When I was at theatre school we were asked to write a song about what gives us power. One of my lines said "I am a feminist" and I distinctly remember one of my classmates saying to me afterwards "I didn't know you were a feminist!" I was confused - as a woman, I didn't know I could be anything else.
But it is true that feminism is sometimes considered a dirty word. Attending this past weekend's conference in conjunction with the opening of the WACK exhibit gave me an opportunity to think a bit more about this. One of the issues that was raised was the idea that the shadow of the feminist movement is cast over all art made by women. This got my back up immediately and throughout the day I realized that this is exactly what makes people (and artists) reticent to say they are feminists.
One of the artists who spoke at the event, Lorraine O'Grady (who had a number of insightful things to say) offered up the explanation that people want to be roses blooming in the desert, without acknowledging what came before. I agree with this idea, and I challenge it. As a young artist, I acknowledge and greatly appreciate what was done by my mother and her generation in order to grant me the rights I have. But as a young artist, I reject the idea that everything I ever do and say should be seen through the filter that I am a woman and should be seen as a response to the objectification of women in history. What if I want to say something else? Isn't the fight supposed to allow me to say that, too?
A slide was shown of the button "Feminism is the radical belief that women are people." Exactly.
I am a woman. I am definitely a feminist. But that does not mean that every artwork I make is tied to the feminist movement. If it did, then I'd be working in a vacuum - preaching to the choir. My mother fought for the right for me to say whatever I choose with my work, and for that to be judged as such - as an individual. And I appreciate that fight. And I continue it. And sometimes I speak for it, make art tied to it, and sometimes I make art that says something else. And I celebrate that as a victory.
Written by Rachel Peake,
on 06-10-2008 18:45
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