I am looking for one or two volunteers to write this week's questions/topics. Since there are two chapters, perhaps someone would take chapter 4 and someone else take chapter 5? Thank you for considering!
However, I wanted to share this with everyone who is in Lubbock. It is not totally Feminist-based, but it is presented by the Women's Protective Services. I plan to check it out.
April 27…. Expect Respect Theater Ensemble: “The Respect Project” - The Expect Respect Theatre Ensemble will perform original monologues that speak out against teen interpersonal violence. You won’t want to miss this ground breaking theatrical performance written straight from the hearts our teens in Lubbock. Under the direction of Dr. James Bush, the Expect Respect Theater Ensemble will take the audience on a journey; navigating out of unhealthy relationships and towards positive healthy relationships. This interactive performance will leave audiences inspired and ready to join movement towards a respectful community that values the lives of our teens and children. Admission is free and this event is open to the public. Presented by Women’s Protective Services, The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts and under the direction of Dr. James Bush. For more info call Roy or Jordan @ 806.748.5292. LHUCA, 511 Ave. K; 7 p.m.
Thank you for offering to write this week's questions, A Ta and Jenise. An additional thanks to Jenise for telling us about The Respect Project here in Lubbock. Is it happening this weekend? I'd like to attend. Thanks ~~
I managed to get myself together quicker than I originally thought! So here goes:
In Chapter 4: Convergences, Irish notes the increasingly complex collaborations that Lacy undertook. The performances seemed to me to become broader and to include all women. Her earlier work we have read about tended to be about just a few issues at a time; focusing on injustices as Lacy saw them around her.
In Freeze Frame: Room for Living Room, there were numerous groups and subjects, representing a larger group.
River Meetings: Lives of Women in the Delta, the participants shared meals and their homes. I was particularly impressed with the way not only honored 12 regional women for their contributions but also asked all the participants to add their own stories of the heroic women in their own lives.
Dark Madonna strikes me as a mystical type of performance that would be thrilled to have witnesses.
Whisper Minnesota touches me the most profoundly. Age and aging is at the forefront of my mind and I truly appreciate the work. Crystal Quilt is my favorite of all the performances we have read about. I found this video of some of the participants of it: http://youtu.be/ZL3mDdmkyFs Lacy has provided in literal spaces figurative structures for people to converge and tell their stories, amplified in public. (p. 106). Not only was she providing space for others, I believe she was exploring the issues she herself faces.
Think about the issues you see around you or face yourself– Scenario one: You are approached by a group, who shares your views on the inequality of certain social issue (gender related of course). In a brief description, what would your performance art piece for the issue look like? What groups would you want to include? Where would your performance take place?
Scenario two: If you were a participant in the Playa Lake Meetings: Lives of Women of the Plains, (the West Texas version of River Meetings: Lives of Women in the Delta) what woman’s history would you honor?
There is a beautiful park in our area of the Hill Country called “Tranquility Island” and it has a wonderful sense of space. On either side of this island flows the Guadalupe River, which is bordered by a proud row of sentinel cypress trees. This space is asking for dramaturgy; it has huge boulders here and there upon which children love to climb, lovers recline, and older hikers rest. It is a restorative place, a place for reflection, quiet, and appreciation for nature. It is also a place for birthday parties, Sunday picnics, and fishing adventures. I wish to make those connections with women of my area who are of different ethnicities, to find a way to create a conversation to share our universal commonalities. It would be delightful to host a Mother/Daughter Picnic to celebrate the feminine virtues. Did you know that the Latin word for virtue is virtus, virtutis and it primarily means courage? Did you know that the word is in the feminine gender? Latin has three genders: feminine, masculine, and neuter (similar to German.) I am a Latin teacher, so this is part of my daily life! The virtue of women is courage, to keep doing what is right for others no matter what...to nurture, to give, to love. Most great movements to correct injustice have been orchestrated by women: for example, the abolitionist movement. I would seek to connect with my friend, Lenore, who is an African American dancer in our area, to choreograph a women’s dance for us on the grass under the trees. Her passion is teaching children the love of movement and at our church, sometimes she will dance for pure joy in the Lord. She is amazing and beautiful as she moves; a grandmother who nurtures creativity and beauty everywhere she goes! I have another friend who plays the Celtic harp and I can envision her lovely fingers stroking the strings of the instrument as the dancers weave in and out of the trees. For color, I imagine a rainbow of bright colors! Like the flowers, each unique, not the same. Then, we could sit on the grass and share our picnics and talk about what women do, what we dream about, what we can do together! It would be a way to start dreaming and working together to build fruitful connections in our community.
The chapter five in Sharon Irish’s book revolves around Suzanne Lacy’s Full Circle: Monuments to Women (1993) in Chicago. Lacy was invited by curator Mary Jane Jacob to participate in her “Culture in Action” event. Full Circle was a work that consisted by one hundred unworked (without any traditional sculptural activity onto the stone) boulders. These boulders were set to acknowledge the significant contributions of Chicago women with brass plaques on them. Lacy arranged these boulders around the urban area of Chicago according to the relationships between chosen female honorees and the spaces. These female honorees were chosen by a steering committee of about twenty members.
Full Circle, according to Irish’s analysis, is a work that mainly about work in the public, and about women in the public. In geographer Barbara Hopper’s account, the public is not only the physical space but also a social space. In this work we can see a lot of issues were brought up: female vs. male, artist vs. audience, art work vs. non-artwork (an event), private vs. public, and body vs. space.
Then my post here is an invitation rather than a question. I would to invite you to pick one of the boulders that is either mentioned by texts or by images and interpret the relationship between of the boulder and the space according to your own perspective. For example, the Farina’s rock near Picasso brings up a comparison of art with a self-sufficient frame (Picasso’s public art) and art with an interaction with audiences. Also, we can make a comparison about masculine art and feminism art as well. Remember that Lacy states: “If a work can speak in different ways to different people, then it has a chance to say one thing to the art world… and another thing to the mass audience.”(Irish, 2010, p.119) Furthermore, interpretation for me is not only a way to produce meaning of an object (art work), but also the way to reveal our own ideologies and limitations. In this way, we can not only interact with Lacy’s work but also through her work get more understanding about ourselves.
I was especially struck by the quote from the architect, Brownson, (Irish, 2010, p. 124) that states:
There is a plane, the floor plane of the surface, on which you can do almost anything. You can have any kind of activity. I’ve seen certain times where they had a demonstration in the plaza. The police department had a guard dog demonstration on it. The next time the farmer’s market is going on. all of these kinds of activities are what makes a real plaza...It’s the agora of the city..I wanted less things on it, and that was the hardest thing...It’s the void that has become so important--the emptiness, the lack.
I think that it is ironic that the Brownson calls the Daley Plaza an agora. It is in this place that feminist artist, Suzanne Lacy, made a powerful statement for the influence of women in Chicago. What is ironic, for me, is the fact that in ancient Greece, only men could attend the Agora events:
An agora, in Greek city states, was the place where free-born male land- owners who were citizens would gather for military duty or to hear the edicts of the ruling king or council. It also served as a marketplace where merchants kept stalls or shops to sell their goods. The literal meaning of the word is “gathering place” or “assembly”, From this twin function of the Agora as a political and commercial space came the two Greek verbs ἀγοράζω, agorázō, "I shop", and ἀγορεύω, agoreúō, "I speak in public". The word agoraphobia, the fear of critical public situations, derives from Agora in its meaning as a gathering place. The agora became the center of the athletic, artistic, spiritual, and political life of the Greek city state. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agora)
How fitting that Suzanne Lacy chose this very plaza, the agora of Chicago, to emphasize the way women have been “movers and shakers” for that city. A place that male hierarchies have dominated for ages, both in Chicago, and in ancient Greece. For the power that women wield is not based upon hegemonies and economies; it is based upon the power of “building caring human relationships.” (p. 127) It is built upon nurturing life and loving others. Nothing can be more powerful than that.
Excellent questions, Jenise and A Ta. I like that you focused on the interactive element of specific artworks and the body-centered, collaborative construction of each work. A Ta, good work citing feminist geographer Barbara Hooper, whose ideas I think are key to understanding the dynamics of Full Circle. I, too, was impressed by her conceptualization of public space, to the point that I cited her in an article I was writing when I read Irish's book. Jenise - I thought you'd enjoy reading about The Crystal Quilt. Many people consider it Lacy's greatest work. I moved to Minneapolis two years after the work was staged there and people were still talking about it. I used to take my students to the building in downtown Mpls so they could imagine the piece taking place there. I believe it was torn down in the '90s and replaced by another high-rise.
I have such admiration and love for quilting and all those who are quilters. I would have loved seeing it in person and even visiting the area after as you did.
I am not surprised that it was still a topic of conversation. I visit my parents who live in an independent living community that also has an area that offers more intense care two or three times a week. The residents are so eager for conversation, camaraderie and real attention from someone. To have a famous artist such as Lacy to show genuine interest in their experiences and abilities would be a bright shining star in their lives.
I think the location that is most important were (just as the title of the book) the spaces in between. There was much conversation about who was on the list and who was not. Yes, some people were testy about the selection process and the people involved in the choosing. But the bottom line for me is that it started a conversation about the contributions of women in Chicago. Had the project not been pursued, no one would have been talking about the women on the list and those off the list.
So for me it is the spaces in between. Only one hundred were chosen, but walking through the spaces, the other women, those unnamed, the personal heros we each have were remembered.
I agree Jenise, the work like you said "it started a conversation about the contributions of women in Chicago." and I think that's why Full Circle was mentioned as an events rather than a static art work. Once the conversation about these women began, the women will become "visible" in the space rather than an invisible part of knowledge. Yes, its spaces in between and Lacy made it visible.
I must deviate first before my attempt to circle back to connect Jenise’s two scenarios.
I’ve had a number of opportunities to work closely with members of low income and highly marginalized communities. The most insightful of which was a year-long effort with the lower 9th ward in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. During this time, I was regularly visiting the area in preparation for a larger collaborative project with a non-profit housing developer. I was given an amazing breadth of freedom to work independently from the project group. This allowed me to become immersed within the neighborhood as a way getting a pulse of the community’s sensibility towards some of the larger themes I was asked to explore and report back on.
One of these major themes was that of understanding the community’s attitude towards outsiders. At this time, the lower 9th was filled with a variety of outsider groups trying “make a difference.” In time, the neighborhood began to distrust these groups as much as they distrusted their own local and state officials. One consistent theme in this was how organizations would come into the community claiming to want to help and ultimately cause more harm than good with their own agendas and preconceived concepts of what was best for the community.
One great example of how the voice of outsiders overpowered or even ignored the voice of the locals would the Brad Pitt houses, which, while providing a small number of new houses for residence also provided inter-community conflict because the houses themselves were widely viewed with discontent ranging from their southern California architecture (http://ecolocalizer.com/2010/09/07/brad-pitts-make-it-right-foundation-building-sustainable-green-homes-and-community-in-new-orleans/ )being inappropriate for the neighborhood’s shotgun style of architecture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_house ) to a feeling that the design itself was distasteful in its suggestions of what the community needed. The houses included elevators from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor for the handicap and detachable roof elements usable for floatation devices.
One point of this digression is that the community members that I spent time with (even the ones I visited in these new houses) did not want the character of their community to change, the appearance of their neighborhood had already been under attack in the media since the storm and now they felt the world wanted to come in and show them what their neighborhood should look like when all they really wanted was the means to prevent another storm from being as devastating as Katrina.
The other amazing aspect was the community building projects I conducted. I was provided with the funding I felt was necessary to explore the distinctions between my team’s outsider ideas of what was good for the community and the community’s ideas of what they really needed.
One such event was my organizing a town hall meeting and crawfish boil around a slideshow presentation I prepared of popular media imagery of the Lower 9th. Looking back, I realize how this is reminiscent of Lacy’s River Meetings occurring during a potluck dinner (more on this connection below). After the presentation, I dispersed 400 disposable cameras with the simple instructions stamped on the cameras “Show us the Lower 9th”. The goal was to give a voice back to the community in its control of its own visual identity.
Only a fraction of the cameras made it back, enough for me to get a sense of what was significant but not enough to clearly articulate it a larger outsider audience. I had spent enough time there to register their concerns through their images but that was only because I was moving from block to block camping out in people’s yards. The images would have served no real good for those with little appreciation for the physical and political nuances within the context that these images were originating from.
Which brings me to the performance aspect of Jenise’s question. First, in this context, the group did not share my views; I exposed myself to their views in such a way as to adopt them. For an artist working with a community towards some public good for that community, there is a necessary level of self-reflection that is crucial in recognizing one’s outsider sensibility. This sensibility needs to be suppressed to a degree before any real benefits can be bestowed from the collaboration onto the community. Otherwise, the work will come to represent someone else’s preconceived agenda (or voice) of what is best for the people they are trying to help.
So, through co-existing, I came to share the views of those concerned similarly to how photo-journalist, Susan Meiseles came to adopt, embrace and later express the views of the Nicaraguan rebels after she decided to stop photographing the 1978 revolution for three months in order to live with the rebels before picking the camera back up not as a journalist but as a participant.
If I could go back and work with this group again, I would find a way not to try to give them a voice but actually provoke them in such a manner as to recognize the loss of their voice. At the time, I realized the providing of the cameras wasn’t seen as something that could directly influence their condition. But now, I think of the cliché, “you don’t miss something until it is gone” and how playing with this idea would have been the more powerful message to discuss through works of public culture.
In reducing all this down thus far, I am suggesting that at least there is an acknowledgement to a marginalization voice in the act of silencing that voice. The real damage occurs when that voice is not even acknowledged.
One thing I felt was missing in Lacy’s execution of River Meetings and Irish’s discussing of this piece was the historical aspect of the racial context of the city of New Orleans. During the slave era, the city was one of, if not, the most significant centers for slave trade. Within the context of such a historically dark period there is also the accounts of the countless occurrences when mothers were separated from their children during these sales. The strength of these African American mothers was regularly mentioned in the period’s literature through works such as William Wells Brown’s “Clotel; or The President’s Daughter” and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Dred”.
Francesco, what a powerful statement you shared with us during a chaotic time full of loss for the people of New Orleans. The images that were shared via the media of the devastation and horrific tumult caused by the hurricane are etched permanently in my mind. Our school in San Antonio received quite a few children from the diaspora of refugees during Katrina. They were deeply traumatized from the loss of their homes and extended family.
New Orleans has such a strong sense of place for me, I spent my honeymoon there. It is a terrible and beautiful city, full of culture, immorality, and history. I agree with you about the scenes of mothers being wrenched from their children. I have read William Wells Brown's book, "Clotel, The President's Daughter" about a descendant of Thomas Jefferson sold into slavery, written many years ago, before his genetic connections were proved by recent science based upon DNA findings. What an enigma Jefferson was, a proponent of freedom for all men and author of the Declaration of Independence who wanted to free his slaves, yet never freed the mother of his own children, Sally Hemings. She was also the ravishingly beautiful half-sister to his deceased wife, Martha, and became pregnant with their first child while serving as a teenage handmaiden to his daughter while he served as an emissary in Paris. Because slavery was not legal in France she could have remained free if she had refused to return to America. Their descendants recount the story that she agreed to return with Jefferson to Virginia if he would free their children when they became adults, which he never did. He did allow some to escape without capture. (Ellis, 1996, p. 363-367)
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an amazing prophetess of her time. Her art, writing, changed American society. Abraham Lincoln called her "the little woman who started the Civil War." I have read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and wept. She was at the forefront of the movement to end slavery and brought awareness into the conscience of everyday people by her moving depiction of the evil consequences of slavery. I was unprepared for the emotions that her book evoked in my heart and soul. My family owned slaves in antebellum Virginia and I have been deeply ashamed of this fact for years. It was an evil institution based upon the greed of rapacious men. I agree with you, Francesco, it was the institution that destroyed families and ripped children from their mothers. That was a very real evil that should have been addressed in the work Lacy did in New Orleans.
thanks for the comment, when you get a chance grab "Dred" its Stowe's reaction to the critics of Uncle Tom. Its interesting to see how she approaches the slave issue differently in it.
I feel any discussion of gender inequality that has an intentional racial element to address in such a city with such a history would have greatly benefited from at least acknowledging these aspects. If I were engaged in such a performance, I would certainly find a way to honor the history of these mothers by including some recognition of this history in the work. One way would be conducting some aspect of the performance near the waterfront where the slave auctions took place.
As for Lacy’s piece, I can appreciate, from first-hand experience, the value of the incorporating the idea of gathering around the social tradition of the meal as a way to facilitate a discussion. I feel this effort by Lacy brings a sense of family to the underlining of the work. The concept of the meal is a social space of sharing; it is a space where providing sustenance is representative of unity; a sense of oneness in sharing a meal.
I found it unfortunate however in the lack of unity demonstrated in the WCA’s internal friction. This splitting of the movement’s voice on the Equal Rights amendment should have been recognized early as neither beneficial nor representative of the organization’s goals. By splitting into two separate conferences, the organization itself was only weakening its potential to be influential.
But still, I appreciate the powerful gesture in Lacy’s singular efforts with “River Meetings”. These potlucks were arranged around the idea of honoring specific “regional women of different ethnic and racial backgrounds who had made significant contributions” (Irish, 90). This act can also be seen as a way of unifying. It is not just the celebration of the strength of a small number of specific women that led to their contributions. In selecting 12 women from different ethnic and racial backgrounds, Lacy universalized the idea of women’s strength.
She took it even further by engaging the participants of the conference, asking each share a story of a significant women in her own life. In doing so, Lacy once again reinforced the theme of unification by placing the overarching emphasis not on a few who demonstrated strength but to imply (through the numerous voices expressing stories of uncelebrated heroes) that strength is a universal, intrinsic trait of the female character. Whether this interpretation was part of the intentionality or not, I think, in looking back, this interplay of different elements serves a big role in the effectiveness of performative works when different elements mesh perfectly to reinforce the work’s theme.
The friction you noted in the WCA has many precedents in American feminism. After the Civil War, women's suffrage movement (then led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone & others) split along racial lines over the writing of the 14th Amendment. Many white, northern suffragists had also been also been active in the Abolitionist movement. For this reason, the Black women's suffrage groups believed white women would argue for full citizenship and voting rights for Black men AND women. After much agonizing (according to historical accounts) white women felt they either had to support the 14th Amendment as it was written at the time, which included only Black males, or risk losing the Amendment completely - in which both Black men and women would lose the right to vote. Understandably, Black women saw this as a betrayal.
The feminist movement remained split along racial lines until very recently, when Black feminist scholars like bell hooks and Michelle Wallace began speaking out on the (now obvious) flaw of Second Wave feminism: that it was largely a movement of white, middle-class women. As a member of the Woman's House and other highly influential projects based in southern California (guided by Judy Chicago), Lacy was at the epicenter of 70s, Second Wave feminism. She can be credited as one of the first Second Wave feminist artists to recognize the limitations of the movement. The River Meetings represents one of her early attempts to be more inclusive, but to me the piece is dated by its early 80s-style "we are the world" brand of multiculturalism. By the late 80s, in works such as the Crystal Quilt, you can see her taking a more nuanced approach. Although Lacy is basically a Second Wave feminist artist, her work developed over the decades to reflect changes in the feminist movement, which in recent years has turned an important corner. The 90s ushered in what many consider to be Third Wave Feminism, brought about by theorists of color such as hooks, Wallace, Spivak, Shiva, Alzaldua, LaDuke & others.
I think your conclusion is a spot on reflection of one of the most significant aspects of Lacy’s work. It certainly does serve the viewer well who is willing to look inward through the work to better understand the ideologies they prescribe to and the cause and effect relationship between these ideologies and the limitations of open-mindedness they generate in all of us. I can’t imagine anyone is free from the unconscious influences of an infinite number of cultural ideologies that, in one degree to another, we all internalize.
I definitely think Irish’s label “conversational art” (Irish, p 126) is appropriate for Full Circle. She points out how the politics of the selection process engaged the entire city. Pedestrians encountering the pieces were as likely to have an opinion on the appropriateness of the selection as the people on the selection committee. Irish points to how this level of engagement goes beyond just interpretation to a level of intellectual investment. “Chicagoans were compiling their own list and thinking about particular women they would recognize” (Irish, p 116). Irish suggest how this internalization of the work’s meaning allowed the singular boulders to not just represent one woman’s commitment to service but to act as placeholders for the commitment of all women.
Which carries over to the next point. Boulders could be seen as intrinsically connoting the idea of obstacle. I think back to an account I read in Shannon Jackson’s “Public Works”, a book on performative studies, about certain flanuers in late 19th century Paris who would go to public spaces and walk a turtle. Its important to note the man and the turtle walked at the turtles pace (no dragging the animal like we sometimes see with poor dogs). On the surface, this seems entirely self-indulgent and frivolous. But Jackson pointed out this act caused others to re-adjust their spatial relationship to the things around them. Imagine having to slow down you pace of walking because the guy in front of you was intentionally walking at a turtle’s pace. Your conventional understanding of the appropriate pace and duration of time it should take to get from A to B would have been altered. As I understand Jackson, these men did this intentionally as a reaction against the ever-increasing pace of society during this era. I’m sure most people, in having to move around this obstacle, reflected little on how the encounter questioned social norms, but these men did provide the perfect, performative setting for those capable of realizing the social significance behind a chance of pace.
Similarly, these boulders in Chicago were physical obstacles. They also contained the names of the women selected to be honored. The idea of having to consciously and consistently avoid the physical representation of the contributions these women by having to walk around them, mirrored society’s long standing efforts to avoid the acknowledgment of women’s contributions. This is even more poignant when considering Irish’s account that, at this time, there were only 40 outdoor statues of American women nationwide. (Irish, p110).
Much like the turtle walking performance could have been seen as a social commentary to those willing to see it as one, this analogy of avoidance would have certainly been accessible to the insightful viewer who could have easily picked up on the subtle metaphor.
One thing to add per your request on a single occurrence of the work would be from the image on p. 123 of Aurelia Pucinski’s and Ruth Rothstein’s boulders next to City Hall. The two women were influential in different aspects concerning the city, which would certainly suggest their placement near City Hall as a relevant choice.
My perspective is contained within that of what is provided (the image) but still, there is a fascinating juxtaposition of the conventional smoothness of the building’s appearance to that of the unconventional and irregular appearance of the boulders. On top of this, these boulders and their contrary appearance to that of the building convey a sense of yearning to be a part of the building. Its like they are quietly waiting for someone to let them do more than just sit next to it.
Frank, I like your post about Irish "points out how the politics of the selection process engaged the entire city." This "conversation art" did stimulate the conversation about women at the very beginning of this work. From selection process to as statues(unshaped) with a significant woman's name and brief introduce on it, Full Circle did "superise" the citizens and agitate the spaces. The conversation about women was initiated and kept going on and on in Chicago. I think this is the power of the Lacy's Full Circle.
I agree with Francesco about the push-back on "plop" performance art that too closely resembles the work of humanitarian groups. There is a resistance to this as a form of colonialism all over the world. One thing we will notice as we move through the chapters is the length of time Lacy spends researching and organizing communities before presenting a public event. She probably learned this the hard way. Thanks for sharing your experience in N.O. after Katrina. I have also experienced the discomfort of being an outsider and realizing how little I knew (how little my "good intentions" mattered) and how much I had to learn before any good could come from my presence. Outsiders need to earn their stripes before they can serve, and this process usually takes years.
I like what Jenise said about the space between boulders as sites of remembering the heroes in our own lives. So many great people have lived humble lives serving family, neighbors and community. Without these people, the more public heros would not be. Your comments made me reflect on the tremendous strength and sacrifice of several women in my own life. They are not forgotten.
Chapter 4: What an interesting question…I am a studio artist, and not a performance artist, but… Scenario One: I would video tape, audio tape, and use written word- journals, messaged, postcards, stories to ask women—of all ages: what would you like to tell your daughter, granddaughter or great granddaughter about that would inform her of your personal struggle as a woman coming of age in your time. And to younger women, what would you like to know from your mother, grandmother and great grandmother. I would go to the malls and markets, schools and colleges, and workplaces to interview the younger women and midlife professionals. I would go to nursing homes, assisted living centers and community centers for these interviews for the older women. I would create a piece called, A Woman’s Room. It could include historical photographs and objects that women mention and or have an association with…This small, one room exhibit could travel to public places, where women could listen to voice recordings, watch the videos and look at the objects. They could also share their own thoughts and stories to continue the process of learning from each other. I feel we, of various generations, are all so isolated, we no longer have the ease or ability to share the wisdom that age brings. As a result, we have skewed ideas about ourselves as women, especially about aging.
Jenise and A-Ta, Thank you for the great thought provoking discussions this week. Unfortunately, I asked Dr. Erler for an extension. Time kinda snuck up on me this week and I have a big week next week/end. I am hosting my first 2K Fun Run/Walk with my school district. 100% of the proceeds will be split amongst an anti-bullying campaign and The San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum. I did not want to answer your discussion topics without given my full attention and respect.
I like your idea also, Suzanne. It allows objects to resonate, to have power and story. But this is just the end product of what sounds like a much larger research project involving interviews and oral histories or women from different generations. There is no question but that we are/feel isolated from each other. This is what happens in the absence of a strong feminist movement, which is what we're experiencing now. I sometimes wonder if the baby boomers who participated in the Second Wave feminist movement will re-organize around issues of gender and aging. I think about this every time I turn on the TV and see ads for "clinically proven," "age defying" skin care products, presumably for women who can't afford cosmetic surgery.
Of course, revulsion of the aging female body in western culture (embodied in the witch, the crone, the hag, etc.) is nothing new. This manifests in certain well-worn patterns of male behavior. The question I ask is why women buy into it. Why, after centuries of feminist organizing, do so many women still act like their self-worth is measured by their sexual attractiveness to men? The only answer I can think of is that girls receive this message very early in life and rarely encounter any alternative messages that challenge it.
I think it goes back to commerce & capitalism: fear of aging sells product and contributes to the wealth and power of a few. For an alternative message to make a real impact on women's lives, it would have to come from women themselves in the form of grassroots activism and popular education. This would almost take a revolution, however, given the pervasive and invasive nature of postmodern marketing. So I don't have any solutions - only observations and more questions. Conundrums of this sort lend themselves well to artistic exploration.
Yes, commerce and capitalism has a large stake in keeping this understanding at bay. I was raised with 3 generations in the house, and I learned that older women had a sense of freedom that younger women are not developing- I am 52 and have always understood this different identity that older women developed, or at least those I knew. They often talked to me about those pressures of youth and would not trade their freedom they grew into to have to deal with that all again. Short of being mentored by older women, I don't know how our younger women will know these feelings are even possible... that they will feel that have to go through their entire lives feeling the pressures of society! As soon as they know these feelings (of inadequacy) can be rejected later in life, perhaps they can do it sooner... ? I am still working at chapter 5, I will post it with my full attention tomorrow. These are great comments! Frank, thank you for sharing...how exciting and heart wrenching an experience... All of you folks are AMAZING! thank you
Think about the issues you see around you or face yourself–
Scenario one: You are approached by a group, who shares your views on the inequality of certain social issue (gender related of course). In a brief description, what would your performance art piece for the issue look like? What groups would you want to include? Where would your performance take place?
I had to really sit and think about this one, I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I was approached by a group who shares the same views of inequality, if I had any. I never really thought about being treated unfair or had concerns with social issues. I’m the “It is, what it is” person, unless I feel strongly about something I know I need to stand for. Before my studies with Dr. Erler, I guess I could say I was a passive, naïve individual that had to conform to society because…well, just because…Lead, follow or get out of the way. I always followed or got out of the way. I’m just Liz, Liz that knows how to reach her students and is pretty darn good at it. I never saw myself as a leader or that I could make a difference until this semester, until this class, until I met ya’ll. I was approached this year about inequalities within my school that I disagreed with, but it wasn’t anything gender related. Well, maybe…there were seven female teachers that wanted a male teacher to represent and speak for them. My performance art that was based on that issue was a one woman show, me against them. I stood up, spoke up in a very heated district board meeting and was called courageous by those who shared my views, but was also called a back stabber by those who didn’t share my views. Funny thing is… those who called me a back stabber weren’t invited back next school year. I’ll never understand why those women, who were/are still great teachers, had an incompetent male represent them. Why did they let their voices be silenced by fear? Why did they stand behind a man who spoke of his concerns more so than theirs? I didn’t need or want to get any groups involved because I never really saw myself as someone else wanting to follow me or agree with my beliefs/ethics, but I see people looking to me now for advice and not pawning me off as a joke. It feels good to know that I am growing as an educator; I am growing as a distinguished individual. I would say distinguished woman, but it sounds weird to me. I am a female, however the word woman is a powerful title I don’t think I have earned or reached. Is it because I haven’t conceived? Is it because I feel I haven’t reached a certain age? Is it because I refuse to wear dresses? Is it because I don’t paint my nails? Is it because I would rather be comforted than the comforter? Is it because people don’t take me seriously? I don’t know, I think I’m rambling. Lacy’s work in all honesty is messing with my head, but ultimately, she has truly opened my eyes and is making me answer my own questions of self-identity.
This wonderful work, Full Circle: Monuments to Women (1993) had many interesting layers. The steering committee that engaged so many community women and relied on their input, to the donation of the boulders, placement of them and reception for them, all seemed to have influenced the work in major ways. Were the boulders places somewhere for future relocation as art or were they used… What happened to the boulder “women”? Are they a part of other grounds or gardens? And the discussion of those important influential women of Chicago, who “served” their city so well—are they still discussed, have others joined them? Is there a way that the entire project did not have to be ‘temporary”? I have another question, was there literature produced to describe the project, I see some of Lacy’s reflections and possibly intentions were not published (noted as ‘unpublished’). Kwon, clearly misunderstood aspects of the project… public art has criticism from ALL sides—is it better to only address issues as they arise or make some statement of context available as the boulders hit the streets?
The boulders, rough, unworked, in a natural state, implacable, a nice statement in and of itself!
These boulder “women” were placed in logical context with their concerns and service. I am sure many conversations were engaged via these boulders…so many people had a hand in the project- a real community effort, all orchestrated by Lacy, it is sad (and a shame) they were only temporary—there are so few monuments to women in our country (only 40 at the time this work was installed).
Allison, I hear what you're saying, but "temporary" doesn't necessarily equate with "less than." I know we're taught to think that great art should be preserved for future generations and time immemorial. However, feminism and other postmodern "isms" challenged traditional notions of time, space, history and posterity. Many MFA programs now offer a specialization in Time-Based Arts, i.e., performance, dance, video, digital, process-oriented and convergence media arts. These programs reflect the immense impact and influence of artists Joseph Buoys, Alan Kaprow, Ana Mendieta and yes, Suzanne Lacy, to mention a few. In time-based media, the permanent "thing" is the documented evidence of a temporary event. Documentation takes the form of photography and/or audiovisual recordings of some kind. It is understood that these documents are artifacts of a moment in time - not the artwork itself. Many examples of time-based art exist in nonwestern cultures (Tibetan sand painting being a fine example), but in the history of western european art, many consider Marcel Duchamp (who gave up making art to play chess) the first to practice a form of time-based art. The precedent Duchamp set was soon followed by other members of the Dadaist movement.
And so I think it sufficient that Full Circle was documented through photography, video and written word. While Full Circle didn't garner as much artworld attention (beyond local Chicago press) as other works by Lacy such as the Crystal Quilt, again I caution against taking this as an indication of its relative importance in Lacy's oeuvre & beyond.
Regardless of this or that, I commend you for approaching the work with a questioning attitude rather than making statements, judgments, etc. This, to me, is the most important thing about your post. I hope you will keep asking questions of artists and artwork because this, in my opinion, is the key ingredient to having an active, growing & expanding mind. Questions, always questions. Nobody really has answers.
I understand what you are saying, but I don't think this is "less than" or her work not important. I think in terms of making meaning via a connection with "objects" and this work used the boulders, a physical manifestation that the public had an interaction with-- imbuing them with meaning (to me), with that association made, the boulders could stand as objects with another layer of meaning through time, so to speak. Their first was as a part of the performance work as they were placed in the public and a part of reception. However, with this connection made, if they had remained in place, they would have evolved into continued dialog. Where as moving them to other locations would have created other places of exchange or interaction, rather than their total removal... Andy Goldsworthy's work is, but what we see of it is the documentation. And I am familiar with the works of Buoys, Kaprow and Mendieta, Ono, Fluxus, via Art History and recently the class with Dr. Orfila, The Art of the 60's and 70's. I do not feel that all art needs to be permanent, and a boulder with a name plate is only a conceptual aspect of a performance piece, a type of documentation of the entire work in itself. But I see other concerns as I question: If intention was dialog, leaving the boulders or finding a place for the boulders (with their name plates) would allow the work to continue with its purpose- to honor and create dialog. Unless part of the intent was not to create a work with any permanence or object (to sell, to remove the work from that realm). And on the other hand, if leaving the boulders in place or together in another place, I am sure city permits, and steering committees would have had quite a different outcome- and possibly no out come at all. Are these thoughts of any validity or should I have only focused on the performance?
Allison, Absolutely your analysis is valid! I am very pleased by your well thought-out response to my comments and I understand the point you are making. It is a sign of your growth as a critical thinker who can stake out, defend and articulate a position grounded in accurate knowledge of the subject matter and a passion to engage in rigorous debate. Keep honing those skills and your dissertation will be a delight to all your professors.
On another note, this ties together Jenise’s question with A-Ta’s. I was thinking about my school year this year and I look back and realize I was approached by more female students that were bullied by male students. When the female students approached me they said they were made fun of by other male students that told them their (please excuse my language; I’m keeping it real) either a “fat ass bitch”, “ugly whore” or even have a “stupid, fucked up name”. Once again I apologize for the language, this is the norm I hear on a daily basis as I walk down the hallway, but yes, I do love my students. As I was immersed in chapter5, I couldn’t help but think what would happen if I gave every female student a red dot (the size of a salad plate) and had them write on it the nasty things that were said to them and place it in the school at locations they were bullied? What would happen? Would kids still laugh? Would counselors really start doing their jobs? Would more kids speak up? Would administration reprimand me? Is it too harsh a reality? The entire campus would be red; I choose red because it would send the message to STOP. To STOP this bullying epidemic that shadows/shatters the lives of our youth. Just as the boulders spoke and communicated the truth, so would these red dots. As a visual based method I would create a large scale of our school floor plan, (like Lacy created maps for her piece, Three weeks in May) and place a dot on the exact locations of students being bullied. I would get teachers, parents, counselors, motivational speakers, and would also ask the bullies to step forward. My performance based piece would range from sound/voice recordings I would tape just walking down the hall. I would conduct anonymous interviews with faces blurred and voices changed or conduct interviews that reveal a persons identity and let them speak freely (I would acquire the proper certificates to interview human subjects, o fcourse.) I envision a performance-based method much like Lacy’s performance in Ablutions. Just as Ablutions exposed women to sexual assaults from rape and attempts of self-healing, it would do the same for my subjects who have been bullied either verbally, physically, or mentally.
To tie this performance based method with A-Ta’s question is to simply make a statement with visual engagements of truth, just as Lacy did with the boulders. The most influential boulders from the Full Circle monuments were the ones contributed to Aurelia Pucinski and Ruth M. Rothstein. Those women’s commitment to the judicial system played an integral role and helped the lives of many families in the city/community. The boulders told their stories of fairness and advocacy and the placement of the boulders made a bold statement of their loyalty, as if when they walked through the front door of city hall they stood a solid ground and did what they needed to do to help ensure justice and fairness.
Scenario two: If you were a participant in the Playa Lake Meetings: Lives of Women of the Plains, (the West Texas version of River Meetings: Lives of Women in the Delta) what woman’s history would you honor?
If I were a participant of a West Texas version of River meetings I would honor Texas women who rode the cattle trails. The contributions of the women played a viable role in Westward expansion. These women were hindered by social ideals and were expected to live the life that was prearranged for them; for example, a house wife. A woman was expected to mold themselves to the likings of the male figure (husband) and subject their life to housekeeping, bearing of children, and abiding by the husbands wishes. The women that rode the cattle trails drove herds to new pastures and provided livestock to other regions, their adversity contributed to the success of the cattle empire.
What a cool idea, Liz! I'm sure school administrators wouldn't let you do it, just because of the language issue. Somebody would say: "Did you hear about that art teacher posting cuss words all over school?!!" and off the alarm bells would go. The project would have to be done in some other way...but how? The red dots would work so well for all the reasons you mentioned. Identifying bullying incidents with specific places in the school would deliver a powerful message - as you said, the school would be covered in red dots.
You could create a map of the school. Each red dot on the map would correlate with a student's story of being bullied. Students would write his/her own story of the incident, and the story would accompany the map. The map could be online with and hyperlinks connecting each dot to a different student's story (and/or one student's stories of multiple bullying episodes). If you did this project for your MAE thesis project, I don't think school administrators could legally stop you. As long as student names are changed, faces are blurred and the school isn't named, I don't see how they could keep you from doing it or make you take it down after you've done it.
It would be a lot of work. To collect ALL the bullying stories from your school might not be possible, not only because of the number but also because many students might not participate. You could work with a small group of students who have experienced multiple bullying incidents. Their stories would represent a small sample of the entire school body. The sheer number of incidents and the verbal, physical and emotional abuse sustained by these students might be enough to convey the severity of the problem. I don't know. I think it would be worth looking into. It's a fantastic idea that absolutely should be implemented in some way, shape or form.
I volunteer for chapter 4.
ReplyDeleteI will do the chapter 5.
ReplyDeleteI will post my questions on Friday morning.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wanted to share this with everyone who is in Lubbock. It is not totally Feminist-based, but it is presented by the Women's Protective Services. I plan to check it out.
April 27…. Expect Respect Theater Ensemble: “The Respect Project” - The Expect Respect Theatre Ensemble will perform original monologues that speak out against teen interpersonal violence. You won’t want to miss this ground breaking theatrical performance written straight from the hearts our teens in Lubbock. Under the direction of Dr. James Bush, the Expect Respect Theater Ensemble will take the audience on a journey; navigating out of unhealthy relationships and towards positive healthy relationships. This interactive performance will leave audiences inspired and ready to join movement towards a respectful community that values the lives of our teens and children. Admission is free and this event is open to the public. Presented by Women’s Protective Services, The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts and under the direction of Dr. James Bush. For more info call Roy or Jordan @ 806.748.5292. LHUCA, 511 Ave. K; 7 p.m.
Thank you for offering to write this week's questions, A Ta and Jenise. An additional thanks to Jenise for telling us about The Respect Project here in Lubbock. Is it happening this weekend? I'd like to attend. Thanks ~~
ReplyDeleteDr. Erler, yes, it is this Friday at the LHUCA. I want to go to see performance art first hand.
ReplyDeleteI managed to get myself together quicker than I originally thought! So here goes:
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4: Convergences, Irish notes the increasingly complex collaborations that Lacy undertook. The performances seemed to me to become broader and to include all women. Her earlier work we have read about tended to be about just a few issues at a time; focusing on injustices as Lacy saw them around her.
In Freeze Frame: Room for Living Room, there were numerous groups and subjects, representing a larger group.
River Meetings: Lives of Women in the Delta, the participants shared meals and their homes. I was particularly impressed with the way not only honored 12 regional women for their contributions but also asked all the participants to add their own stories of the heroic women in their own lives.
Dark Madonna strikes me as a mystical type of performance that would be thrilled to have witnesses.
Whisper Minnesota touches me the most profoundly. Age and aging is at the forefront of my mind and I truly appreciate the work. Crystal Quilt is my favorite of all the performances we have read about. I found this video of some of the participants of it:
http://youtu.be/ZL3mDdmkyFs
Lacy has provided in literal spaces figurative structures for people to converge and tell their stories, amplified in public. (p. 106). Not only was she providing space for others, I believe she was exploring the issues she herself faces.
Think about the issues you see around you or face yourself–
Scenario one: You are approached by a group, who shares your views on the inequality of certain social issue (gender related of course). In a brief description, what would your performance art piece for the issue look like? What groups would you want to include? Where would your performance take place?
Scenario two: If you were a participant in the Playa Lake Meetings: Lives of Women of the Plains, (the West Texas version of River Meetings: Lives of Women in the Delta) what woman’s history would you honor?
There is a beautiful park in our area of the Hill Country called “Tranquility Island” and it has a wonderful sense of space. On either side of this island flows the Guadalupe River, which is bordered by a proud row of sentinel cypress trees. This space is asking for dramaturgy; it has huge boulders here and there upon which children love to climb, lovers recline, and older hikers rest. It is a restorative place, a place for reflection, quiet, and appreciation for nature. It is also a place for birthday parties, Sunday picnics, and fishing adventures.
DeleteI wish to make those connections with women of my area who are of different ethnicities, to find a way to create a conversation to share our universal commonalities. It would be delightful to host a Mother/Daughter Picnic to celebrate the feminine virtues. Did you know that the Latin word for virtue is virtus, virtutis and it primarily means courage? Did you know that the word is in the feminine gender? Latin has three genders: feminine, masculine, and neuter (similar to German.) I am a Latin teacher, so this is part of my daily life! The virtue of women is courage, to keep doing what is right for others no matter what...to nurture, to give, to love. Most great movements to correct injustice have been orchestrated by women: for example, the abolitionist movement.
I would seek to connect with my friend, Lenore, who is an African American dancer in our area, to choreograph a women’s dance for us on the grass under the trees. Her passion is teaching children the love of movement and at our church, sometimes she will dance for pure joy in the Lord. She is amazing and beautiful as she moves; a grandmother who nurtures creativity and beauty everywhere she goes!
I have another friend who plays the Celtic harp and I can envision her lovely fingers stroking the strings of the instrument as the dancers weave in and out of the trees. For color, I imagine a rainbow of bright colors! Like the flowers, each unique, not the same.
Then, we could sit on the grass and share our picnics and talk about what women do, what we dream about, what we can do together! It would be a way to start dreaming and working together to build fruitful connections in our community.
Chapter 5: We Make the City, the City Makes Us
ReplyDeleteThe chapter five in Sharon Irish’s book revolves around Suzanne Lacy’s Full Circle: Monuments to Women (1993) in Chicago. Lacy was invited by curator Mary Jane Jacob to participate in her “Culture in Action” event. Full Circle was a work that consisted by one hundred unworked (without any traditional sculptural activity onto the stone) boulders. These boulders were set to acknowledge the significant contributions of Chicago women with brass plaques on them. Lacy arranged these boulders around the urban area of Chicago according to the relationships between chosen female honorees and the spaces. These female honorees were chosen by a steering committee of about twenty members.
Full Circle, according to Irish’s analysis, is a work that mainly about work in the public, and about women in the public. In geographer Barbara Hopper’s account, the public is not only the physical space but also a social space. In this work we can see a lot of issues were brought up: female vs. male, artist vs. audience, art work vs. non-artwork (an event), private vs. public, and body vs. space.
Then my post here is an invitation rather than a question. I would to invite you to pick one of the boulders that is either mentioned by texts or by images and interpret the relationship between of the boulder and the space according to your own perspective. For example, the Farina’s rock near Picasso brings up a comparison of art with a self-sufficient frame (Picasso’s public art) and art with an interaction with audiences. Also, we can make a comparison about masculine art and feminism art as well. Remember that Lacy states: “If a work can speak in different ways to different people, then it has a chance to say one thing to the art world… and another thing to the mass audience.”(Irish, 2010, p.119) Furthermore, interpretation for me is not only a way to produce meaning of an object (art work), but also the way to reveal our own ideologies and limitations. In this way, we can not only interact with Lacy’s work but also through her work get more understanding about ourselves.
I was especially struck by the quote from the architect, Brownson, (Irish, 2010, p. 124) that states:
DeleteThere is a plane, the floor plane of the surface, on which you can do almost anything. You can have any kind of activity. I’ve seen certain times where they had a demonstration in the plaza. The police department had a guard dog demonstration on it. The next time the farmer’s market is going on. all of these kinds of activities are what makes a real plaza...It’s the agora of the city..I wanted less things on it, and that was the hardest thing...It’s the void that has become so important--the emptiness, the lack.
I think that it is ironic that the Brownson calls the Daley Plaza an agora. It is in this place that feminist artist, Suzanne Lacy, made a powerful statement for the influence of women in Chicago. What is ironic, for me, is the fact that in ancient Greece, only men could attend the Agora events:
An agora, in Greek city states, was the place where free-born male land- owners who were citizens would gather for military duty or to hear the edicts of the ruling king or council. It also served as a marketplace where merchants kept stalls or shops to sell their goods. The literal meaning of the word is “gathering place” or “assembly”, From this twin function of the Agora as a political and commercial space came the two Greek verbs ἀγοράζω, agorázō, "I shop", and ἀγορεύω, agoreúō, "I speak in public". The word agoraphobia, the fear of critical public situations, derives from Agora in its meaning as a gathering place. The agora became the center of the athletic, artistic, spiritual, and political life of the Greek city state. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agora)
How fitting that Suzanne Lacy chose this very plaza, the agora of Chicago, to emphasize the way women have been “movers and shakers” for that city. A place that male hierarchies have dominated for ages, both in Chicago, and in ancient Greece. For the power that women wield is not based upon hegemonies and economies; it is based upon the power of “building caring human relationships.” (p. 127) It is built upon nurturing life and loving others. Nothing can be more powerful than that.
Excellent questions, Jenise and A Ta. I like that you focused on the interactive element of specific artworks and the body-centered, collaborative construction of each work. A Ta, good work citing feminist geographer Barbara Hooper, whose ideas I think are key to understanding the dynamics of Full Circle. I, too, was impressed by her conceptualization of public space, to the point that I cited her in an article I was writing when I read Irish's book. Jenise - I thought you'd enjoy reading about The Crystal Quilt. Many people consider it Lacy's greatest work. I moved to Minneapolis two years after the work was staged there and people were still talking about it. I used to take my students to the building in downtown Mpls so they could imagine the piece taking place there. I believe it was torn down in the '90s and replaced by another high-rise.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks for the excellent questions.
Dr. Erler, I guess I am transparent. :)
ReplyDeleteI have such admiration and love for quilting and all those who are quilters. I would have loved seeing it in person and even visiting the area after as you did.
I am not surprised that it was still a topic of conversation. I visit my parents who live in an independent living community that also has an area that offers more intense care two or three times a week. The residents are so eager for conversation, camaraderie and real attention from someone. To have a famous artist such as Lacy to show genuine interest in their experiences and abilities would be a bright shining star in their lives.
I think the location that is most important were (just as the title of the book) the spaces in between. There was much conversation about who was on the list and who was not. Yes, some people were testy about the selection process and the people involved in the choosing. But the bottom line for me is that it started a conversation about the contributions of women in Chicago. Had the project not been pursued, no one would have been talking about the women on the list and those off the list.
ReplyDeleteSo for me it is the spaces in between. Only one hundred were chosen, but walking through the spaces, the other women, those unnamed, the personal heros we each have were remembered.
I agree Jenise, the work like you said "it started a conversation about the contributions of women in Chicago." and I think that's why Full Circle was mentioned as an events rather than a static art work. Once the conversation about these women began, the women will become "visible" in the space rather than an invisible part of knowledge. Yes, its spaces in between and Lacy made it visible.
DeleteI must deviate first before my attempt to circle back to connect Jenise’s two scenarios.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had a number of opportunities to work closely with members of low income and highly marginalized communities. The most insightful of which was a year-long effort with the lower 9th ward in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. During this time, I was regularly visiting the area in preparation for a larger collaborative project with a non-profit housing developer. I was given an amazing breadth of freedom to work independently from the project group. This allowed me to become immersed within the neighborhood as a way getting a pulse of the community’s sensibility towards some of the larger themes I was asked to explore and report back on.
One of these major themes was that of understanding the community’s attitude towards outsiders. At this time, the lower 9th was filled with a variety of outsider groups trying “make a difference.” In time, the neighborhood began to distrust these groups as much as they distrusted their own local and state officials. One consistent theme in this was how organizations would come into the community claiming to want to help and ultimately cause more harm than good with their own agendas and preconceived concepts of what was best for the community.
One great example of how the voice of outsiders overpowered or even ignored the voice of the locals would the Brad Pitt houses, which, while providing a small number of new houses for residence also provided inter-community conflict because the houses themselves were widely viewed with discontent ranging from their southern California architecture (http://ecolocalizer.com/2010/09/07/brad-pitts-make-it-right-foundation-building-sustainable-green-homes-and-community-in-new-orleans/ )being inappropriate for the neighborhood’s shotgun style of architecture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_house ) to a feeling that the design itself was distasteful in its suggestions of what the community needed. The houses included elevators from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor for the handicap and detachable roof elements usable for floatation devices.
One point of this digression is that the community members that I spent time with (even the ones I visited in these new houses) did not want the character of their community to change, the appearance of their neighborhood had already been under attack in the media since the storm and now they felt the world wanted to come in and show them what their neighborhood should look like when all they really wanted was the means to prevent another storm from being as devastating as Katrina.
The other amazing aspect was the community building projects I conducted. I was provided with the funding I felt was necessary to explore the distinctions between my team’s outsider ideas of what was good for the community and the community’s ideas of what they really needed.
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One such event was my organizing a town hall meeting and crawfish boil around a slideshow presentation I prepared of popular media imagery of the Lower 9th. Looking back, I realize how this is reminiscent of Lacy’s River Meetings occurring during a potluck dinner (more on this connection below). After the presentation, I dispersed 400 disposable cameras with the simple instructions stamped on the cameras “Show us the Lower 9th”. The goal was to give a voice back to the community in its control of its own visual identity.
ReplyDeleteOnly a fraction of the cameras made it back, enough for me to get a sense of what was significant but not enough to clearly articulate it a larger outsider audience. I had spent enough time there to register their concerns through their images but that was only because I was moving from block to block camping out in people’s yards. The images would have served no real good for those with little appreciation for the physical and political nuances within the context that these images were originating from.
Which brings me to the performance aspect of Jenise’s question. First, in this context, the group did not share my views; I exposed myself to their views in such a way as to adopt them. For an artist working with a community towards some public good for that community, there is a necessary level of self-reflection that is crucial in recognizing one’s outsider sensibility. This sensibility needs to be suppressed to a degree before any real benefits can be bestowed from the collaboration onto the community. Otherwise, the work will come to represent someone else’s preconceived agenda (or voice) of what is best for the people they are trying to help.
So, through co-existing, I came to share the views of those concerned similarly to how photo-journalist, Susan Meiseles came to adopt, embrace and later express the views of the Nicaraguan rebels after she decided to stop photographing the 1978 revolution for three months in order to live with the rebels before picking the camera back up not as a journalist but as a participant.
If I could go back and work with this group again, I would find a way not to try to give them a voice but actually provoke them in such a manner as to recognize the loss of their voice. At the time, I realized the providing of the cameras wasn’t seen as something that could directly influence their condition. But now, I think of the cliché, “you don’t miss something until it is gone” and how playing with this idea would have been the more powerful message to discuss through works of public culture.
In reducing all this down thus far, I am suggesting that at least there is an acknowledgement to a marginalization voice in the act of silencing that voice. The real damage occurs when that voice is not even acknowledged.
One thing I felt was missing in Lacy’s execution of River Meetings and Irish’s discussing of this piece was the historical aspect of the racial context of the city of New Orleans. During the slave era, the city was one of, if not, the most significant centers for slave trade. Within the context of such a historically dark period there is also the accounts of the countless occurrences when mothers were separated from their children during these sales. The strength of these African American mothers was regularly mentioned in the period’s literature through works such as William Wells Brown’s “Clotel; or The President’s Daughter” and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Dred”.
Continues below…
Francesco, what a powerful statement you shared with us during a chaotic time full of loss for the people of New Orleans. The images that were shared via the media of the devastation and horrific tumult caused by the hurricane are etched permanently in my mind. Our school in San Antonio received quite a few children from the diaspora of refugees during Katrina. They were deeply traumatized from the loss of their homes and extended family.
DeleteNew Orleans has such a strong sense of place for me, I spent my honeymoon there. It is a terrible and beautiful city, full of culture, immorality, and history. I agree with you about the scenes of mothers being wrenched from their children. I have read William Wells Brown's book, "Clotel, The President's Daughter" about a descendant of Thomas Jefferson sold into slavery, written many years ago, before his genetic connections were proved by recent science based upon DNA findings. What an enigma Jefferson was, a proponent of freedom for all men and author of the Declaration of Independence who wanted to free his slaves, yet never freed the mother of his own children, Sally Hemings. She was also the ravishingly beautiful half-sister to his deceased wife, Martha, and became pregnant with their first child while serving as a teenage handmaiden to his daughter while he served as an emissary in Paris. Because slavery was not legal in France she could have remained free if she had refused to return to America. Their descendants recount the story that she agreed to return with Jefferson to Virginia if he would free their children when they became adults, which he never did. He did allow some to escape without capture. (Ellis, 1996, p. 363-367)
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an amazing prophetess of her time. Her art, writing, changed American society. Abraham Lincoln called her "the little woman who started the Civil War." I have read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and wept. She was at the forefront of the movement to end slavery and brought awareness into the conscience of everyday people by her moving depiction of the evil consequences of slavery. I was unprepared for the emotions that her book evoked in my heart and soul. My family owned slaves in antebellum Virginia and I have been deeply ashamed of this fact for years. It was an evil institution based upon the greed of rapacious men. I agree with you, Francesco, it was the institution that destroyed families and ripped children from their mothers. That was a very real evil that should have been addressed in the work Lacy did in New Orleans.
Suzanne,
Deletethanks for the comment, when you get a chance grab "Dred" its Stowe's reaction to the critics of Uncle Tom. Its interesting to see how she approaches the slave issue differently in it.
I feel any discussion of gender inequality that has an intentional racial element to address in such a city with such a history would have greatly benefited from at least acknowledging these aspects. If I were engaged in such a performance, I would certainly find a way to honor the history of these mothers by including some recognition of this history in the work. One way would be conducting some aspect of the performance near the waterfront where the slave auctions took place.
ReplyDeleteAs for Lacy’s piece, I can appreciate, from first-hand experience, the value of the incorporating the idea of gathering around the social tradition of the meal as a way to facilitate a discussion. I feel this effort by Lacy brings a sense of family to the underlining of the work. The concept of the meal is a social space of sharing; it is a space where providing sustenance is representative of unity; a sense of oneness in sharing a meal.
I found it unfortunate however in the lack of unity demonstrated in the WCA’s internal friction. This splitting of the movement’s voice on the Equal Rights amendment should have been recognized early as neither beneficial nor representative of the organization’s goals. By splitting into two separate conferences, the organization itself was only weakening its potential to be influential.
But still, I appreciate the powerful gesture in Lacy’s singular efforts with “River Meetings”. These potlucks were arranged around the idea of honoring specific “regional women of different ethnic and racial backgrounds who had made significant contributions” (Irish, 90). This act can also be seen as a way of unifying. It is not just the celebration of the strength of a small number of specific women that led to their contributions. In selecting 12 women from different ethnic and racial backgrounds, Lacy universalized the idea of women’s strength.
She took it even further by engaging the participants of the conference, asking each share a story of a significant women in her own life. In doing so, Lacy once again reinforced the theme of unification by placing the overarching emphasis not on a few who demonstrated strength but to imply (through the numerous voices expressing stories of uncelebrated heroes) that strength is a universal, intrinsic trait of the female character. Whether this interpretation was part of the intentionality or not, I think, in looking back, this interplay of different elements serves a big role in the effectiveness of performative works when different elements mesh perfectly to reinforce the work’s theme.
The friction you noted in the WCA has many precedents in American feminism. After the Civil War, women's suffrage movement (then led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone & others) split along racial lines over the writing of the 14th Amendment. Many white, northern suffragists had also been also been active in the Abolitionist movement. For this reason, the Black women's suffrage groups believed white women would argue for full citizenship and voting rights for Black men AND women. After much agonizing (according to historical accounts) white women felt they either had to support the 14th Amendment as it was written at the time, which included only Black males, or risk losing the Amendment completely - in which both Black men and women would lose the right to vote. Understandably, Black women saw this as a betrayal.
DeleteThe feminist movement remained split along racial lines until very recently, when Black feminist scholars like bell hooks and Michelle Wallace began speaking out on the (now obvious) flaw of Second Wave feminism: that it was largely a movement of white, middle-class women. As a member of the Woman's House and other highly influential projects based in southern California (guided by Judy Chicago), Lacy was at the epicenter of 70s, Second Wave feminism. She can be credited as one of the first Second Wave feminist artists to recognize the limitations of the movement. The River Meetings represents one of her early attempts to be more inclusive, but to me the piece is dated by its early 80s-style "we are the world" brand of multiculturalism. By the late 80s, in works such as the Crystal Quilt, you can see her taking a more nuanced approach. Although Lacy is basically a Second Wave feminist artist, her work developed over the decades to reflect changes in the feminist movement, which in recent years has turned an important corner. The 90s ushered in what many consider to be Third Wave Feminism, brought about by theorists of color such as hooks, Wallace, Spivak, Shiva, Alzaldua, LaDuke & others.
A Ta,
ReplyDeleteI think your conclusion is a spot on reflection of one of the most significant aspects of Lacy’s work. It certainly does serve the viewer well who is willing to look inward through the work to better understand the ideologies they prescribe to and the cause and effect relationship between these ideologies and the limitations of open-mindedness they generate in all of us. I can’t imagine anyone is free from the unconscious influences of an infinite number of cultural ideologies that, in one degree to another, we all internalize.
I definitely think Irish’s label “conversational art” (Irish, p 126) is appropriate for Full Circle. She points out how the politics of the selection process engaged the entire city. Pedestrians encountering the pieces were as likely to have an opinion on the appropriateness of the selection as the people on the selection committee. Irish points to how this level of engagement goes beyond just interpretation to a level of intellectual investment. “Chicagoans were compiling their own list and thinking about particular women they would recognize” (Irish, p 116). Irish suggest how this internalization of the work’s meaning allowed the singular boulders to not just represent one woman’s commitment to service but to act as placeholders for the commitment of all women.
Which carries over to the next point. Boulders could be seen as intrinsically connoting the idea of obstacle. I think back to an account I read in Shannon Jackson’s “Public Works”, a book on performative studies, about certain flanuers in late 19th century Paris who would go to public spaces and walk a turtle. Its important to note the man and the turtle walked at the turtles pace (no dragging the animal like we sometimes see with poor dogs). On the surface, this seems entirely self-indulgent and frivolous. But Jackson pointed out this act caused others to re-adjust their spatial relationship to the things around them. Imagine having to slow down you pace of walking because the guy in front of you was intentionally walking at a turtle’s pace. Your conventional understanding of the appropriate pace and duration of time it should take to get from A to B would have been altered. As I understand Jackson, these men did this intentionally as a reaction against the ever-increasing pace of society during this era. I’m sure most people, in having to move around this obstacle, reflected little on how the encounter questioned social norms, but these men did provide the perfect, performative setting for those capable of realizing the social significance behind a chance of pace.
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Similarly, these boulders in Chicago were physical obstacles. They also contained the names of the women selected to be honored. The idea of having to consciously and consistently avoid the physical representation of the contributions these women by having to walk around them, mirrored society’s long standing efforts to avoid the acknowledgment of women’s contributions. This is even more poignant when considering Irish’s account that, at this time, there were only 40 outdoor statues of American women nationwide. (Irish, p110).
ReplyDeleteMuch like the turtle walking performance could have been seen as a social commentary to those willing to see it as one, this analogy of avoidance would have certainly been accessible to the insightful viewer who could have easily picked up on the subtle metaphor.
One thing to add per your request on a single occurrence of the work would be from the image on p. 123 of Aurelia Pucinski’s and Ruth Rothstein’s boulders next to City Hall. The two women were influential in different aspects concerning the city, which would certainly suggest their placement near City Hall as a relevant choice.
My perspective is contained within that of what is provided (the image) but still, there is a fascinating juxtaposition of the conventional smoothness of the building’s appearance to that of the unconventional and irregular appearance of the boulders. On top of this, these boulders and their contrary appearance to that of the building convey a sense of yearning to be a part of the building. Its like they are quietly waiting for someone to let them do more than just sit next to it.
Frank, I like your post about Irish "points out how the politics of the selection process engaged the entire city." This "conversation art" did stimulate the conversation about women at the very beginning of this work. From selection process to as statues(unshaped) with a significant woman's name and brief introduce on it, Full Circle did "superise" the citizens and agitate the spaces. The conversation about women was initiated and kept going on and on in Chicago. I think this is the power of the Lacy's Full Circle.
DeleteI agree with Francesco about the push-back on "plop" performance art that too closely resembles the work of humanitarian groups. There is a resistance to this as a form of colonialism all over the world. One thing we will notice as we move through the chapters is the length of time Lacy spends researching and organizing communities before presenting a public event. She probably learned this the hard way. Thanks for sharing your experience in N.O. after Katrina. I have also experienced the discomfort of being an outsider and realizing how little I knew (how little my "good intentions" mattered) and how much I had to learn before any good could come from my presence. Outsiders need to earn their stripes before they can serve, and this process usually takes years.
ReplyDeleteI like what Jenise said about the space between boulders as sites of remembering the heroes in our own lives. So many great people have lived humble lives serving family, neighbors and community. Without these people, the more public heros would not be. Your comments made me reflect on the tremendous strength and sacrifice of several women in my own life. They are not forgotten.
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting question…I am a studio artist, and not a performance artist, but…
Scenario One:
I would video tape, audio tape, and use written word- journals, messaged, postcards, stories to ask women—of all ages: what would you like to tell your daughter, granddaughter or great granddaughter about that would inform her of your personal struggle as a woman coming of age in your time. And to younger women, what would you like to know from your mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
I would go to the malls and markets, schools and colleges, and workplaces to interview the younger women and midlife professionals. I would go to nursing homes, assisted living centers and community centers for these interviews for the older women.
I would create a piece called, A Woman’s Room. It could include historical photographs and objects that women mention and or have an association with…This small, one room exhibit could travel to public places, where women could listen to voice recordings, watch the videos and look at the objects. They could also share their own thoughts and stories to continue the process of learning from each other.
I feel we, of various generations, are all so isolated, we no longer have the ease or ability to share the wisdom that age brings. As a result, we have skewed ideas about ourselves as women, especially about aging.
Allison, I love your idea! Invite me to your "Woman's Room," I want to come and bring my daughters and grand-daughter! We are all vociferous!
DeleteAllison, count me in too! I think this would be an awesome project.
DeleteI your idea Allison. It helps to preserve the local women wisdom and history.
DeleteJenise and A-Ta,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great thought provoking discussions this week. Unfortunately, I asked Dr. Erler for an extension. Time kinda snuck up on me this week and I have a big week next week/end. I am hosting my first 2K Fun Run/Walk with my school district. 100% of the proceeds will be split amongst an anti-bullying campaign and The San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum.
I did not want to answer your discussion topics without given my full attention and respect.
I like your idea also, Suzanne. It allows objects to resonate, to have power and story. But this is just the end product of what sounds like a much larger research project involving interviews and oral histories or women from different generations. There is no question but that we are/feel isolated from each other. This is what happens in the absence of a strong feminist movement, which is what we're experiencing now. I sometimes wonder if the baby boomers who participated in the Second Wave feminist movement will re-organize around issues of gender and aging. I think about this every time I turn on the TV and see ads for "clinically proven," "age defying" skin care products, presumably for women who can't afford cosmetic surgery.
ReplyDeleteOf course, revulsion of the aging female body in western culture (embodied in the witch, the crone, the hag, etc.) is nothing new. This manifests in certain well-worn patterns of male behavior. The question I ask is why women buy into it. Why, after centuries of feminist organizing, do so many women still act like their self-worth is measured by their sexual attractiveness to men? The only answer I can think of is that girls receive this message very early in life and rarely encounter any alternative messages that challenge it.
I think it goes back to commerce & capitalism: fear of aging sells product and contributes to the wealth and power of a few. For an alternative message to make a real impact on women's lives, it would have to come from women themselves in the form of grassroots activism and popular education. This would almost take a revolution, however, given the pervasive and invasive nature of postmodern marketing. So I don't have any solutions - only observations and more questions. Conundrums of this sort lend themselves well to artistic exploration.
Yes, commerce and capitalism has a large stake in keeping this understanding at bay. I was raised with 3 generations in the house, and I learned that older women had a sense of freedom that younger women are not developing- I am 52 and have always understood this different identity that older women developed, or at least those I knew. They often talked to me about those pressures of youth and would not trade their freedom they grew into to have to deal with that all again.
DeleteShort of being mentored by older women, I don't know how our younger women will know these feelings are even possible... that they will feel that have to go through their entire lives feeling the pressures of society! As soon as they know these feelings (of inadequacy) can be rejected later in life, perhaps they can do it sooner... ?
I am still working at chapter 5, I will post it with my full attention tomorrow.
These are great comments! Frank, thank you for sharing...how exciting and heart wrenching an experience...
All of you folks are AMAZING! thank you
Think about the issues you see around you or face yourself–
ReplyDeleteScenario one: You are approached by a group, who shares your views on the inequality of certain social issue (gender related of course). In a brief description, what would your performance art piece for the issue look like? What groups would you want to include? Where would your performance take place?
I had to really sit and think about this one, I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I was approached by a group who shares the same views of inequality, if I had any. I never really thought about being treated unfair or had concerns with social issues. I’m the “It is, what it is” person, unless I feel strongly about something I know I need to stand for. Before my studies with Dr. Erler, I guess I could say I was a passive, naïve individual that had to conform to society because…well, just because…Lead, follow or get out of the way. I always followed or got out of the way. I’m just Liz, Liz that knows how to reach her students and is pretty darn good at it. I never saw myself as a leader or that I could make a difference until this semester, until this class, until I met ya’ll. I was approached this year about inequalities within my school that I disagreed with, but it wasn’t anything gender related. Well, maybe…there were seven female teachers that wanted a male teacher to represent and speak for them. My performance art that was based on that issue was a one woman show, me against them. I stood up, spoke up in a very heated district board meeting and was called courageous by those who shared my views, but was also called a back stabber by those who didn’t share my views. Funny thing is… those who called me a back stabber weren’t invited back next school year. I’ll never understand why those women, who were/are still great teachers, had an incompetent male represent them. Why did they let their voices be silenced by fear? Why did they stand behind a man who spoke of his concerns more so than theirs? I didn’t need or want to get any groups involved because I never really saw myself as someone else wanting to follow me or agree with my beliefs/ethics, but I see people looking to me now for advice and not pawning me off as a joke. It feels good to know that I am growing as an educator; I am growing as a distinguished individual. I would say distinguished woman, but it sounds weird to me. I am a female, however the word woman is a powerful title I don’t think I have earned or reached. Is it because I haven’t conceived? Is it because I feel I haven’t reached a certain age? Is it because I refuse to wear dresses? Is it because I don’t paint my nails? Is it because I would rather be comforted than the comforter? Is it because people don’t take me seriously? I don’t know, I think I’m rambling. Lacy’s work in all honesty is messing with my head, but ultimately, she has truly opened my eyes and is making me answer my own questions of self-identity.
This wonderful work, Full Circle: Monuments to Women (1993) had many interesting layers. The steering committee that engaged so many community women and relied on their input, to the donation of the boulders, placement of them and reception for them, all seemed to have influenced the work in major ways. Were the boulders places somewhere for future relocation as art or were they used… What happened to the boulder “women”? Are they a part of other grounds or gardens? And the discussion of those important influential women of Chicago, who “served” their city so well—are they still discussed, have others joined them? Is there a way that the entire project did not have to be ‘temporary”? I have another question, was there literature produced to describe the project, I see some of Lacy’s reflections and possibly intentions were not published (noted as ‘unpublished’). Kwon, clearly misunderstood aspects of the project… public art has criticism from ALL sides—is it better to only address issues as they arise or make some statement of context available as the boulders hit the streets?
ReplyDeleteThe boulders, rough, unworked, in a natural state, implacable, a nice statement in and of itself!
These boulder “women” were placed in logical context with their concerns and service. I am sure many conversations were engaged via these boulders…so many people had a hand in the project- a real community effort, all orchestrated by Lacy, it is sad (and a shame) they were only temporary—there are so few monuments to women in our country (only 40 at the time this work was installed).
Allison, I hear what you're saying, but "temporary" doesn't necessarily equate with "less than." I know we're taught to think that great art should be preserved for future generations and time immemorial. However, feminism and other postmodern "isms" challenged traditional notions of time, space, history and posterity. Many MFA programs now offer a specialization in Time-Based Arts, i.e., performance, dance, video, digital, process-oriented and convergence media arts. These programs reflect the immense impact and influence of artists Joseph Buoys, Alan Kaprow, Ana Mendieta and yes, Suzanne Lacy, to mention a few. In time-based media, the permanent "thing" is the documented evidence of a temporary event. Documentation takes the form of photography and/or audiovisual recordings of some kind. It is understood that these documents are artifacts of a moment in time - not the artwork itself. Many examples of time-based art exist in nonwestern cultures (Tibetan sand painting being a fine example), but in the history of western european art, many consider Marcel Duchamp (who gave up making art to play chess) the first to practice a form of time-based art. The precedent Duchamp set was soon followed by other members of the Dadaist movement.
DeleteAnd so I think it sufficient that Full Circle was documented through photography, video and written word. While Full Circle didn't garner as much artworld attention (beyond local Chicago press) as other works by Lacy such as the Crystal Quilt, again I caution against taking this as an indication of its relative importance in Lacy's oeuvre & beyond.
Regardless of this or that, I commend you for approaching the work with a questioning attitude rather than making statements, judgments, etc. This, to me, is the most important thing about your post. I hope you will keep asking questions of artists and artwork because this, in my opinion, is the key ingredient to having an active, growing & expanding mind. Questions, always questions. Nobody really has answers.
I understand what you are saying, but I don't think this is "less than" or her work not important. I think in terms of making meaning via a connection with "objects" and this work used the boulders, a physical manifestation that the public had an interaction with-- imbuing them with meaning (to me), with that association made, the boulders could stand as objects with another layer of meaning through time, so to speak. Their first was as a part of the performance work as they were placed in the public and a part of reception. However, with this connection made, if they had remained in place, they would have evolved into continued dialog. Where as moving them to other locations would have created other places of exchange or interaction, rather than their total removal... Andy Goldsworthy's work is, but what we see of it is the documentation. And I am familiar with the works of Buoys, Kaprow and Mendieta, Ono, Fluxus, via Art History and recently the class with Dr. Orfila, The Art of the 60's and 70's. I do not feel that all art needs to be permanent, and a boulder with a name plate is only a conceptual aspect of a performance piece, a type of documentation of the entire work in itself. But I see other concerns as I question: If intention was dialog, leaving the boulders or finding a place for the boulders (with their name plates) would allow the work to continue with its purpose- to honor and create dialog. Unless part of the intent was not to create a work with any permanence or object (to sell, to remove the work from that realm). And on the other hand, if leaving the boulders in place or together in another place, I am sure city permits, and steering committees would have had quite a different outcome- and possibly no out come at all. Are these thoughts of any validity or should I have only focused on the performance?
DeleteAllison, Absolutely your analysis is valid! I am very pleased by your well thought-out response to my comments and I understand the point you are making. It is a sign of your growth as a critical thinker who can stake out, defend and articulate a position grounded in accurate knowledge of the subject matter and a passion to engage in rigorous debate. Keep honing those skills and your dissertation will be a delight to all your professors.
DeleteOn another note, this ties together Jenise’s question with A-Ta’s. I was thinking about my school year this year and I look back and realize I was approached by more female students that were bullied by male students. When the female students approached me they said they were made fun of by other male students that told them their (please excuse my language; I’m keeping it real) either a “fat ass bitch”, “ugly whore” or even have a “stupid, fucked up name”. Once again I apologize for the language, this is the norm I hear on a daily basis as I walk down the hallway, but yes, I do love my students. As I was immersed in chapter5, I couldn’t help but think what would happen if I gave every female student a red dot (the size of a salad plate) and had them write on it the nasty things that were said to them and place it in the school at locations they were bullied? What would happen? Would kids still laugh? Would counselors really start doing their jobs? Would more kids speak up? Would administration reprimand me? Is it too harsh a reality? The entire campus would be red; I choose red because it would send the message to STOP. To STOP this bullying epidemic that shadows/shatters the lives of our youth. Just as the boulders spoke and communicated the truth, so would these red dots. As a visual based method I would create a large scale of our school floor plan, (like Lacy created maps for her piece, Three weeks in May) and place a dot on the exact locations of students being bullied. I would get teachers, parents, counselors, motivational speakers, and would also ask the bullies to step forward. My performance based piece would range from sound/voice recordings I would tape just walking down the hall. I would conduct anonymous interviews with faces blurred and voices changed or conduct interviews that reveal a persons identity and let them speak freely (I would acquire the proper certificates to interview human subjects, o fcourse.) I envision a performance-based method much like Lacy’s performance in Ablutions. Just as Ablutions exposed women to sexual assaults from rape and attempts of self-healing, it would do the same for my subjects who have been bullied either verbally, physically, or mentally.
ReplyDeleteTo tie this performance based method with A-Ta’s question is to simply make a statement with visual engagements of truth, just as Lacy did with the boulders. The most influential boulders from the Full Circle monuments were the ones contributed to Aurelia Pucinski and Ruth M. Rothstein. Those women’s commitment to the judicial system played an integral role and helped the lives of many families in the city/community. The boulders told their stories of fairness and advocacy and the placement of the boulders made a bold statement of their loyalty, as if when they walked through the front door of city hall they stood a solid ground and did what they needed to do to help ensure justice and fairness.
Scenario two: If you were a participant in the Playa Lake Meetings: Lives of Women of the Plains, (the West Texas version of River Meetings: Lives of Women in the Delta) what woman’s history would you honor?
ReplyDeleteIf I were a participant of a West Texas version of River meetings I would honor Texas women who rode the cattle trails. The contributions of the women played a viable role in Westward expansion. These women were hindered by social ideals and were expected to live the life that was prearranged for them; for example, a house wife. A woman was expected to mold themselves to the likings of the male figure (husband) and subject their life to housekeeping, bearing of children, and abiding by the husbands wishes. The women that rode the cattle trails drove herds to new pastures and provided livestock to other regions, their adversity contributed to the success of the cattle empire.
What a cool idea, Liz! I'm sure school administrators wouldn't let you do it, just because of the language issue. Somebody would say: "Did you hear about that art teacher posting cuss words all over school?!!" and off the alarm bells would go. The project would have to be done in some other way...but how? The red dots would work so well for all the reasons you mentioned. Identifying bullying incidents with specific places in the school would deliver a powerful message - as you said, the school would be covered in red dots.
ReplyDeleteYou could create a map of the school. Each red dot on the map would correlate with a student's story of being bullied. Students would write his/her own story of the incident, and the story would accompany the map. The map could be online with and hyperlinks connecting each dot to a different student's story (and/or one student's stories of multiple bullying episodes). If you did this project for your MAE thesis project, I don't think school administrators could legally stop you. As long as student names are changed, faces are blurred and the school isn't named, I don't see how they could keep you from doing it or make you take it down after you've done it.
It would be a lot of work. To collect ALL the bullying stories from your school might not be possible, not only because of the number but also because many students might not participate. You could work with a small group of students who have experienced multiple bullying incidents. Their stories would represent a small sample of the entire school body. The sheer number of incidents and the verbal, physical and emotional abuse sustained by these students might be enough to convey the severity of the problem. I don't know. I think it would be worth looking into. It's a fantastic idea that absolutely should be implemented in some way, shape or form.