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a christmas list

family
babies
presents
yummy food
coastline
coffee
full tummy
dvds
afternoon naps
new toys
tears
hugs
excitement
expectations
teasers
laughs
quiet moments
crazy morning mayhem
nostalgia
relief
love

boys don't fall in love with feminists. reason why i'm single #465

i had quite an interesting, disturbing and ultimately upsetting discussion with a workmate today. it all started with me questioning the validity of a shaver shop ad posted on the sales noticeboard. the ad has a rather plain looking girl, dressed in christmassy red'n'white striped underwear and over-the-knee socks. kinda like our vanilla elf here. but on her back with her legs in the air. an obvious pose for an ad about razors, i thought. apparently it was hott. with two ts.

in asking why the ad was posted there and its relevance to work, a delicate, but important discussion ensued, covering all the fun stuff:

why it bothered me,
why i was kind of militant about such matters (my silly use of the term militant, really)
whether (and why) i considered myself a feminist,
the fact that men think about sex all the time and the obvious need to accommodate that
the validity of being able to look at 'things of beauty'
the validity of 'play' in discussing or accepting sexuality
whether the image was, in fact, demeaning or disrespectful
why the idea of 'boys will be boys' is either valid and/or a crock of shit
and - the real corker - whether i had a boyfriend.

one of the reasons i call myself a feminist is to make sure that these kinds of discussion are had. although, if i'm honest, i'd rather not. i'm sick and tired of these kinds of conversations, really. i wish boys would just get it.

but it seems that my nasty feminist views - my desire to not be simply viewed as either mother or whore (or for my sexual identity to even be part of my identity at work, thanks); to be treated with respect and to have equal rights and responsibility - it seems it turns the boys off. and is (probably) the reason i don't have a boyfriend. well, according to the lovely insinuations that ended the conversation.

i would like to say that i came back with a witty retort, calling into question his not-so-savoury sexual exploits, or his own lack of a girlfriend. but the reality is that the pipsqueak hit a very sore point - one that i had no idea was there until today.

i recoiled.

it has had me questioning myself all day, which i think is somewhat important for open-mindedness but something that i really wish i didn't have to do. it's obvious to me now, hours later, that my sexual life and/or identity is not actually a prerequesite to my basic human right to be treated with dignity. and vice versa.

but it seems that an age of history - of solely identifying women with their sexual nature, doesn't shift easily. on either side of the gender divide.

UPDATE: after reading mayhem's fantastic post about her complex relationship with her own marriage and the need for another feminist revolution, i've been reminded that the above idea of being 'coupled' as the ultimate validation for my opinions and/or sexuality is fucked.

Labels: feminism, politics

art date!

owen and i have been going on a regular art date - taking advantage of our flexible hours and keeping up the enthusiasm for seeing shit. it has been che gorgeous to share spaces and artists with each other - to have some perfectly timed discussion about art, the universe and everything. and always starting with coffee at brother baba budan.

we've been making a point of going to galleries that either of us have never been to before and it has been a helluva lot of fun. oh, and we've seen some good works too.

i'm hoping to start posting about the stuff we see regularly (and put a halt to all that self-referential hoo-har from this year), but in the mean time, here's a quick 'digest' in 140 characters or less.

tolarno: patricia piccini
divine space. welcome return to her beautiful and grotesque visceral sculptures: cronenberg-esque. scored a fabulous free poster. huzzah!

murray white room: judith van heeren
dramatic space: echo chamber goodness. paintings were reminiscent of zavros, minus the majesty. sadley, they were completely lost in the space.

anna pappas: vipoo srivilasa
jury is still out on this one: old, bold works intrigued. this style: not so sure, but interested in learning.

C3: OMFUG group show
great to see the gallery really establishing a mark. missed the hit and miss performance, loved simon's sign and adam's hoax.

C3: nicky wynnychuk
nicky conceptual scultpures/installations are going to be amazing in a different setting, but here: dark, broody boy art. heart-broken.

kings ari: december shows: tai snaith, jade walsh and the video battle b/w insight, kings and first draft.
3 toptastic shows: love jade walsh! video battle: ace idea, lacked ace content (FD #1!). tai's work 'kawa-i ne-': some yay, some nae.

this week we had to postpone, but for our last date of the year, we're going to go and see jenny holzer at ACCA and probably hang out in the NGV International. I haven't seen the Bill Viola yet (shame!) and i think it's a great opportunity to lay about out underneath the leonard french stained-glass.

image credit: chris and sanne at the Beelden aan Zee Museum in NL. via jumping in art museums

Labels: art, exhibitions, melbourne, this week at the galleries

my thesis as a wordle

i graduate tomorrow. magenta hood with mortar board and master's gown.

and here's my thesis. as a wordle.

drawing sale 09

This year has been a very exciting, fullsome year with a lot of art projects done and countless hours of sleep lost.

It has now become a little tradition to have a sale of my drawings to give myself a chance at earning some money, and the people who have been instrumental in my art practice to own something of mine.

The series of works below are the indicatives, schematics and plans made in the process of a conceptual practice. And by buying one, you'll be supporting an experimental art practice, which means you'll get to keep reading this blog. :D. I think that's a win-win, don't you?

the deets
Most of the works are ink/gouache/pencil on watercolour paper (except the Marquettes - see below).
All prices are in pounds because, well, that's what i did last year and it's stuck.
All prices below are the unframed/framed prices and all include a small amount of postage - to cover my costs and nothing else. Framed works have a small mount with white frames.
If you have any requests or queries, of course you can email me: lauren at sheseesred dot com

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