aim to include and connect feminism to other movements so that more women can be reached and included. It is about addressing more than just patriarchy but about reaching all forms of oppression.
http://www.gofeminist.org.uk/index.php/2012/go-feminist-moving-from-the-margins-to-the-mainstream/
And so to the art world which is well known to be dominated by men, as the figures below show.
• 83% of the artists in the Tate Modern are men (7)
• 70% of the artists in the Saatchi Gallery are men (8)
• 70% of the artists that have been nominated for the Turner Prize have been men and only 3 women have ever won (just 12% of all winners) (9)
(http://ukfeminista.handsupstaging.com/news/press-releases/men-still-on-top-in-the-arts/)
Who are supporting women in the arts? as there is much need for support to change. ‘Uk Feminista’ are one such group, But they are not just focused on supporting female artists but addressing all forms of gender inequality, with the aim to include and educate all women, not just educated groups.
Further groups that I have come across that are supporting women in the arts are, ‘Storm in a Teacup’ who run a zine, workshops and events (http://joinourteaparty.org/) and ‘Underwire Film Festival: celebrating shorts by women’ who are supporting women in the film industry and giving them a platform in which to have their films shown. (http://www.underwirefestival.com/?page_id=7).
So support is building in feminism again it seems or has publicity just been building around those that have been working for gender equality.
Now to the question of who (artists) are looking at issues of gender inequality and specifically domestic and sexual violence within their practice today? A very difficult and sensitive area to address.
The first person that comes straight to mind is Nan Goldin and her famous self portrait ‘one month after being battered’ (1984) a powerful image of domestic violence, intimate, brave & personal as with all of Goldin's work. Also, ‘Nan & Brian in bed’ (1983) this time a more subtle approach, but it shows the power of Brian in the relationship and Nan’s love for but reveals her vulnerability.
Suzanne Lacy is an artist who especially in the second wave was producing a lot of work around the theme of violence and rape. Particular important to me is a piece ‘Voices in the desert’ (Las Vegas, 1978) in which Lacy installs dead animal carcasses’ adorned with beads and feathers, hanging from the ceiling. The audio accompanying is of women sharing their experiences of rape. This kind of work is strong and confrontational and I believe this work still needs to be produced. Angry, confrontational, obvious. It needed to be shouted out in galleries, cinemas and in the street, the taboo needed to be ‘outted’. Feminism hasn’t died but the voices still need to be just as strong as they were in the 70’s/80’s.
An artist who created a very evocative piece is Ana Mendieta. "Untitled (Rape Scene)" (1973) is a documentation of a performance she enacted in her own home. Mendieta wanted to recreate a scene of a murder that happen shortly before she created it. The image is disturbing and the actual performance was said to have created a lot discomfort in her fellow students who experienced the performance.
Mendieta cleverly showed this image as part of a series, the series being mundane pictures of streets, this disassociation effect replicates the state that is often associated within trauma victims.
An awareness campaign back in February 2007 ran by ‘The domestic violence charity’ had me scratching my head in a kind of confused state. The ‘Act until women and children are safe’ campaign’s aimed to raise awareness of domestic violence and used images of actresses made up to be battered. What made me confused was the photographer. The photographs were taken by Rankin, Rankin to me is famously known for his provocative fashion photography that one might call it objectifying woman? Although domestic violence and objectification have no direct links and of course I cannot give Rankin a sexist hat, but I do find the choice of photographer for the campaign a little odd.
So to conclude I can safely say that second wave feminism has done a lot for gender equality. There are still people fighting the causes that feminism wishes to address and change, but these are small groups and there is not enough support within our government as yet. With the new intake of under 30's to UK parliament being half male, half female, maybe this is the start of a stronger chance for some equality within government and that should then bring about change in our society. With the general imagery and attitudes in popular culture still being so derogatory toward women, it is easy to see why we are still having such huge problems with domestic and sexual violence toward women. There is a need for education among the government, policing, schools and society In general, without adequate understanding, without empowering women and young girls to speak up and feel safe to do so, we will not move forward.
The art world has a responsibility to address and educate on these issues. They delicate, precarious subject’s that needs artists who are willing to take risks. Feminism is not dead but a lot of the same issues need to be addressed as in the second wave to help change societies views and attitudes toward women and gender equality.
Bibliography:
http://lezgetreal.com/2012/01/wheres-feminism-at-today/
Posted by: PaulineM on January 23, 2012
http://www.themuffia.co.uk/
http://www.parliament.uk/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/06/feminism-global-challenge-one-voice. Mariella Frostrup. The Observer. Sunday 6 March 2011
This article appeared on p19 of the Observer Magazine section of the Observer on Sunday 6 March 2011. It was published on guardian.co.uk at 00.09 GMT on Sunday 6 March 2011. It was last modified at 17.38 GMT on Monday 14 March 2011.
http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full
Domestic violence: working with perpetrators, the community and its institutions. Neil Blacklock
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/being-raped-by-gang-normal.
'Being raped by a gang is normal – it's about craving to be accepted' Former gang member reveals how women suffer shocking sexual abuse in return for 'status'. Mark Townsend, home affairs editor. The Observer, Sat 18 Feb 2012.
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 11.46 GMT on Saturday 18 February 2012. A version appeared on p8 of the Main section section of the Observer on Sunday 19 February 2012. It was last modified at 00.17 GMT on Sunday 19 February 2012.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/30/serial-domestic-abusers-register. Serial domestic abusers should not be hidden 'Stalking the stalkers' through a domestic violence register challenges the archaic notion love can be expressed in violence. Jane Monckton-Smith. guardian.co.uk, Monday 30 January 2012 10.01 GMT. This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 10.01 GMT on Monday 30 January 2012. It was last modified at 10.04 GMT on Monday 30 January 2012.
http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full. Domestic violence: working with perpetrators, the community and its institutions. Neil Blacklock. Mirlrees-Black et al, 1998.
http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/brighton1.htm
Harriet Hoff. HOF10297650. BA Fine Art. Stage 2. Tutor katrine Hjelde. Page 8
http://www.gofeminist.org.uk/index.php/2012/go-feminist-moving-from-the-margins-to-the-mainstream/. ‘Go Feminist: moving from the margins to the mainstream’ This post originally appeared on the F-Word, the 17 January.
http://www.object.org.uk/take-action-feminist-fridays
http://www.themuffia.co.uk/
http://ukfeminista.handsupstaging.com/news/press-releases/men-still-on-top-in-the-arts/. UK Feminista. Men still on top in the arts.
http://joinourteaparty.org/. Storm in a teacup London. The Great East London Art Audit | With The East London Fawcett Group
Posted on February 22, 2012
http://www.underwirefestival.com/?page_id=7. Under Wire Festival. Posted Jul 22, 2011. 3:25 pm
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/exposure/default.shtm. Exposed. Voyeurism, Surveillance & the Camera. Tate Modern 28 May-3 October 2010
http://www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/parliament-explained/women-in-politics/. Women in British Politics.
In this essay I am going to look at gender inequalities in current society, specifically at domestic and sexual violence toward women. I will looking to see if feminism has continued to move forward since the second wave. I will look at how today’s media and society at large are representing women, along with a look at the legal system. I will finally look to see if the art world is addressing these issues and how.
The second wave feminist movement of the 1970/80’s had a great impact on the lives of many women and brought about a lot of change. But So much still needs to change and the only way this will happen is for one, by the government supporting, addressing the issues and changing laws.
'Without a political change, it seems unlikely there will be a progress for equality for women' (http://lezgetreal.com/2012/01/wheres-feminism-at-today/)
With such a small amount of women actually in power in the UK government it is an even harder battle. On a government website the attitude and statistics are positive about the increase of women in parliament but it is still too low for real change, the power balance is uneven (male to female).
‘Currently there is a higher percentage of female MPs among the younger generation of politicians being elected than in previous parliaments. Of the 28 MPs currently under the age of 30 in the House of Commons half are female and half male. Although this could be seen as a sign of progress there is still some way to go; overall the number of women in Parliament is still less than 25%.' (http://www.parliament.uk/)
With so much gender inequality in today’s society, among many other things, women still fight for equal pay, for equal job opportunities and maternity leave is still, in this country, only available to women.
Looking at statistics on crimes against women, particular domestic and sexual violence there has been an increase since second wave feminist movements. It is said that 1 in 4 women have experienced rape or attempted rape in their lives. This is a big problem and there are not satisfactory ways of dealing with these issues. Education is not ahead of the game, which is partly where it needs to begin, with prevention. Even sadder are the statistics on children that are witness to the domestic violence experienced by their mothers which has a knock on effect to the next generation who see domestic violence in the home as ‘normal’.
'A study by the National Children's Homes Action for Children (1994) found that 75% of mothers subjected to domestic violence said their children had witnessed it.' (http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full).
Another a big issue today is Britain’s gang culture, it is on the increase and is bringing up more cases of inequality, violence and sexual violence. It isn’t unheard of within the culture that girls are being initiated into the gang’s by having sex with the male members. It is lack of education that is enhancing the growth of this culture.
‘Being raped by a gang is normal – it's about craving to be accepted'. (Isha Nembhard used to belong to a gang in Peckham, south London.) (Mark Townsend, home affairs editor. The Observer, Sat 18 Feb 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/being-raped-by-gang-normal
There has been increase in the porn industry and general objectification of women in today’s popular culture. This must have some effect on society? The new generation of youth are seeing this culture all around them, its unavoidable. Magazines, films, newspapers and music videos all display sexually provocative and derogatory visual language associated with women. And with easier access to the world of hardcore pornography on the Internet it isn’t surprising that attitudes toward women is increasingly worrying.
Looking at crime figures of domestic and sexual violence show an increase in reported crimes. Are more people speaking up about these crimes? Could it be that media coverage has increased on such crimes? Has the victims fear in reporting such cases decreased because of better laws in place or better policing and attitudes toward these crimes in society and the media?
And not to seem sexist, domestic violence and rape are not just claiming female victims but male too although figures suggest that Women amount for 70% of domestic incidents that are reported. (Neil Blacklock. Mirlrees-Black et al, 1998. http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full).
So of the few women that make it to court (Home Office research (1999 A Question of Evidence) suggests that the CPS drop around a fifth of the cases referred to them and that around 20% of all reported rapes make it to court.') (http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/brighton1.htm), many are put on trial themselves, scrutinized closely about their behavior, about the clothes they wore, the amount of sexual partners they have had. The justice system is failing many of them as society and the media still view female sexuality as a lure for men and by wearing provocative clothing she is seen as ’asking for it’.
Even though in 1976 the government passed the Sexual Offences Act which says that questions about the victim’s sexual history are not to be brought into a court case, it is still at the discretion of the judge, and so today, in many cases these questions are still allowed.
This seems to deter many women from speaking up, from fear of judgment and humiliation, not just in court but from police officers dealing with the case when first reporting the incident. The amount of actual constabularies that are properly trained and have sympathetic understanding of rape reports is small on the whole.
The table (diag 1)On the site below shows the percentages of rapes in England and Wales convicted in the courts in recent years. (http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/brighton1.htm)
Despite the sad crime statistics and lack of support in government (or low numbers of female support in actual governments jobs) and the media representations of women, there are luckily feminist organizations campaigning & educating today’s society and numbers are increasing in support.
A human rights organization that are fighting the sexual objectification of women are ‘OBJECT: women not sex objects’. ‘Object’ started in response to the increase in ‘lads’ mags, Internet porn & pole dancing clubs. They are very active, among other work they are doing they joined forces in a project called ‘Demand change’ with another group, 'Eaves' in an aim is to address prostitution and violence against women. They have been successful in brining about a new law around prostitution and policing.
‘Clause 14 (formerly 13) of the Policing & Crime Act was passed, putting the rights of exploited women over those of pimps and punters. In focusing on the demand for sexual services, Clause 14 shifts criminal liability away from people exploited through prostitution and places responsibility firmly on the shoulders of those who contribute to commercial sexual exploitation by choosing to purchase girls, boys, women and men for sexual use.’ (http://www.object.org.uk/take-action-feminist-fridays)
Another interesting group are ‘Go Feminist’ are addressing issues of marginalized groups, they aim to include and connect feminism to other movements so that more women can be reached and included. It is about addressing more than just patriarchy but about reaching all forms of oppression.
http://www.gofeminist.org.uk/index.php/2012/go-feminist-moving-from-the-margins-to-the-mainstream/
And so to the art world which is well known to be dominated by men, as the figures below show.
• 83% of the artists in the Tate Modern are men (7)
• 70% of the artists in the Saatchi Gallery are men (8)
• 70% of the artists that have been nominated for the Turner Prize have been men and only 3 women have ever won (just 12% of all winners) (9)
(http://ukfeminista.handsupstaging.com/news/press-releases/men-still-on-top-in-the-arts/)
Who are supporting women in the arts? as there is much need for support to change. ‘Uk Feminista’ are one such group, But they are not just focused on supporting female artists but addressing all forms of gender inequality, with the aim to include and educate all women, not just educated groups.
Further groups that I have come across that are supporting women in the arts are, ‘Storm in a Teacup’ who run a zine, workshops and events (http://joinourteaparty.org/) and ‘Underwire Film Festival: celebrating shorts by women’ who are supporting women in the film industry and giving them a platform in which to have their films shown. (http://www.underwirefestival.com/?page_id=7).
So support is building in feminism again it seems or has publicity just been building around those that have been working for gender equality.
Now to the question of who (artists) are looking at issues of gender inequality and specifically domestic and sexual violence within their practice today? A very difficult and sensitive area to address.
The first person that comes straight to mind is Nan Goldin and her famous self portrait ‘one month after being battered’ (1984) a powerful image of domestic violence, intimate, brave & personal as with all of Goldin's work. Also, ‘Nan & Brian in bed’ (1983) this time a more subtle approach, but it shows the power of Brian in the relationship and Nan’s love for but reveals her vulnerability.
Suzanne Lacy is an artist who especially in the second wave was producing a lot of work around the theme of violence and rape. Particular important to me is a piece ‘Voices in the desert’ (Las Vegas, 1978) in which Lacy installs dead animal carcasses’ adorned with beads and feathers, hanging from the ceiling. The audio accompanying is of women sharing their experiences of rape. This kind of work is strong and confrontational and I believe this work still needs to be produced. Angry, confrontational, obvious. It needed to be shouted out in galleries, cinemas and in the street, the taboo needed to be ‘outted’. Feminism hasn’t died but the voices still need to be just as strong as they were in the 70’s/80’s.
An artist who created a very evocative piece is Ana Mendieta. "Untitled (Rape Scene)" (1973) is a documentation of a performance she enacted in her own home. Mendieta wanted to recreate a scene of a murder that happen shortly before she created it. The image is disturbing and the actual performance was said to have created a lot discomfort in her fellow students who experienced the performance.
Mendieta cleverly showed this image as part of a series, the series being mundane pictures of streets, this disassociation effect replicates the state that is often associated within trauma victims.
An awareness campaign back in February 2007 ran by ‘The domestic violence charity’ had me scratching my head in a kind of confused state. The ‘Act until women and children are safe’ campaign’s aimed to raise awareness of domestic violence and used images of actresses made up to be battered. What made me confused was the photographer. The photographs were taken by Rankin, Rankin to me is famously known for his provocative fashion photography that one might call it objectifying woman? Although domestic violence and objectification have no direct links and of course I cannot give Rankin a sexist hat, but I do find the choice of photographer for the campaign a little odd.
So to conclude I can safely say that second wave feminism has done a lot for gender equality. There are still people fighting the causes that feminism wishes to address and change, but these are small groups and there is not enough support within our government as yet. With the new intake of under 30's to UK parliament being half male, half female, maybe this is the start of a stronger chance for some equality within government and that should then bring about change in our society. With the general imagery and attitudes in popular culture still being so derogatory toward women, it is easy to see why we are still having such huge problems with domestic and sexual violence toward women. There is a need for education among the government, policing, schools and society In general, without adequate understanding, without empowering women and young girls to speak up and feel safe to do so, we will not move forward.
The art world has a responsibility to address and educate on these issues. They delicate, precarious subject’s that needs artists who are willing to take risks. Feminism is not dead but a lot of the same issues need to be addressed as in the second wave to help change societies views and attitudes toward women and gender equality.
Bibliography:
http://lezgetreal.com/2012/01/wheres-feminism-at-today/
Posted by: PaulineM on January 23, 2012
http://www.themuffia.co.uk/
http://www.parliament.uk/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/06/feminism-global-challenge-one-voice. Mariella Frostrup. The Observer. Sunday 6 March 2011
This article appeared on p19 of the Observer Magazine section of the Observer on Sunday 6 March 2011. It was published on guardian.co.uk at 00.09 GMT on Sunday 6 March 2011. It was last modified at 17.38 GMT on Monday 14 March 2011.
http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full
Domestic violence: working with perpetrators, the community and its institutions. Neil Blacklock
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/being-raped-by-gang-normal.
'Being raped by a gang is normal – it's about craving to be accepted' Former gang member reveals how women suffer shocking sexual abuse in return for 'status'. Mark Townsend, home affairs editor. The Observer, Sat 18 Feb 2012.
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 11.46 GMT on Saturday 18 February 2012. A version appeared on p8 of the Main section section of the Observer on Sunday 19 February 2012. It was last modified at 00.17 GMT on Sunday 19 February 2012.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/30/serial-domestic-abusers-register. Serial domestic abusers should not be hidden 'Stalking the stalkers' through a domestic violence register challenges the archaic notion love can be expressed in violence. Jane Monckton-Smith. guardian.co.uk, Monday 30 January 2012 10.01 GMT. This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 10.01 GMT on Monday 30 January 2012. It was last modified at 10.04 GMT on Monday 30 January 2012.
http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/1/65.full. Domestic violence: working with perpetrators, the community and its institutions. Neil Blacklock. Mirlrees-Black et al, 1998.
http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/brighton1.htm
Harriet Hoff. HOF10297650. BA Fine Art. Stage 2. Tutor katrine Hjelde. Page 8
http://www.gofeminist.org.uk/index.php/2012/go-feminist-moving-from-the-margins-to-the-mainstream/. ‘Go Feminist: moving from the margins to the mainstream’ This post originally appeared on the F-Word, the 17 January.
http://www.object.org.uk/take-action-feminist-fridays
http://www.themuffia.co.uk/
http://ukfeminista.handsupstaging.com/news/press-releases/men-still-on-top-in-the-arts/. UK Feminista. Men still on top in the arts.
http://joinourteaparty.org/. Storm in a teacup London. The Great East London Art Audit | With The East London Fawcett Group
Posted on February 22, 2012
http://www.underwirefestival.com/?page_id=7. Under Wire Festival. Posted Jul 22, 2011. 3:25 pm
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/exposure/default.shtm. Exposed. Voyeurism, Surveillance & the Camera. Tate Modern 28 May-3 October 2010
http://www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/parliament-explained/women-in-politics/. Women in British Politics.
Essay: Art as a critique of the fashion and beauty industry - How consumerism and capitalism shape the notion of femininity
Art as a critique of the fashion and beauty industry - How consumerism and capitalism shape the notion of femininity
In this essay I will be considering ways in which society shapes our ideas and ideals of what it is to be feminine, what femininity and beauty are. A brief discussion on the views on biological and social influences. I will look at the rise of the beauty and toy industries, as well as a more general look to other influences including the media in general and how it all fuels consumerism & capitalism.
I will then discuss how the artists Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Vanessa Beecroft critique some of these issue within their practice.
It was Simone de Beauvoir who famously said, ‘a girl is not born, she is made a woman’. But looking at today’s social messages it seems that this is no longer a trend (the belief it is nurture not nature that shapes gender). There has been a shift in beliefs around this nature, nurture argument in explaining the differences between masculine and feminine. Natasha Walter discusses in her book ‘Living dolls’, how society has moved from the view back in the 1970’s and early 80’s that gender differences were explained by social conditioning to the seemingly wide spread view today that believes more in the biological explanation. The belief that boys and girls are born fundamentally different, that boys will exhibit aggression and pull toward liking cars and soldiers whereas girls are sweet natured and prefer to play with dolls and fantasize of becoming princesses. Natasha Walter explains:
‘…And this new traditionalism is taking on extra strength by the renaissance of biological determinism: the theory that the differences we see between boys and girls are not created by social influences, but laid down for them by the time they are born by genetic & hormonal differences. In the 1970’s, during the heyday of second-wave feminism, biological differences between boys & girls were often questioned & explanations from social influences became more popular. It became generally accepted among educationalists then that Simone de Beauvoir had a point, & that if we wanted to move towards greater equality we had to be prepared to challenge the ways that femininity & masculinity were encouraged among girls & boys by influences around them.’ (P:137 Natasha Walter. Living Dolls- The return of sexism. Virago. First published. 2010. Great Britain.)
This divide between girls and boys can be seen, as Walter gives examples, in the media, schools and the high street. When walking into a well known toy store in London, Walter explains how coming to the ‘boys section’ she was met by a sea of blue and sludge colours, soldiers, toy weapons and cars compared to ‘the girls’ section which is pink, fluffy and filled with sparkly princess outfits.
As I see it, this fuels and justifies the mass production of gendered toys being seen as a necessity rather than influencing difference.
We have seen the rise of ‘the Disney princesses’ since the 1990’s with the opening of the Disney store across the globe. The re-releasing of classic Disney tales onto DVD has brought to life again these traditional gender roles that we see in fairytales, stereotypical ideals of the masculine and feminine. Little girls see themselves in the roles of these softly spoken, beautiful princesses with long flowing hair waiting for their prince to save them, whilst the boys are brave princes who sleigh dragons and save their princesses. ‘Disney’, as are other media, reinforcing to a younger audience the notions of what it is to be masculine and feiminine in todays society.
In regard to the role of women and her appearance in today’s media, there has been this shift from the 1980’s ‘power woman’, the 90’s ‘working mum’, to a return of a more tradition woman, ‘the wife, mother and cake baker’. The working mother seems to have become unfashionable in today’s society. The medias preference is toward the stay at home ‘yummy mummy’. In reality this is not so, among the average family in today’s global economy women are needing to return to work, to juggle home and work and so the media are sending out message’s to these women that they are not ‘good enough’.
This trend toward the traditioninal role of the homemaker, can be seen on TV, specifically food adverts, in which most are showing mum in the kitchen providing for the family. Cooking programs such as those with Nigella Lawson (her book titled ‘The domestic Goodess’) are sending this traditional role message out into our homes. Lawson isn’t ‘model perfect’, she may present physically as an average size 12-14 woman but she has a privileged lifestyle and wouldn’t need to go out to work. Beneath this guise of being ‘just another wife and mum’, Lawson is saying a woman should be gracious, well mannered but have a level of seductive passivity (Lawson makes comments on looking after her family and having good manners along with images of her in a silky nightgown, revealing a little cleavage, whilst indulging seductively in chocolate pudding along with close up shots of her putting food in her mouth, rather reminiscing of soft porn in some rather comical way! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTndhzAJVs8&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2DAF9397900159B8).
So although Lawson is not physically ‘perfect’ she is presenting us with another ideal to aspire to, that of femininity being in the role of homemaker.
The pressure on women to conform to these social unsaid rules of what is femininity starts from a very young age, even since ‘the princess’ age of childhood and has increased in intensity over the past 50-60 years. Trends have changed in fashion and beauty but in general we are still molded around the idea of beauty being ‘princess like’, slim, pretty, flowing hair and suggestive but conservative dress. We are surrounded by images that tell us how we should be, from pretty princess to young seductive woman to graceful older woman (but it is defiantly not on trend to grow old gracefully!).
The fashion and beauty industry has been growing bigger since its first surge in the 1950’s. In the global market, figures have risen heavily, especially in the past 20 years, the market sales have mostly more than doubled. In his book, ‘Beauty Imagined’, Geoffrey Jones gives a table of figures for world retail sales of beauty products (P: 367. ‘Beauty Imagined. Geoffrey Jones). For example In the U.K figures soared from 4.7($bn) in 1989 to 15.2($bn) in 2010, and the US from 25.5 to 59.7($bn) but probably most interesting and also very telling is the far east and non European countries, such as China, who’s figures jumped massively from 2.5($bn) in 1989 to a massive 23.6($bn) in 2010. This would back up the notion that the ideal image of femininity is that of the western woman, and in these non-western countries this is being sold as perfection, and not their own physicality. Products that promise lightened skin, blonde hair, cosmetic procedures that give bigger breasts, smaller noses, western style features are in great demand. New products and technology are producing more all the time and so aiding this obsession for perfection. The obsession with the white western woman as being the ideal of Femininity has pushed these products onto the global market feeding women’s insecurities to create mass consumerism.
Interestingly, Geoffrey Jones explains, the well known brand leaders, cosmetic companies such as Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Arden etc, who are named after and originally set up by women are now owned by huge corporate companies under male directorship. So, we see that consumerism and capitalism is now, as ever, largely male lead, and so it is the male view that shapes our notion of femininity and beauty.
‘Feminist art challenges the ideas central to a patriarchal society by recognizing that throughout history, the depiction of women has been constructed for a male audience.’ (http://hsc.csu.edu.au/visual_arts/requirements/case_studies/feminist_issues/MDOC5Feministissues.html)
When looking for artists that consider these questions of femininity, consumerism and capitalism in a patriarchal society I have identified three. I am going to discuss the work of female artists Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Vanessa Beecroft.
Barbara Kruger, a feminist artist who worked as a designer for Conde Naste (a large publishing house of magazines including fashion magazine’s like ‘Vogue’) in the earlier part of her career. Kruger has used this experience of working within this industry to critique the way in which it (the industry) has created an ideal form of femininity that she sees as destructive to women.
What Kruger recognized was the power that the image-makers of the industries had, she adopted this accessible way of communicating, this visual language. By using the styles, materials, symbols and visual language of advertising, Kruger creates a familiar image for us, but with the introduction of text that appears to have an opposite meaning she creates an unsettling response in her viewer. Her aim is to make her viewer question the messages that the fashion and beauty industry feed women. She is not only questioning the idea of femininity but the power structure behind it, consumerism.
Cindy Sherman approaches the subject of femininity and female role in a different way by using many different identities of numerous female stereotypes. Like Kruger, Sherman creates images that are familiar to the viewer, we have seen these women, even though not this actual woman, we are comfortable with her, until of course we realize it is actually Sherman masquerading in the role. This masquerade creates an unease, does the viewer now trust what he/she see’s. Sherman is showing how we act out these stereotypes in society and what messages we get from them. She shows us how we can masquarade in many different ways to please or rebel against societies views of femininity.
In her essay ‘Images of “woman”- The Photography of Cindy Sherman’ (1983), Judith Williamson talks about Sherman’s ‘Film stills’ and later ‘Untitled’ photographs, she says:
‘Image’ has a double sense, both as kind of woman fantasized (is your ‘image’ aggressive, cute, femme fatale, dumb blonde etc), and as the actual representation, the photograph. What Sherman does is to make you see the type of ‘woman’, of femininity, as inseparable from the literal presentation of the image – lighting, contrast, composition, photographic style. ‘The Film Stills’ are the most obvious example of this.’ (P: 453 ‘images of “woman”: The photography of Cindy Sherman’ (1983) Judith Williamson (Feminism-Art theory-An Anthology 1968-2000. Edited by Hilary Robinson. Blackwell publishing. 2001. (Originally from: From screen, 24 (8) (1983): 102-106; Reprinted in consuming passions: The dynamics of popular culture (London: Marion Boyars, 1986).
So Kruger and Sherman are both confusing the viewer by challenging what they know about female identity and image. What women know of an accepted view of what beauty & femininity are.
Disrupting the viewer’s ideas of what is normal’ and accepted’ is also the aim of Vanessa Beecroft. She has used the fashion industry as a starting point for her work by using actual models within her performances. She confuses, as Kruger & Sherman do, the viewer into thinking he/she is looking at a familiar image but as with Kruger & Sherman, there is a twist. In the case of Beecroft, this is, for example, the models who at the beginning create that familiar image of femininity, of perfection, but as the performance goes on, the models begin to fade in composure, they become ‘real’. This is said in Sally O’Reilly’s book ‘The Body in contemporary art’:
‘…Performance such as VB.56 (2005) and its accompanying series of photographs in which long-limbed slim beauties lounge among Louis Vuitton handbags, would raise the hackles of feminists and anti-capitalists alike, since Beecroft appears to be in league with both the fashion and beauty industries and the art market. However, over the course of these live installations, which often last for hours, the models wilt perceptibly, giving the lie to their image of perfection. The constructed ideal cracks so that the real body becomes apparent.’ (P:43. The Body in Contemporary Art. Sally O’Reilly. Thames & Hudson World of art. 2009. London)
So to conclude, The trend within our society today seems to have stepped back to a more traditional gender role, that of the woman as homemaker. This message is seen in advertising and the media in general and is being pushed at a younger audience, which is evident in the fairytale worlds of toyshops and such like as Disney marketing.
I can see from the figures presented by Geoffrey Jones (Beauty Imagined) that this push from the media has got consumerism shooting through the roof, aiding the growth of the beauty industry over the past 20 years, feeding into women’s insecurities and obsession with becoming ‘perfect’.
The works of Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Vanessa Beecroft all show a critique of these issue within their practice. They all in their own way show how we
are familiar with the images they present because they use similar methods to the advertising and media industries but all disrupt this, they distort the notions of
Femininity and what it is to be female and to be considered ‘perfect’ by society, this patriarchal society that is lead by consumerism.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: -
BOOKS: -
-Beauty Imagined - A history of the global beauty industry’. Geoffrey Jones. Oxford University Press. 2010. Great Britain.
-Feminism - Art theory - An Anthology 1968-2000. Edited by Hilary Robinson. Blackwell publishing. 2001.
(Essay: ‘Images of “woman”: The Photography of Cindy Sherman’ (1983) Judith Williamson. (Originally from: From screen, 24 (8) (1983): 102-106; Reprinted in consuming passions: The dynamics of popular culture (London: Marion Boyars, 1986)
-Living Dolls- The return of sexism. Natasha Walter. Virago. First published. 2010. Great Britain
-The Body in Contemporary Art. Sally O’Reilly. Thames & Hudson World of art. 2009. London
WEBSITES: -
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/visual_arts/requirements/case_studies/feminist_issues/MDOC5Feministissues.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTndhzAJVs8&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2DAF9397900159B8
In this essay I will be considering ways in which society shapes our ideas and ideals of what it is to be feminine, what femininity and beauty are. A brief discussion on the views on biological and social influences. I will look at the rise of the beauty and toy industries, as well as a more general look to other influences including the media in general and how it all fuels consumerism & capitalism.
I will then discuss how the artists Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Vanessa Beecroft critique some of these issue within their practice.
It was Simone de Beauvoir who famously said, ‘a girl is not born, she is made a woman’. But looking at today’s social messages it seems that this is no longer a trend (the belief it is nurture not nature that shapes gender). There has been a shift in beliefs around this nature, nurture argument in explaining the differences between masculine and feminine. Natasha Walter discusses in her book ‘Living dolls’, how society has moved from the view back in the 1970’s and early 80’s that gender differences were explained by social conditioning to the seemingly wide spread view today that believes more in the biological explanation. The belief that boys and girls are born fundamentally different, that boys will exhibit aggression and pull toward liking cars and soldiers whereas girls are sweet natured and prefer to play with dolls and fantasize of becoming princesses. Natasha Walter explains:
‘…And this new traditionalism is taking on extra strength by the renaissance of biological determinism: the theory that the differences we see between boys and girls are not created by social influences, but laid down for them by the time they are born by genetic & hormonal differences. In the 1970’s, during the heyday of second-wave feminism, biological differences between boys & girls were often questioned & explanations from social influences became more popular. It became generally accepted among educationalists then that Simone de Beauvoir had a point, & that if we wanted to move towards greater equality we had to be prepared to challenge the ways that femininity & masculinity were encouraged among girls & boys by influences around them.’ (P:137 Natasha Walter. Living Dolls- The return of sexism. Virago. First published. 2010. Great Britain.)
This divide between girls and boys can be seen, as Walter gives examples, in the media, schools and the high street. When walking into a well known toy store in London, Walter explains how coming to the ‘boys section’ she was met by a sea of blue and sludge colours, soldiers, toy weapons and cars compared to ‘the girls’ section which is pink, fluffy and filled with sparkly princess outfits.
As I see it, this fuels and justifies the mass production of gendered toys being seen as a necessity rather than influencing difference.
We have seen the rise of ‘the Disney princesses’ since the 1990’s with the opening of the Disney store across the globe. The re-releasing of classic Disney tales onto DVD has brought to life again these traditional gender roles that we see in fairytales, stereotypical ideals of the masculine and feminine. Little girls see themselves in the roles of these softly spoken, beautiful princesses with long flowing hair waiting for their prince to save them, whilst the boys are brave princes who sleigh dragons and save their princesses. ‘Disney’, as are other media, reinforcing to a younger audience the notions of what it is to be masculine and feiminine in todays society.
In regard to the role of women and her appearance in today’s media, there has been this shift from the 1980’s ‘power woman’, the 90’s ‘working mum’, to a return of a more tradition woman, ‘the wife, mother and cake baker’. The working mother seems to have become unfashionable in today’s society. The medias preference is toward the stay at home ‘yummy mummy’. In reality this is not so, among the average family in today’s global economy women are needing to return to work, to juggle home and work and so the media are sending out message’s to these women that they are not ‘good enough’.
This trend toward the traditioninal role of the homemaker, can be seen on TV, specifically food adverts, in which most are showing mum in the kitchen providing for the family. Cooking programs such as those with Nigella Lawson (her book titled ‘The domestic Goodess’) are sending this traditional role message out into our homes. Lawson isn’t ‘model perfect’, she may present physically as an average size 12-14 woman but she has a privileged lifestyle and wouldn’t need to go out to work. Beneath this guise of being ‘just another wife and mum’, Lawson is saying a woman should be gracious, well mannered but have a level of seductive passivity (Lawson makes comments on looking after her family and having good manners along with images of her in a silky nightgown, revealing a little cleavage, whilst indulging seductively in chocolate pudding along with close up shots of her putting food in her mouth, rather reminiscing of soft porn in some rather comical way! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTndhzAJVs8&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2DAF9397900159B8).
So although Lawson is not physically ‘perfect’ she is presenting us with another ideal to aspire to, that of femininity being in the role of homemaker.
The pressure on women to conform to these social unsaid rules of what is femininity starts from a very young age, even since ‘the princess’ age of childhood and has increased in intensity over the past 50-60 years. Trends have changed in fashion and beauty but in general we are still molded around the idea of beauty being ‘princess like’, slim, pretty, flowing hair and suggestive but conservative dress. We are surrounded by images that tell us how we should be, from pretty princess to young seductive woman to graceful older woman (but it is defiantly not on trend to grow old gracefully!).
The fashion and beauty industry has been growing bigger since its first surge in the 1950’s. In the global market, figures have risen heavily, especially in the past 20 years, the market sales have mostly more than doubled. In his book, ‘Beauty Imagined’, Geoffrey Jones gives a table of figures for world retail sales of beauty products (P: 367. ‘Beauty Imagined. Geoffrey Jones). For example In the U.K figures soared from 4.7($bn) in 1989 to 15.2($bn) in 2010, and the US from 25.5 to 59.7($bn) but probably most interesting and also very telling is the far east and non European countries, such as China, who’s figures jumped massively from 2.5($bn) in 1989 to a massive 23.6($bn) in 2010. This would back up the notion that the ideal image of femininity is that of the western woman, and in these non-western countries this is being sold as perfection, and not their own physicality. Products that promise lightened skin, blonde hair, cosmetic procedures that give bigger breasts, smaller noses, western style features are in great demand. New products and technology are producing more all the time and so aiding this obsession for perfection. The obsession with the white western woman as being the ideal of Femininity has pushed these products onto the global market feeding women’s insecurities to create mass consumerism.
Interestingly, Geoffrey Jones explains, the well known brand leaders, cosmetic companies such as Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Arden etc, who are named after and originally set up by women are now owned by huge corporate companies under male directorship. So, we see that consumerism and capitalism is now, as ever, largely male lead, and so it is the male view that shapes our notion of femininity and beauty.
‘Feminist art challenges the ideas central to a patriarchal society by recognizing that throughout history, the depiction of women has been constructed for a male audience.’ (http://hsc.csu.edu.au/visual_arts/requirements/case_studies/feminist_issues/MDOC5Feministissues.html)
When looking for artists that consider these questions of femininity, consumerism and capitalism in a patriarchal society I have identified three. I am going to discuss the work of female artists Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Vanessa Beecroft.
Barbara Kruger, a feminist artist who worked as a designer for Conde Naste (a large publishing house of magazines including fashion magazine’s like ‘Vogue’) in the earlier part of her career. Kruger has used this experience of working within this industry to critique the way in which it (the industry) has created an ideal form of femininity that she sees as destructive to women.
What Kruger recognized was the power that the image-makers of the industries had, she adopted this accessible way of communicating, this visual language. By using the styles, materials, symbols and visual language of advertising, Kruger creates a familiar image for us, but with the introduction of text that appears to have an opposite meaning she creates an unsettling response in her viewer. Her aim is to make her viewer question the messages that the fashion and beauty industry feed women. She is not only questioning the idea of femininity but the power structure behind it, consumerism.
Cindy Sherman approaches the subject of femininity and female role in a different way by using many different identities of numerous female stereotypes. Like Kruger, Sherman creates images that are familiar to the viewer, we have seen these women, even though not this actual woman, we are comfortable with her, until of course we realize it is actually Sherman masquerading in the role. This masquerade creates an unease, does the viewer now trust what he/she see’s. Sherman is showing how we act out these stereotypes in society and what messages we get from them. She shows us how we can masquarade in many different ways to please or rebel against societies views of femininity.
In her essay ‘Images of “woman”- The Photography of Cindy Sherman’ (1983), Judith Williamson talks about Sherman’s ‘Film stills’ and later ‘Untitled’ photographs, she says:
‘Image’ has a double sense, both as kind of woman fantasized (is your ‘image’ aggressive, cute, femme fatale, dumb blonde etc), and as the actual representation, the photograph. What Sherman does is to make you see the type of ‘woman’, of femininity, as inseparable from the literal presentation of the image – lighting, contrast, composition, photographic style. ‘The Film Stills’ are the most obvious example of this.’ (P: 453 ‘images of “woman”: The photography of Cindy Sherman’ (1983) Judith Williamson (Feminism-Art theory-An Anthology 1968-2000. Edited by Hilary Robinson. Blackwell publishing. 2001. (Originally from: From screen, 24 (8) (1983): 102-106; Reprinted in consuming passions: The dynamics of popular culture (London: Marion Boyars, 1986).
So Kruger and Sherman are both confusing the viewer by challenging what they know about female identity and image. What women know of an accepted view of what beauty & femininity are.
Disrupting the viewer’s ideas of what is normal’ and accepted’ is also the aim of Vanessa Beecroft. She has used the fashion industry as a starting point for her work by using actual models within her performances. She confuses, as Kruger & Sherman do, the viewer into thinking he/she is looking at a familiar image but as with Kruger & Sherman, there is a twist. In the case of Beecroft, this is, for example, the models who at the beginning create that familiar image of femininity, of perfection, but as the performance goes on, the models begin to fade in composure, they become ‘real’. This is said in Sally O’Reilly’s book ‘The Body in contemporary art’:
‘…Performance such as VB.56 (2005) and its accompanying series of photographs in which long-limbed slim beauties lounge among Louis Vuitton handbags, would raise the hackles of feminists and anti-capitalists alike, since Beecroft appears to be in league with both the fashion and beauty industries and the art market. However, over the course of these live installations, which often last for hours, the models wilt perceptibly, giving the lie to their image of perfection. The constructed ideal cracks so that the real body becomes apparent.’ (P:43. The Body in Contemporary Art. Sally O’Reilly. Thames & Hudson World of art. 2009. London)
So to conclude, The trend within our society today seems to have stepped back to a more traditional gender role, that of the woman as homemaker. This message is seen in advertising and the media in general and is being pushed at a younger audience, which is evident in the fairytale worlds of toyshops and such like as Disney marketing.
I can see from the figures presented by Geoffrey Jones (Beauty Imagined) that this push from the media has got consumerism shooting through the roof, aiding the growth of the beauty industry over the past 20 years, feeding into women’s insecurities and obsession with becoming ‘perfect’.
The works of Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Vanessa Beecroft all show a critique of these issue within their practice. They all in their own way show how we
are familiar with the images they present because they use similar methods to the advertising and media industries but all disrupt this, they distort the notions of
Femininity and what it is to be female and to be considered ‘perfect’ by society, this patriarchal society that is lead by consumerism.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: -
BOOKS: -
-Beauty Imagined - A history of the global beauty industry’. Geoffrey Jones. Oxford University Press. 2010. Great Britain.
-Feminism - Art theory - An Anthology 1968-2000. Edited by Hilary Robinson. Blackwell publishing. 2001.
(Essay: ‘Images of “woman”: The Photography of Cindy Sherman’ (1983) Judith Williamson. (Originally from: From screen, 24 (8) (1983): 102-106; Reprinted in consuming passions: The dynamics of popular culture (London: Marion Boyars, 1986)
-Living Dolls- The return of sexism. Natasha Walter. Virago. First published. 2010. Great Britain
-The Body in Contemporary Art. Sally O’Reilly. Thames & Hudson World of art. 2009. London
WEBSITES: -
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/visual_arts/requirements/case_studies/feminist_issues/MDOC5Feministissues.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTndhzAJVs8&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2DAF9397900159B8
Tuesday 7 February 2012
'birds trapped in bird houses'
I am working on an installation idea which I want to exhibit at our group exhibition (private view 8th March). The piece is using some of the women's stories from my ongoing project on my other blog site (we-voice.blogspot.com) and a few that have been handed to me but not yet been uploaded into site. I am in the process of getting women to read some of these stories out whilst I record them onto dictaphones. The dictaphones will live inside bird nesting boxes/houses that shall be dotted around the gallery. What I am aiming to say is that feminism still has a long way to go, so much is still unsaid, women still need to find their voices and especially the average woman on the street, (so much of feminism and feminist groups are made up of educated women, not saying that this is a bad thing or that all are but I think we all realise the need for feminism to be one more accessible and approcable...well I think those things!) men and women are still not equal, a lot more progress needs to be made, women are still repressed, women are still often sat at home (or at work) feeling alone with their problems and experiences, more women need to be supported....oh I could go in forever, basically this piece is references women's need for a voice, women who may hide secrets behind the closed doors of home.... Birds trapped in their houses!! Let's see if I can define this better and pull the installation off!?
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