Art Theory and Feminism
Seminar by Laura Cottingham, art critic and curator from New York.
Arranged by Aircondition.
"If it is in accordance with student interest, I think I should like to share the extensive visual and textual archive I have assembled on 70's feminist art, including slides, videos and writings. The workshop would consist of discussions on the making and legacy of first generation feminist inspired works from Europe (including Denmark) and the USA, and would address aesthetic questions concerning the general relationship between art and politics, the possibilities for art produced outside the dominant apparatus, and the specific challenge and necessity of producing an acute; new images of women."Laura Cottingham
There were 24 participants in the seminar from: The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Det Jyske Kunstakademi, The University of Copenhagen's Modern Culture, Media and Art History programs.
Before the seminar began - we had read the following texts by Laura Cottingham: "How many bad feminists does it take to change a lightbulb;" an interview from Øjeblikket by Katya Sander on the exhibition "Nowhere" at Lousianna; the catalogue from that exhibition; and the March volume of Paletten.
Friday: Introduction to the seminar for everyone. All the participants spoke about their wishes for the workshop and why they felt it was necessary. The following were recurrent themes in the students' argumentation: - A lack of knowledge of feminist art history in the United States, Europe and Denmark. - Experiences of student reviews where the instructors refer to works containing feminine attitudes without being able to give any clear frame of reference. These assumptions are perceived as universal without actual knowledge of the subject. - An ambivalent relationship arises toward women artists from earlier generations, who are commonly only mentioned as jokes. - A lack of knowledge about what happened and where they are today.
Monday: Open lecture and showing of the video "Not for Sale"¬a history of knowledge of the feminist art movement in the United States from 1970 to 1979. Laura Cottingham discussed the research, motivation, and process behind "Not for Sale," the art history video she began in 1992 and will release in late 1997. She showed selections from the 90-minute tape and talked about independent video, feminist history, non-commercial art practices, and art education in the United States.
Tuesday: A slide show that was shown over the course of several days and discussion. Here is a selection of artists and groups: Martha Rosler, Robin Weltch, Miriam Shapiro, Jill Johnston, Judith Chicago, Susan Laise, Woman House L.A., Leslie Labowitz, Fresno program, Yvonne Rainer, Luciy la part, Isadora Duncan, Adrian Piper, Dottie Attie, Elenor Antin, Emma Amos, Gail Sanchy, Ida Appelborg, Susan Mogul, Linda Benglis, Joan Semmel, Barbara Chase Riboud, Sandy Orgel, Tee Corinne, Barbara T. Smith, Betsy Damor, Carolee Schneeman, Hannah Wilke, Shame wolleman, Senga Nangrudi, Anna Mendeta, Faith Ringgold, Eleanor Holmes Ardele listen, Harmony Hammond, Kate Millet, Ratchel Rosentall, Howardina Pindell. The group agrees to research the Danish situation.
Wednesday: Slide show Discussion of the seminar's practical potential. Suggestions: window exhibition at the gallery Campbelles Occasionally, investigation of women artists' collaboration with the women's movement of 60's and 70's in Copenhagen, and contact Tania Ørum. Her introduction to deconstruction from "Køn og moderne tider" is to be read for Monday. Tania Ørum, lecturer in literary history at the University of Copenhagen.
Thursday: The window exhibition is dropped. We choose to focus exclusively on academic matters. Discussion of the texts from the exhibition "The Body as Membrane" at Brandts klædefabrik in Odense, arranged by Kirsten Justensen and Valie Export in 1996. In this connection, Kristin Stiles text "Never Enough," which was left out of the catalog is discussed (see siksi 1997).
Friday: Discussion of the structure of the Academy, the lack of women professors, the lack of women in the exhibitions, why, what do we do about it!
Monday: Mette gave a presentation on Tania Ørum's attitude toward deconstruction, postmodernism, and her idea about its disintegration. Discussion of Tania Ørum's texts, "Hvor er vi så henne?¬om post modernisme og feminisme," from the book Køn og moderne tider, and "Nu er det ikke sjovt længere," from the literary journal Kritik. Discussion of the French tradition to which Tania Ørum refers. Film showing: Lissie Corfixen "Before we wake up" (1976), and Mette Knudsen's "Rødstrømper."
Tuesday: Film showing: Kirsten Justensen and Jytte Rex "The sleeping beauty" (1971) Discussion of the film and those shown on Monday. Discussion of: the represented images of women, artistic intentions, the private or political use of sexuality, the aesthetic choices and principles, etc.
Wednesday: Kirsten Justesen was invited. She showed slides of: her own projects and collaborations from the 60's and 70's, collaborations with the women's movement, works by Danish and international artists. Discussion of Kristin Style's text, the exhibition "The Body as Membrane." Debate on the differences between European and American social structure and art worlds.
Thursday: Slides and discussion. "Not for Sale" was shown again. Dinner in the evening.
Friday: concluding evaluation of the program and discussion of the coming action "Women in Bars," its potential and pitfalls.