- What issues are artists addressing today with regards to the advancement of women?
To quote Ellen Yoshi Tani, “The Depictions of women without our voices: share anything, it’s that many contemporary artists know their feminist history, and they understand that standards of taste, beauty, relevance and value have long been debated without women’s voices.” I think Ellen sums it up or at least sums up some aspects of it. I think we are still fighting for some of the same rights as before too.
- Can you make art outside of your experiences? Can a woman make non-feminist art?
I think people can make art outside of their experiences, usually. I say for those instances where issues occur are when someone makes art to intentionally insult and harm or they truly did not understand and it results in problems. I do not think we should be forced into a subject of art either even if we have experience in it. There should be a desire to make the art you want to make.
- Do we excuse the sexism / racism of the past because it was ingrained in the prevailing culture?
We should not excuse it. We should acknowledge that it is wrong. Excusing such behavior would essentially be like supporting sexism and racism.
- Do we still need labels – women artists, black artists, LGBT artists
I do not like labels defining me as a female artist. By labeling me, I am being seperated in a group and in this sense I can not gain the equality I so desperately yearn for. Yet, as many do, I seek to have an identity and fit in somewhere, anywhere. I happy to be who I am, so part of me wants to say what defines me even if its something as simple as saying, “ I am a Woman and an artist.” So I also think labels can be okay so long as bias, sexism, racism, and hate do not limit our art. Perhaps if the art tackles problem associated with a label then we can choose to show how identify ourselves.
- Why are there more issues with equality in the south / cultural differences?
I think one reason is that we have far less exposure to different cultures than New York has. There is also the fact that majority of people believe these ideals and in turn teach them their children. Without something to constricted those ideals they are unargued. Thankfully technology has helped progress views. At my high school from Freshman year to senior alone, I (as part of the LGBT community) saw a big change in how we were treated. They are not as far as I’d like still, but it is immensely different from before we started the GSA club there compared to after. As one of the founders of the GSA at the school I watched hostility when we started it go to this mixed batch of views with less directly hostile people by my senior year. I hope the club is still making there to this day.
- Where does feminism go now?
Issues we still need to conquer in today’s world as of 2019 include: Body image, sexism, various remaining inequalities.
I also think feminism is more broad now as we also focus on sexuality, identity and what defines identity, and gender defined stereotypes.
I think the next step is to also fight for identity whether that means fighting toxic masculinity or fighting stereotypes in appearance such as short hair being for boys or pink for girls blue for boys.
- What does your male art professor need to do differently?
You are honestly the most opened minded professor I have had so far.