In search of Renters, on Femimism, and the Harmony Arts Exhibition…

I hope you are enjoying the wonderful, long days…. I am. Finally a bit of relaxing after the whirlwind of almost non-stop exhibitions I had since the start of the year.  It’s good to now have some time to enjoy, and plan ahead…

For my next move, I have a request to make, I am looking for collaboration. As a follow-up to the “City in Flux – Work in Progress” series, I will now be focusing on the people I consider to be the most affected by the changes our city is going through –the renters.

When the rush to build towers started, it was mostly on vacant, industrial, or commercial land. Now that those are mostly gone, the construction fever has turned to tear down inhabited homes or buildings. This generates havoc on the lives of those who do not own the land and have to find alternative housing. The more this happens, the more complicated the situation becomes for the renters as there are less and less affordable places to move to and they are farther and farther away.

To make the renters visible -not like the image here, or just as a statistic, I will create portraits which will be shown together with the person’s recount. This work will be presented in galleries or relevant places to bring the matter to the fore. This is where I need your help. If you or someone you know is going through the havoc of having to search for a place to live after having been given notice and would like to participate by sharing the experience, I will appreciate that you contact me for details. It is very important to create a testimony. Thanks in advance!

 

 

In 1971, Linda Nochlin, an art historian from New York, wrote the essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists” which brought to light the notion that never had there been a female ‘genius’ -the romantic creation and glorification of the individualistic, fearless male artist. I think that what is most important in Nochlin’s exposé is that her idea can be transferred to any discipline -why have there been no great women in the sciences, in architecture, in whatever field… She is not talking about filling in pages in history books with women’s names, she is proposing inclusiveness, that the feminist approach is incorporated.

30 years later, Griselda Pollock, another scholar, published her explorations on the subject. Her research suggests that the sexist, political and cultural environment we are still in is the reason. I claim that as long as our society continues being dominated by men who have not progressed in their social development, and think that oppressing others is the way to go not much will change.

The ideals of feminism are based on the democratic principles of equality and inclusion, power-sharing, accountability, diversity, consultation, choice. Nothing extraordinary, just common sense if we believe in an inclusive society where all human beings are equal. No gender or colour above the other. Sadly, none of these concepts goes hand in hand with the machismo and militarism dominating our lives today. Should we be surprised that with a few exceptions so little has advanced? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you!

Here are a few names of women artists who in the last century have pushed the envelope:

Sonia Delaunay, Nadezhda Shteinmiller,Hannah Höch, Nadezhda Shteinmiller, Augusta Savage, Agnes Martin,

Gwendolyn Knight, Meret Oppenheim, Gerda Taro, Jo Baer, Crucita Calabaza, Claude Cahun,  Mansooreh Hosseini, Takako Saito, Nancy Spero, Anne Truitt, Geta Bratescu, Baya, Judy Chicago, Marisol Escobar, Mary Tillman Smith, Remedios Varo, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, Eve Arnold, Elizabeth Catlett, Chien-Ying Chang, Helen Cordero, Maya Deren, Rosalie Gascoigne, Gunhild Kristensen, Helen Levitt, Tuulikki Pietilä , Hannelore Baron, Marie Cosindas, Mavis Doering, Pacita Abad, Valie Export, Barbara Kruger, Hung Liu, Markéta Luskačová, Eva Hesse, Maria Izquierdo.

Wikipedia lists many more though they only cover selected countries. Discovering that after all there have been so many women artists is great! Do you agree?

 

 

I am very happy to have four of my latest paintings, “At Telus Garden, Construction Workers”, were accepted in the Group Exhibition at the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver.

The opening will be Friday, August 3, 6 pm.  The exhibition remains till August 12. Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your continued support, and have a marvellous summer!

C