9th November; WACCA and Academic Mentoring..and another sausage cat.

Academic Mentor group meeting and 121 followed by a 121 tutorial for WACCA with Ian.  See WACCA 

I have some more artists to look at Emily Speed, Rebecca Chesney (Nature and behaviour), Emily Hesse (witch in society- playing out - had an exhibition in Tetley Leeds) and Christine Balland.  

Anna Recommended "Braiding Sweetgrass" A reflection on indigenous knowledge, nature and human relationships/kinships to non-human species 

• I'm interested in potentially curating an artist that references braiding, textiles or ceramics in their work to bring discourse around women and craft into the WACCA exhibition proposal.
• Talked about "what men do is art and what women do is craft / community projects require a group to create collectively which goes against the idea of the individual "genius" ; the artist expert.

Some of the discussion around my practice with Anna

 

Is it the witch that I’m interested in?

Is that from the Dolly Henry work last year?

 

It’s from looking at the after the Leanardo cartoon – looking at how motherhood should be serene, devine and not linked to sexual activity – a complete contrast to how primal, natural, visceral motherhood is – nature is demonised,  I relate it back to natures magic (wicca) stood up to Christian testimonies and “miracles”, surpassing it to be proven by science – and relabelled as such. 

I see Christianity as a control construct; I'm interested in behaviour, dynamics of power and hierarchy.

Established that nature and human behaviour are evident in my investigations - This underlines my interest in the witch.  

Do I feel that the witch is represented more positively now? 

I feel that I have to deconstruct the term (language) to answer the question. I think what society refers to as a "witch" has to be explored-  we see ideas of witches and I struggle to find the authenticity; an authentic position in society that women often held equipped with knowledge around indigenous plants / child care/ survival/ community.  

I think women have accepted things and we don't recognise how or why. 

Led to discussions around community art and crafts - funding / investment and societal changes after  matriarchs demonised and persecuted, and we began to move towards industrialisation and patriarchy.

Anna pointed out that my descriptions were anticapitalist; which cemented where my interests in class, culture, society and capitalism lie. I've avoided exploring them on their own but my practice points to them. They're part of the bigger picture historically and socially.

Anna also pointed out that often our instincts are undermined and natural things are not celebrated - referenced a deaf breast feeding mother who shared - that she thought it was amazing that even if she can't hear her baby cry when hungry, her boobs will tell her at the perfect time.

My approach now - and I'm happy with it - is just to keep making art based on what I'm considering at the time. My placement last year showed me that it'll all pull together at the end. I'll just select from what I have for an exhibtion at any point where I need to.  It's already interesting to see the conversation that comes from when I put different recent works together. 

Had a play with oil with another drypoint sausage cat.