March 27, 2004
Just saw "FEMILIAR,"
"a feminist textile/mixed media installation" by an artist named WhiteFeather, at the Saint John Arts Centre (show ends March 29). Interesting; an old-style feminist production, including two pieces which list menstrual blood — and one, uterine blood — among the fixins. But I liked it, unregenerate second-waver as I am1, particularly the hair pie (what it says) and the matrimonial bedsheets, a triptych of sheets with embellished slashes in the centres which reminded me of nothing so much as the series of scenes in Salmon Rushdie's Shame (1983) in which the protagonist, a doctor, is introduced to his soon-to-be wife in a series of consultations, piece by piece through a hole in a sheet.2
It is a powerful show, that reveals the earthy, organic, and binding nature of the over-determined "feminine." Anyone who is able to catch it in the next two days is encouraged to do so.
Apparently there will be further information about WhiteFeather sometime next month, on the CBC Artspots site.
1 I hadn't really thought of myself in this way until very recently, when taking part in an exchange at feministe about whether or not Germaine Greer is a disgrace to feminism. Part of me — a small part, inside — writhes and twists and wants to say, "Come on, guys, The Female Eunuch; cut her some slack." But I digress.
2 It was not a successful marriage, in case you were wondering.
Scribbled at March 27, 2004 6:54 PM AST | Permanent link to this post | More? art/kultur, gender/sexualityTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://webteam.unb.ca/mt/asdf23wer234msadf.cgi/365
Did she include the girl's dress with hair embroidery and matching shoes lined with bloody minipads? That, and the hair corset, are two of my favourite pieces by her. She also did a fabulous jacquard weave of Space Invaders.
She taught me weaving, last fall. She's a good teacher, and a nice person.
I give her hair whenever I can....
Scribbled by The ShanMonster at March 28, 2004 2:50 PM | Permalink