Ancestresses & Wise Women
In conversations with younger women at a local college, I discovered that many of them had not been exposed to much in the way of women's history or women's rights. This shocked the political activist in me and caused me to reflect on how I had been apprised of such information and the wealth of mentors I have had - ancestresses, teachers, artists, writers, activists, friends. Honoring these women and creating gatherings in which women could mentor each other became the vision behind this sculptural installation and the accompanying Conversations Among Women.
The sculptures begin with my paternal great grandmother, Emma, who shed an alcoholic husband, raised two daughters and sent them to college, built a successful dairy from the ground up, bucked community sentiment by hiring a black man as her manager and showed me that a woman can have ambition and take control of her life. There are activists and authors, such as Gloria Steinem, who reached me first through her establishment of Ms. magazine. Jean Shinoda Bolen, who led a Women's Wisdom retreat, which I attended after weaning my last child, and who now works tirelessly to bring forth a 5th United Nations sponsored World Women's Conference. Anaïs Nin, who wrote lyrical prose with a definite woman's perspective. And, of course, Marion Woodman, whose writings inspired my first series entitled Chrysalis.
The chrysalis forms of my first series evolved to become roughly seven-foot welded steel enclosures for a central wooden core - an idea influenced by Judy Chicago, who talked about its use as a defining symbol of woman. Symbols of the lives and wisdom of these women (books, shovels, fishing rods, MP3 players, maps, instruments, tools…) and written text are woven into the works. The text is also available for viewers on the wall beside each piece.
Since the cores were originally fence posts, they help create the boundary of the circle of the installation. This, in turn, references women's circles, the circles of support groups and consciousness-raising gatherings. The pieces are just above human scale, so provide a somewhat protective, overseeing presence for viewers and the participants in the Conversations Among Women, who have, in turn, shared their histories, collective wisdom, and perspectives.
The sculptures begin with my paternal great grandmother, Emma, who shed an alcoholic husband, raised two daughters and sent them to college, built a successful dairy from the ground up, bucked community sentiment by hiring a black man as her manager and showed me that a woman can have ambition and take control of her life. There are activists and authors, such as Gloria Steinem, who reached me first through her establishment of Ms. magazine. Jean Shinoda Bolen, who led a Women's Wisdom retreat, which I attended after weaning my last child, and who now works tirelessly to bring forth a 5th United Nations sponsored World Women's Conference. Anaïs Nin, who wrote lyrical prose with a definite woman's perspective. And, of course, Marion Woodman, whose writings inspired my first series entitled Chrysalis.
The chrysalis forms of my first series evolved to become roughly seven-foot welded steel enclosures for a central wooden core - an idea influenced by Judy Chicago, who talked about its use as a defining symbol of woman. Symbols of the lives and wisdom of these women (books, shovels, fishing rods, MP3 players, maps, instruments, tools…) and written text are woven into the works. The text is also available for viewers on the wall beside each piece.
Since the cores were originally fence posts, they help create the boundary of the circle of the installation. This, in turn, references women's circles, the circles of support groups and consciousness-raising gatherings. The pieces are just above human scale, so provide a somewhat protective, overseeing presence for viewers and the participants in the Conversations Among Women, who have, in turn, shared their histories, collective wisdom, and perspectives.
Anaïs (Nin)
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Earth
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Gabrielle (Roth)
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Jean (Shinoda Bolen)
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Judy (Chicago)
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Mother Clyde
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Songwriters
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Vera
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