07 February 15

Out of Context.

Media bias, are we to blame?

Sometimes running around trying to get a work finished and having pitfalls and hurdles thrown at you from every direction can produce something which surprises you, inspiring the creation of something so simple, yet effective.

I have been researching into the stories behind those who have tried to bring equality and direct democracy into the social norm. Yet the elite had the power of media and widespread communication, labelling these movements and the people behind them as ‘terrorist’s’ or as advocates of unachievable goals.

The censorship of the media denied those who were not able to hear these goals first-hand the possibilities that could be welcomed into a community. Receiving information reflects upon how we view the world. The repetition of that information is how an ideology becomes a form of reality. For example, the unavoidable news of Muslim extremism has given rise to Islamaphobia as a result of universalising a concept and applying it to entire religion. The deplorable acts of a group of people should not result in collective punishment, both acts are inexcusable.

There is a way out, the media has expanded beyond the newspaper and radio domination, the accessibility of information and the number of sources worldwide means that media bias is ignorable, for those who are willing to do the research.

What I am more interested in is being able to bring conversation forward and find new ways to make a public rethink their information sources. To enter a process of learning how to broaden your understanding away from what you immediately take to be true.

I have taken simple, (rather well known if you are moderately on the Left) quotes and made them into posters, maybe even postcards, I might even fly post them around the city. The point is that they are completely out of context and you can take from them what ever you wish. I hope to inspire and raise a little initiative with those who read them as those who spoke such words intended too.

 

 

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05 March 15

Feminism is not about vaginas and boobs.

As it’s International Women’s Day, I feel the necessity to right about the importance of my choice to discuss political issues within my work.

At the beginning of 3rd year, I ditched politics, I thought that my activism outside of the art college and my voice as a woman who is involved in politics was quite sufficient. So deciding to bring this into the studio, (although, just now I cannot say I am studio based artist) contradicted my young, naive opinion that everything has already been said in feminist art.

To take a stance as a political female artist who chooses to surround herself with highly opinionated men, ensuring that women’s are voices are not drowned in a crowd of angry ex-labour lefty’s is probably one of the strongest statements I can make. The importance of having a gender balance within politics is something that is often over looked, the open conversations in the events that are planned for the next few weeks aim to create this, I feel that having a woman beginning the conversation will create a platform for other women to have an opinion and make themselves heard as it will creates a balance where the roll of gender should not be considered an issue nor able to take control of what happens. I cannot choose who interacts with my work nor the opinions of those who take part. I like the fact that my work cannot be attached to a gender. The fact that I rely on participants to create the work enriches and maintains this, the result is unpredictable, I cannot decide whether this is challenging or rewarding.

To add to the progress on degree show: fly-posting with water and  half a kilo of flour does not work, I should have really done more research, or asked more people before attempting to mix water and flour with a twig…

This is why things like fly-posting are worth experimenting before doing the final thing. I am quite looking forward to having people help with the creation of this work and the degree show install. I will definitely record the process, I think the liberating act of fly-posting is quite interesting in itself, I want to embrace the act of going against the expected with this wall.

I am most definitely a monochrome artist. The prints could not be more fitting with this, I love the fact that the historical atmosphere of the work and the traditional uses of prints are contradicted by the images of today continuing with the thought of going against the expected.

This blog is looking rather sporadic, this is my brain at the moment.

I have been working with Hugo Canoilas this week, we have had some fantastic conversations about racism, what it is to be involved in politics as an artist and how pressure can silence a voice that aspires to be the voice of those silenced. Very interesting guy, I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to meet him and even more so to talk about my work and our similarities.

Hugo’s exhibition opened this evening in the Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone college of Art and Design

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