ZOE VASSILIOU

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MARY BETH EDELSON. Mary Beth Edelson is an American artist who was part of the feminist art movement in the US. She is a printmaker, collage artist, painter, photographer, performance artist, etc., and surrounds her art in feminist topics. 

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MARTHA ROSLER. Martha Rosler is an American artist. She works in many mediums, including photography, video, installation, and collage. Her work mostly surrounds topics of feminism. 

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Blog Post No.12, 12/6/20

I wanted to focus on the video titled “Between the Door and the Street: A Performance Initiated by Suzanne Lacy.” This video evoked a wide variety of feelings for me, primarily a feeling of comfort, surprisingly, which I will get to shortly. Women go through so many things every single day that we don’t even realize at this point because of how normalized they have become over the years. Things are thankfully beginning to change in this era of standing up for what we believe in and what is right. In the past however, and in many cultures, including my own, it is still normal to treat women as though they will never amount to a man. I grew up seeing women from the small village in Greece that I am from being denied a full education, a career, a relationship of their choice, and so much more solely because of their gender and what they considered “the female duty.” They were raised as if their only purpose in life was to cook and clean and be married off to whoever their father chose. Of course, that is less the case now, but not everywhere. Even smaller things in our everyday lives such as being cat-called or stared at on the way to work or school make women feel as though they aren’t safe, as if we aren’t and never will be respected to the same degree as the opposite gender. In the video, one of the women who took part in this installation said that she wants a man to speak to her and treat her as if she is his mother, sister, etc. rather than his next meal.  Not feeling safe walking home at night, witnessing and/or being a part of sexual harassment/misconduct/assault in both professional settings and not, not having equal pay, being treated as though we are weak, feeling as though we have to be insecure because we do not have the “perfect body” that is most appealing to a man, and so much more are things we women go through constantly and need to be acknowledged. The reason I felt comforted by the video was because it reminded me that I am not the only female that goes through this, and that women can rely on one another and relate to the stories we share relating to this topic. I loved seeing all the groups of women partaking in their own discussions surrounding sexism and what it means to be feminist in the video. It made me happy to see how fluid each of the conversations between each group was, and how the bystanders who listened to their points were so engaged and interested in what these women had to say. This video and project was so powerful in that it united women of so many backgrounds and allowed them to feel as though they had a safe space to discuss whatever they felt like. Suzanne Lacy’s project is beautiful work of art that highlights so many dire issues that must be addressed. 

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HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON. Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who would document everyday life in bizarre ways all around the world. He is often considered the father of street photography.

https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/henri-cartier-bresson/

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SALLY MANN. Sally Mann is an American photographer who photographs family portraits, landscapes, and haunting portraits of the living and dead. She is often critiqued for the controversial themes found in her work. 

https://www.sallymann.com

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Blog Post No.11, 11/30/20

I wanted to write about my favorite photographer Sally Mann. She is from Virginia and does large format 8x10 images with post processing vignetting. She is most known for her series “At 12″ and “Immediate Family”. Almost all of her images were critiqued and drew a lot of attention from the public, for they depicted nudity of her children, strong themes of sensuality, blood, motherhood, etc. Sally Mann was also questioned as a mother because of how she photographed her children in what would normally be private family affairs. For example, she would take pictures of mishaps such as her son’s bloody nose, chicken pox, or an inflamed face when her daughter brushed against poison ivy. Personally, I like that she makes her viewers uncomfortable. I think many artists are afraid to do so, but those who do really make a statement. The art that is edgy or uncomfortable is often the most memorable. Many people think that the nudes of her children are pornographic and exploitative, but Sally Mann argues that these are just the things a mother sees everyday. When I view these images, I feel quite emotional, partially because she documents the intimate moments of the life if her children and captures their innocence and the beauty of childhood so well, but also because you watch her children grow through her images and truly can see what a loving family they were. Ive been a big fan of hers for a long time, and admire how she uses such difficult and old fashioned techniques so efficiently. Her images are very pictorial, which speaks to me as an artist, and ethereal. They are also haunting and extremely captivating. 

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BLEK LE RAT. Blek le Rat is a French graffiti artist. He is very well known for his stencil graffiti and creates detailed imagery that is mostly portraiture around France. 

https://blekleratoriginal.com/en/

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BANKSY. Banksy is an anonymous graffiti artist who has taken the world by storm. He tags walls around the world with beautiful imagery that usually has political commentary or an important message they'd like to share in a satirical way.  

https://www.banksy.co.uk

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Blog Post No.10, 11/8/20

After watching “Style Wars” and doing research on the famous artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, I have thought a lot about graffiti as an art. People often argue whether graffiti is art or vandalism. Who really can define what art is? Why is it that if it is on the side of a building that someone’s piece is instantly not art but disrespectful to the public area? It is sad that so many times graffiti artists are considered criminals for what they do, when really it is just a form of expression. How is it really different from things that are widely accepted as art such as drawing or painting? In “Style Wars”, one of the artists sits in his kitchen and discusses how he and his fellow graffiti artists are not doing this art to impress people, and that they couldn’t care less what people thought, that they were doing the murals and graffiti for themselves. I think it is easy for viewers to get lost in the moment and not truly think about the meaning behind art, especially things like graffiti that have been so controversial. As a New Yorker, I am very used to viewing graffiti and naturally like it. I have never thought of it as an abomination or visual pollution. I think the majority of the time it adds to a scenery. Of course there are exceptions, but when the artist is serious, you can tell, and it makes the street you walk down more vibrant. It makes the walls have a voice. I am happy I got to watch this movie after learning about Basquiat, because it was very relevant. When Basquiat was a teenager, he and his friend Al Diaz would go around and tag NYC with various messages. They used the alias SAMO and would use this medium as a way to express how they felt, share thoughts, political commentary, and more. It is unfortunate that graffiti is not seen as a true art form, because the reality is that it is so meaningful to so many artists who choose to share their pieces so publicly. It is a very brave medium, and I truly hope that in the future we can acknowledge graffiti artists more and embrace the practice. 

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CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN. Carolee Schneemann was an American performance artist who was most known for being very experimental. The main themes of her work were gender and sexuality, and she made many feminist pieces. 

http://www.caroleeschneemann.com

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BARBARA KRUGER. Barbara Kruger was an American collagist who did work mostly revolved around feminism. Her feminist works are what she was most famous for. 

https://www.artsy.net/artist/barbara-kruger

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Blog Post No.9, 11/1/20

In Greek mythology, the myth of Medusa stated that Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, turned her from a beautiful young woman to a hag with snakes for hair who would turn whoever she looked at to stone because of an affair Medusa and Poseidon had in Athena’s temple. Being Greek myself, I grew up hearing these myths. It is unclear to me if Medusa was raped by Poseidon or if they had a consensual affair. In recent weeks, a statue of Medusa holding the head of Perseus was put up outside of the courthouse where Harvey Weinstein was tried, serving as a statement and dedication to the “Me Too” movement. This statue is the opposite of the classic “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” statue that is corresponding to the classic myth of Perseus and Medusa, where Perseus is the one that had slain Medusa. This new statue that stands tall was made by Luciano Garbati in 2008, but has now been recognized by many as the “perfect symbol for women’s rage.” However, there are very many sides and viewpoints on this statue that have made it rather controversial. For one, many women who are victims of sexual assault feel as though they do not want to be represented with such violence and vengeful tendencies. This statue is rather violent and does depict a gruesome scene, and a lot of women see this as the wrong approach for how to view sexual assault victims. In other words, they do not believe that violence should beget violence. Garbati   originally wanted to make it clear that Medusa was raped and that she is not a monster as viewed throughout history, but rather a victim. This causes controversy among Greek people because the statue is representing the original myth incorrectly and changing it. Also, many Greeks see Perseus as a hero. Of course, so much literature throughout the years has been reimagine, but some people still find it offensive. Feminists are also on the fence about this for a couple of reasons: first, the fact that this statue was made by a male does not sit right. It makes it seem rather sexualized and it would hold more meaning if a woman had created this sculpture. They also feel as though the fact that Medusa is placed in the center of a busy area in New York naked creates a sexualization of the statue as well, and that people who pass will not stop and relate it to the “Me Too” movement, but rather stop to admire Medusa’s physique. I thought this an interesting topic to write about since we are living through an era that recognizes offensive statues and fights to get them taken down, and how this fits into the controversy of whether it is an acceptable work of art to stay on display. Although there are very many opinions on this, it is certainly a powerful piece that has managed to make a statement. 

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OSCAR HOWE. Oscar Howe was an American artist of Yanktonai Dakota descent. He made beautiful paintings with captivating imagery and an ethereal feeling and dream like essence. He was said to have helped pave the way for indigenous artists after him. 

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DAPHNE ODJIG. Daphne Odjig is a Canadian artist of Odawa-Potawatomi heritage. She makes vibrant paintings and played a major role in bringing the First Nation’s art into the spotlight more in Canada. 

http://www.artnet.com/artists/daphne-odjig/

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Blog Post No. 8

It is fascinating how we can stand in one place at a certain time and be completely clueless as to what happened in the past in the same position we currently sink our feet into. Who walked the grounds before us? What grew there before the roads, building, etc. were built? What had to occur for us to be standing here in this point in time? After reading the article titled “Cornell: A ‘Land-Grab University’?”, I was both surprised and not at the same time. I was surprised because it is always shocking to hear about the injustices and defilement of indigenous land and people due to greed, but not surprised because of how common this is unfortunately. Professor Kurt Jordan writes, “Frequently violence, much of it genocidal in intent and impact, had taken place to expel Indigenous peoples shortly before U.S. universities obtained the land.” This is of course extremely disturbing. What is more disturbing is that it is kept quiet, much of how most history related to these types of topics is swept under the rug or overlooked. This is not to say that Cornell and all the other schools that did the same thing when they were built are bad schools, but it is an important event in the history of the university that should be acknowledged often and told to people who attend, work, or even live in the area. In general, violence and disregard to indigenous culture and history is very upsetting. We should learn about the history of our university and be aware of things like this, as well as just generally learn about things in the past that have been disregarded or sugar coated. 

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ELLIOTT ERWITT. Elliott Erwitt was a French-American photographer who always caught bizarre moments in everyday life. He shot in B&W and was always able to capture emotion through his candids. 

https://www.elliotterwitt.com

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DIANE ARBUS. Diane Arbus was an American photographer who photographed in B&W and focused on taking portraits of people she felt were in the shadows and underrepresented that should be normalized in society. 

http://www.artnet.com/artists/diane-arbus/