Thinking about titles, and other things.

http://elizabethbarton.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-importance-of-being-titled.html
An interesting blog about the importance of titles by master quilter Elizabeth Barton!

We were talking about titles in class today with Tamara Tweel, which got me thinking. I love titling my work. It's almost my favorite part of making something. When it's coming together, I have thoughts about it, whether to make it apparent what exactly I am thinking with the piece, or hide my intentions, or just go with the ever classic 'untitled' and let the public translate for themselves. I usually over think titles, and under think presentation. It's something i need to work on!

Reading so much about femininity and feminism, and everything that has gone into culture to bring women to where we are today, I am reminded of my luck. Reading the book The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf, written in the 90's but still very relevant, I can't help but think about relationships I have had in the past, where I would try so hard to be thin and made up and beautiful. It wasn't for me that I was doing these things, and I remember obsessing and stressing. I count myself lucky that today I am in a relationship where when I dress up, I do it for myself, and when I lost weight, I do it for myself. I am lucky enough to be in a supportive and loving relationship.

I know this blog is about art but I just thought i'd share what my research has got me thinking about today!

Thesis proposal, revised

Here is my revised thesis proposal, my work has taken a sudden left turn!

Embroidery, before the Renaissance, was a job for both sexes. Men and women working in workshops produced the fine garments and banners that now hang in museums. Around the Renaissance, embroidery became a talent of upper class women and trickled down to the middle classes. Embroidery became a sign of an educated and refined woman, one who has the patience, concentration and fine hand to produce beautiful decorative textiles. For the upper class women, these were given as favours to suitors, as gifts to friends, or to the church. For middle class women, their embroidered objects were used in the house as napkins, hankies, sheets and clothing. Embroidery has a rich feminine history, and continues to the subversive embroidery that is used today in art. I plan to use embroidery to explore what it is to be a woman and a feminist in today’s world.

As a base for this conversation I am using objects that are specifically attached to femininity. These could include feminine hygiene pads, tampons, lipstick, eye shadow, nail polish, dresses or skirts and bras. I acknowledge that in certain situations men use these items but, through a survey of friends, I have come to the conclusion that they are still attached strongly to femininity. I will then embroider these objects with words or patterns to emphasize their connection to the feminine sphere.

I would like to bring forth a conversation about why the words ‘feminist’ and ‘feminism’ are negative words for a majority of the women in my generation, and maybe open up a channel for these women to investigate feminist language and content. I also want to have a conversation with myself about what femininity means to me. It has always been something I was uncomfortable with, and I’d like to confront that and start to understand why. 

The meaning of feminine

This week I am exploring what Feminine means, what decoration means, and what objects are associated with feminism in the eyes of a cross-section of my peers.
I am also exploring why feminist is a negative word in the current generation, and what that means for women in today's world and in the future.
Work in the studio has been productive if a little difficult this week. Pieces have been developing but I have been second guessing myself a lot. Looking forward to my critique to get some feedback on what is working and what isn't. Been trying to get some pieces semi-done or at lease mock-ups for critique, so that I can show everyone what I have been working on.

Here is what I have been looking at this week:
Bart Hess
I know i've posted his work before but it's still amazing

Paolo Uberti
Surrealist artwork. Yummy.

Interesting jewelry and fashion

Overcoming impostor syndrome
An article about 'impostor syndrome', which is when women over compensate at their jobs because they feel inferior to the men around them. It's interesting but I don't know if I agree with all of it.

Alessandro Puccinelli
Beautiful photography

This one is just fun, really intricately carved pumpkins

Lyan de Jesus
Very detailed and deco pieces

Antibiotic city

This week i've been working through the first part of my actual work, while thinking ahead to what's coming next. I dyed 20 yds. of fabric in my kitchen in preparation for the next step! Thinking about what exactly i'm going to do has lead to a lot of questions, and a sneaking suspicion I need to rewrite my thesis proposal. I've been exploring questions of feminism and how feminist theory permeates culture. Also why feminist seems to be such a dirty world in today's generations. I started this project exploring the decorative in everyday objects, and chose the most interesting object, feminine hygiene pads. This led to all of this feminist discussion that is going on in my head. I want to work with the form of the feminine hygiene pad and decoration to express my ideas.

Artists and articles from this week:

Doris Salcedo, Rose Shroud

Broken tampon memorial fund

Toni Demuro

Abused Godesses campaign

Christian Zucconi

This is graphic

Tommy Kha

Nature photos

Morgan Herrin

Mitchell Rose

Bejeweled skulls

Feminism brand problem?

Back with a vengeance.

I am back and ready to kick some arse. After a good strong round of antibiotics I am off the couch and working hard. I have a lot of new and exciting ideas from my first group critique. I am considering very highly doing some quilting, and tackling some difficult subjects dealing with what makes someone a woman, femininity and female politics. We'll see what it ends up as!
I am reading a really good book called The Subversive Stitch and another one dealing with The Everyday. I have others on board to be read once i'm done with these two!

Artists and things i'm looking at this week:
Curtis William Readel

Tim Tadder

Sarah Greaves

Who knew there was special thread for feminine products?

This site is biased toward menstrual cups but has some interesting history regarding feminine hygiene products.

Severija Incirauskaites

Laura Splan

Carina Ubeda
Carina Ubeda and other female artists
This art deals with menstrual blood, so if that grosses you out don't click. Or do.

Nina Katchadourin

Hrafnhildur Arnardottir

Critique

Working hard. Examining decoration all around me. Reading quite a few books on decoration and stitchery.
looking at these artists:
video
sculpture

Not very much this week.

whoops

So I dropped the ball. This is me, blogging two days late. It's easy to blog when I don't have to but when it's a necessity I seem to forget...
In any case, this week has been filled with visual and literary discovery. Woohoo! I am working with  items and processes and trying to discover what is gendered and what is not. Through this research, using books and discussions with other artists, I hope to get to the root of which objects I might focus on for my show. I am exploring the technique of embroidery on cardboard, paper and other combinations of materials.
These are the artists I have been looking at this week, along with many embroidery artists found in books.
MAtthew Stone

Ridiculous Olek crochet

Craft, Academia, and the 21st Century

Some fashion show

Lillith by Kiki Smith

Isabelle de Borchgrave