Art as Expression

http://fashionslop.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/anne-hathaway-interview-magazine-september-2011/

The link above are photos of Anne Hathaway taken by Chelsea Handler for Interview Magazine.  I am not certain of the reason for the photos, but I find the use of the clothing and poses interesting.  The era is supposed to be reminiscent of the Victorian era.  The photos where Anne Hathaway uses her clothing to veil her face made me think of the Taliban and how women are repressed in the Middle East.  There are other poses that elude to shackles or handcuffs.

http://youtu.be/uKvQvWTZFWg?t=15s   Anne Hathaway performing a rap song dising the paparazzi.

Feminine and Transgressive Art

I am an artist

I draw, paint, sculpt and mold clay,

Why do you care if I am male, female, straight or gay

My palette is black, white, red, yellow, blue and green

Harmoniously blending as the colors play

You like my work

Something stirs inside of you

So why does it matter if I am male, female, straight or gay

React to my art, laugh, cry or sing

Feel the emotions the art may bring

Because it does not matter if I am male, female, straight or gay

I am an artist!

I have attempted to write a poem to describe my reaction to the Guerrilla Girls Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art.  A quote from Georgia O'Keefe at the beginning of the book, "Why do we always have to be called women artists"?  They don't call Rembrandt and Van Gogh "male artists." eloquently states my opinion regarding the utilization of the term women, lady, female, etc. to delineate the sex of the creator, participant, team, etc.  My home town newspaper, fans and parents refer to the female sports teams as the "Lady Bears", but the male sports team is not referred to as the "Gentleman Bears."  Subtle discrimination seems to permeate our society without much notice.  Our language is a very strong indicator of the acceptance of using discriminatory adjectives, nouns and pronouns.  One of my biggest offenses is referring to men or women as "you guys."  Each and every one of us needs to cease the use of discriminatory terms in our everyday conversations.  This may be a small step, but great steps can be made toward eliminating discrimination by not practicing discrimination because why does it matter if an artist, musician, historian, .... is male, female, straight or gay?

The Outlaw, or Women With Guns

The articles regarding Belle Starr and Calamity Jane left me with a sense of disappointment.  The historical stories about these two women are obviously exaggerated.  Neither article really described the essence of each these women.  In both articles, the author uses the word "desperate" to describe Belle Starr and Calamity Jane, meaning they are hopeless or have lost all hope.  Are these two women really hopeless or is this the way society perceives them because their behavior is not typical feminine behavior imposed by society in the 1800s?  Glenn Shirley commented in Belle Starr and Her Times: The Literature, The Facts, and the Legends, "Added to these virile characteristics are often the worst qualities of woman:  namely, an excessive desire for revenge, cunning, cruelty, love of dress, and untruthfulness...."  I find it interesting he considers these the worst qualities of woman, do they not also pertain to men?

Both articles represent Belle and Calamity Jane as outcasts who are often seen behaving more like men than women.  They both dress in pants and possess the ability to emulate men with their language and behavior.  Interestingly, they both accept or embrace their feminine side.  Calamity Jane understood the necessity of dressing and acting like a woman in order to support herself.

The writers were very disparaging when describing both of these women, over exaggerating their rebellious, raucous behavior.  My sense is the behavior of these women was more a means of survival as opposed to being a choice.  The both, however, seemed very comfortable with who they were, even if they were not accepted by society.

Hello

Hello to my ASEM 2725 Classmates and Professor.  I have never blogged before so I hope I have set my blog up correctly.

Sulin Pierce