Post 4: Chosen Artist/Intervention Talk

 Chapter 2

"Lambert works best in his studio...since being creative looks a lot like spacing out to others, he puts on a special, bright yellow "Im-being-creative-don't-bother-me" hat to ward off well-meaning incursions and conversation's from his partner"(pg.53). 

-As an artist who used to do the same thing, space into your work and be there for hours, no breaks, one sitting. To others, like Lamberts loved one, this was odd to witness, but to the artist, this was their mind spewing onto paper in silence. Having spaces to be creative is really important and especially having these spaces be uninterrupted. 

"In our idealized perceptions of artist, we often position as magical people who make things perfectly the first time, or if not the first time, inevitably through their relentless pursuit of perfection. These myths of perfection and commitment are lauded, way past the point when they are helpful or even healthy"(pg.73).

-This idea behind artist being "Perfect" is often pushed and believed through those who don't partake in the creative process, which is consumers and commissioners. Art is a process, it takes years of practice and learning new techniques and styles to finally have something of your own, then you can sketch and create drafts and thumbnails, knowing what medium you'd like to do and then create it- but that usually takes a few tries to finally have a final "Perfect" piece. 

                                                        Toward A Curatorial Activism:

"Indeed, the more closely one examines art world statistics, the more glaringly obvious it becomes that, despite the decades of postcolonial, feminist, anti-racist, and queer activism and theorizing, the ‘majority’ continues to be defined as white, Euro-American, heterosexual, privileged and, above all, male"(pg.10).

-This is true, we had learned in my Gallery Management class, majority of those who purchase art is wealthy white men, and what the Museums of art have exhibited are works from Cis-White Hetero Men. Though some museums showcase BIPOC artist...that's only a very small few out of the many. As if we can shift out minds, the ones in power still refrain from doing so, especially because those spending on it are the "majority". 

"The problem, she argued, lies not in our hormones, as women, nor by extension is it in the color of our skin (if one happens to be non-white) — but in our institutions and our education. Thus the question of equality, she argues, devolves around the very nature of institutional structures themselves, and the white masculine prerogative they assume as ‘natural"(pg.12).

- What is being explained is that the issue is not women nor their hormones, nor as femineity as a whole, but the fact that the intuitional structures around us are built upon upholding this idea that White-Cis-Hetero-Men, are the ideal, the "Norm". 

                                                Questions for Activism and Intervention: 

What is an art intervention?

- An art intervention is a creative project that inserts the artist will insert into a community setting, hopefully creating engaging activity and awareness behind an issue or message the artist is trying to communicate. 

How can artists create messages for an audience that inspire change in a community?

-First is to figure out the message you'd like to put out there or something you'd like to challenge, later you can create artwork inspired by it, create flyers with QR codes with information to give, stickers to give away with a saying on it, or even just, talking about it. There's many ways, but most important, CARE about what you're talking about, sometimes people will listen. 

How can we use processes/habits to help design an art intervention strategy?

-Write down an idea you have, any of them. Research on the idea and learn about it, gather information and sources to build the projects message, figure out what resources you have and what you physically need in order for the project to exist, then make it. But most important, know what you want to create!

What is curatorial activism?

-Curatorial Activism is a practice where a curator will have exhibits mainly focused on marginalized artist and voices, uplifting and shinning on incredible creators, creating a united voice. This also challenges and critques museums that mainly focus on white male artist. 

How can art spaces and exhibitions function to expand art activism?

-Keep challenging the institutional "norms", create community engagement, post and voice out galleries, exhibits, events, listen to your community and neighbors, and keep including shinning the light on BIPOC artist. 

Intervention Idea: What does "Woman" mean to you?

This is still a draft!  

I've been thinking about this a lot recently, how patriarchy and capitalism are deeply rooted in everything, even feminism. Its a loaded, crazy, and critical question but, I genuinely want to know what others think. How, maybe "Woman" is everything. 

I am not a cis-woman, so my experience of gender is complex and women and gender studies classes have taught me to think more abstractly with terms like "Man" and "Woman". 

Thinking outside of the physical, outside of the body and titles, the binary, outside of capitalism and patriarchy, outside of ourselves and people we know, ask yourself what is "woman"? One can even take this as, an idea of what is "feminine", but then again I want you to think outside of stereotypes, outside of pink, bows, religion, outside of definition, 

what is "woman" to you?