I am reminded of an audition process a conductor friend of mine once explained. The musician plays their instrument and chosen piece behind a screen. Hence no gaze and no gender-based decision on whom to hire. It becomes all about the music (art).
as always, i am so inspired to thought, meditation, and pondering after reading your words.
this week's post also brought me back to a project that i wanted to do years ago. while traveling around the country, i noticed that a majority docents in museums that i visited in large cities were white while the museum staff that walks the space was mostly comprised of people of color. i wanted to interview these people to see what it was like to be in rooms where people were gazing at everything but them. i wondered if they felt invisible. it's a wondering...
Untitled/Portrait of Ross (no relation) absolutely wrecks me. A tiny bit of information about the piece takes it from curious but impenetrable to deeply moving and unforgettable, inviting the viewer to take part emotionally without demanding it via confrontation. This also seems to echo a more fluid and feminine approach, welcoming a longer and more involved experience and/or conversation with the art and the subject.
So interesting. When I have lectured about my work as a fine art photographer, the questions after my presentation are so telling. The men usually ask questions about my "gear", whereas the women tend to ask questions about meaning and my internal process.
In our culture, there is a devaluing, even a mocking, of the feminine approach to art (well, to everything, let's be honest.) Look at the poo-pooing of Yoko Ono's art, which asks questions and begs interaction.and reflection. Then, yes, you have someone like Koons. There are countless examples. The fact that the male director you mentioned was incredulous of DuVernay's use of counselors smacks of not only the discomfort with the feminine, but the belief in the "inferiority" of it - vulnerability defined as weakness, when, especially in acting, it is a strength. I wish we could get rid of the words masculine and feminine as far as the approach to art making or any process or activity, because there is still too much bias applied to the terms. What could we use instead?
Yes to ALL OF THIS! It's interesting that you mention the questions that you received about your gear. When I was doing my deep dive into women directors, I discovered a roundtable with a bunch of dudes and Marielle Heller (who directed Can You Ever Forgive Me and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood). The dudes were all talking about what they learned in film school, which was, predominantly, the technical side of filmmaking. Heller—who did not go to film school but is also an actor—said that she knew nothing about what lenses to use but she understood how to talk to actors, how to make them feel safe, and how to help them flesh out the inner lives of their characters. The men in the roundtable said that they were never taught how to engage with actors in school and some of them admitted that they had made multiple films feeling terrified of their own actors. This is the overvaluation of the masculine and the undervaluation of the feminine.
I, too, thought long and hard about whether to use or ditch the terms "masculine" and "feminine" for this essay and, honestly, I'm torn about it. I considered using "yin" and "yang" because they carry fewer negative associations but part of me wonders if the reason to use "masculine" and "feminine" is BECAUSE they carry negative associations that need to be unlearned. I'm not sure, I just know that I'm very interested in this conversation. I'd love to hear if you (or anyone else reading this) has any thoughts about language we might use.
So very insightful. Just READING The Description of meaning behind the 175lb candy pile work made me go "awwwwhhh"! Will re-read your essay again and again and sit with it to investigate into my own reactions to art, as well as my own traits when creating a work. I love the M/F graph you made, want to use as an investigative tool for unpacking my ways of viewing, and creating, Art!
I am reminded of an audition process a conductor friend of mine once explained. The musician plays their instrument and chosen piece behind a screen. Hence no gaze and no gender-based decision on whom to hire. It becomes all about the music (art).
as always, i am so inspired to thought, meditation, and pondering after reading your words.
this week's post also brought me back to a project that i wanted to do years ago. while traveling around the country, i noticed that a majority docents in museums that i visited in large cities were white while the museum staff that walks the space was mostly comprised of people of color. i wanted to interview these people to see what it was like to be in rooms where people were gazing at everything but them. i wondered if they felt invisible. it's a wondering...
Untitled/Portrait of Ross (no relation) absolutely wrecks me. A tiny bit of information about the piece takes it from curious but impenetrable to deeply moving and unforgettable, inviting the viewer to take part emotionally without demanding it via confrontation. This also seems to echo a more fluid and feminine approach, welcoming a longer and more involved experience and/or conversation with the art and the subject.
So interesting. When I have lectured about my work as a fine art photographer, the questions after my presentation are so telling. The men usually ask questions about my "gear", whereas the women tend to ask questions about meaning and my internal process.
In our culture, there is a devaluing, even a mocking, of the feminine approach to art (well, to everything, let's be honest.) Look at the poo-pooing of Yoko Ono's art, which asks questions and begs interaction.and reflection. Then, yes, you have someone like Koons. There are countless examples. The fact that the male director you mentioned was incredulous of DuVernay's use of counselors smacks of not only the discomfort with the feminine, but the belief in the "inferiority" of it - vulnerability defined as weakness, when, especially in acting, it is a strength. I wish we could get rid of the words masculine and feminine as far as the approach to art making or any process or activity, because there is still too much bias applied to the terms. What could we use instead?
Yes to ALL OF THIS! It's interesting that you mention the questions that you received about your gear. When I was doing my deep dive into women directors, I discovered a roundtable with a bunch of dudes and Marielle Heller (who directed Can You Ever Forgive Me and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood). The dudes were all talking about what they learned in film school, which was, predominantly, the technical side of filmmaking. Heller—who did not go to film school but is also an actor—said that she knew nothing about what lenses to use but she understood how to talk to actors, how to make them feel safe, and how to help them flesh out the inner lives of their characters. The men in the roundtable said that they were never taught how to engage with actors in school and some of them admitted that they had made multiple films feeling terrified of their own actors. This is the overvaluation of the masculine and the undervaluation of the feminine.
I, too, thought long and hard about whether to use or ditch the terms "masculine" and "feminine" for this essay and, honestly, I'm torn about it. I considered using "yin" and "yang" because they carry fewer negative associations but part of me wonders if the reason to use "masculine" and "feminine" is BECAUSE they carry negative associations that need to be unlearned. I'm not sure, I just know that I'm very interested in this conversation. I'd love to hear if you (or anyone else reading this) has any thoughts about language we might use.
So very insightful. Just READING The Description of meaning behind the 175lb candy pile work made me go "awwwwhhh"! Will re-read your essay again and again and sit with it to investigate into my own reactions to art, as well as my own traits when creating a work. I love the M/F graph you made, want to use as an investigative tool for unpacking my ways of viewing, and creating, Art!
That work by Gonzalez-Torres gets me every time too! And thanks for letting me know that the subject of the essay resonated for you and your practice!