To Talk About What I Didn’t Talk About

At some point during the conference I’d gotten a little flack on twitter for the perceived triviality of a post of mine, and so I responded by asking for suggestions of meatier topics. I got this response:

While I’m a gal who generally tries to draw attention to the elephant in the room, this is a topic I didn’t really feel I could speak to, at least experientially. I’m still a student in graduate school, not really intending to look for a full-time faculty position upon graduating and simply eyeing adjunct teaching as one of several future possibilities, as an artist without a family to support and a high tolerance for financial instability. When I worked as a university administrator elsewhere, it was in an academic department with relatively few adjuncts (considering graduate student teaching a separate though related issue). I’m woefully undereducated on the topic, knowing little beyond that it’s a bad scene, an exploitative system that hurts students and faculty. However, I could not in good conscience let this solicitation go ignored.

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At some point during the conference I’d gotten a little flack on twitter for the perceived triviality of a post of mine, and so I responded by asking for suggestions …

MFA Candidate, Interdisciplinary Arts & Media Sid Branca, http://sidbranca.com sid@sidbranca.com

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM DIRECTOR CHRIS ROBINSON TALKS ABOUT ART, ITALY, AND CAA

As a poet and a bartender, I have a complex relationship with secrets. One that I don’t keep, however, is how much I love the University of Georgia’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy. My experience with this program has been extremely formative for me as a person, poet, and artist.

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STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM DIRECTOR CHRIS ROBINSON TALKS ABOUT ART, ITALY, AND CAA

As a poet and a bartender, I have a complex relationship with secrets. One that I don’t keep, however, is how much I love the University of Georgia’s study …

Daniel Scott Parker MFA Poetry Daniel Scott Parker, http://danielsparker.tumblr.com danielsparker@gmail.com

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Interview: Debra Parr on Fashion-As-Art

Debra Riley Parr, post-presentation.

Debra Riley Parr is Chair of Fashion Studies and Associate Professor of Art and Design History at Columbia College Chicago. She serves as board member for the College Art Association and has published extensively in books and journals such as Fiberarts, Merge: Sound, Thought, Image, Ten by Ten: Space for Visual Culture, Art and Auction, New Art Examiner, and Artnews.

Debra served up a fantastic paper at the session À La Mode: The Contemporary Art And Fashion System. Titled Glitter and Rubble: Chaos to Couture (and Back Again) in the Late Capitalist Fashion and Art Industries her paper addresses the intersection of Fashion and Art in a globalized economy. Fast-fashion is central to the industry. Designs are copied from the runway and outsourced to production sites in other countries, where they are produced as quickly and cheaply as possible. Alternately, haute couture floods the red carpet and remains the exclusive domain of the hyper-rich.

Debra’s paper compares two events of Spring 2013: the Costume Institute gala celebrating the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition Punk: Chaos to Couture and the horrific collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh (a major manufacturing site for Fashion wholesalers) that killed thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers. The paper’s dialectical image – the glittery excess of the gala poised against the disastrous rubble of the factory collapse – is given further nuance when considering the Met Gala’s choice of theme: PUNK.

Celebs “Performing Punk” at Met Gala 2013

I’ve been fortunate to work with Debra for the last few months as her research assistant, and her work has shaped much of my thinking regarding Fashion as a site for critical inquiry. I caught up with Debra over coffee to discuss it all for the blog…

MS: To begin, where and how do you see Fashion intersecting with contemporary art and design practices?

DP: The connection has been there for a long time, but the way we are articulating it is changing. The other Fashion panel at the conference [Re-Examining Fashion in Western Art 1775-1975] is a more traditional investigation of the intersection. One paper discusses a specific dress in a specific painting, and historically, as Gilles Lipovetsky articulates, Fashion really taught people how to see detail. From [Lipovetsky’s] deeply historical perspective, Fashion defined social positions through tiny differentiations in styles of dress. For art historians this is really how we define the close read.

“Fashion And Art” edited by Adam Geczy and Vicki Karaminas (IMG: Sydney.edu)

MS: Does Fashion respond to contemporary art or does Fashion shape contemporary art?

DP: SooJin [fellow panelist SooJin Lee] did a fantastic job of looking at that. And Theodor Adorno, if we are to believe him (and I’m not totally sure that I do), declares that Fashion, in his estimation, has the power to shape all cultural arenas because it is concerned with with the new, with innovation, or what is “A La Mode.”

MS: Or, as you describe in your paper, following the modernist logic of speed and replacement.

DP: Yes. Art has a job – to critique culture. And central to my argument is that Fashion has a hard time being “Art” because it is unaware or unconscious of Art’s project as critique.

MS: I’m thinking now, because one of the panelists discussed it, of the Jay-Z and Marina Ambramovic performance; or the so-called “day performance art died.” Thinking of it in the context of Fashion as a performance…

DP: …there is definitely a borrowing from performance art. Like Alexander McQueen. And at the panel, Maud [panel discussant Maud Lavin] was trying to encourage us to think of the everyday, Fashion as an everyday performance. McQueen borrows from performance art.

Dress #13 Spring/Summer 1999, Steve McQueen (IMG: Met Museum)

MS: And McQueen was a student of art history, or, at least aware of Art’s project, right? He was exposed to it as a student? What about other designers who maybe aren’t taught Fashion-as-Art or Fashion-as-critique?

DP: The education of Fashion designers has not been theoretically or historically grounded enough. But there are other designers too…Viktor & Rolf, Rick Owens…

MS: And it is New York Fashion Week right now…anything that has struck you?

DP: I’m following on instagram mostly, and the Central Saint Martin’s graduate showcase was incredible.

MS: Moving into punk–We first met when I took your class titled Object & Image: Post-Punk Studies and your paper addresses the ironic choice of punk as a theme for the Met Gala. In our class, we read Dick Hebdige’s Subculture: The Meaning of Style, and examined punk Fashion as a semiotic practice. What draws you to punk as a field of study?

Greil Marcus’s “Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century” (IMG: Harvard Univ Press)

DP: Well I really, really, really love Greil Marcus’s Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century because it combines my interests in the historical avant-garde and punk. He sees punk as furthering the social disruptions of Dada. I also personally love the graphic design – Jamie Reed, Malcolm Garrett, Barney Bubbles, 4AD. When I interviewed for my job at Columbia they asked me to give an example of how I would teach something in the classroom, so I played the Buzzcocks’ Autonomy.

MS: Is anyone today continuing the project that Hebdige started, or doing a semiotic reading of fashion?

DP: In cultural studies certainly, and Hebdige is ubiquitous in the academy.

MS: What about Fashion under late-capital – What are the current problems related to the Fashion industry in this economic model?

DP: Certainly the problem of hidden subcontracting processes [in manufacturing]. Capital will flow to unregulated sites. It begs the question – Who is in charge? The state? The labels? Who bears responsibility?

Mohammed Sohel Rana (IMG: BBC)

MS: Which is why I love the moment in your paper when you address the scape-goating of Mohammed Sohel Rana, the owner of the Rana factories, as if his arrest resolved the problem. It is similar to punk really, the Met Gala appears to “cleanse punk.”

DP: And there is a rich history of trying to make punk safe for consumption. The Met is the ultimate situation of that. And don’t get me wrong, I loved the exhibit.

MS: Why? What did you love about it?

DP: I often really love the things that need the most critique. Like fast-fashion, TopShop, it’s fun to shop there. And at the exhibit I loved seeing these garments up close, all in one place. And I really love the idea of punk having this energizing effect. Imagine yourself as a designer, fashion demands something new, something exciting.

MS: So what is selling-out?

DP: Just because some one adopts you doesn’t mean that you’ve sold out. Should I be critiqued for using or adapting punk in my classroom? Is it a sell-out for the lead singer of Sonic Youth to be at the Met Gala, or for Vivienne Westwood to become a dame?

MS: Why do you think people have such a problem with that?

DP: It seems disconcerting – it’s like how I love looking at the Karl Lagerfeld “punk” suit he designed for Chanel. Chanel is luxe, elegance. For me that suit is the object that speaks to all of this. It is exciting, it is a tour de force, it’s wonderful- and it is just all wrong.

Coco Chanel in the “Chanel Suit” (IMG: Wonderland Magazine)

Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols (IMG: The Daily Mail)

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel (IMG: David Sims/Vogue)

Model wearing Karl Lagerfeld’s Punk Suit, designed for fashion label Chanel (IMG: David Sims/Vogue)

Interview: Debra Parr on Fashion-As-Art

BA Art History '13 Meg Santisi, http://megsantisi.virb.com megsantisi@gmail.com

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Thank you James. Thank you Theaster.

In 1963, James Baldwin published The Negro Child – His Self-Image; originally published in The Saturday Review, December 21, 1963 and reprinted in The Price of the Ticket, Collected Non-Fiction 1948-1985, Saint Martins 1985. Baldwin wrote:

Black and White Photo Collage by Janelle Vaughn Dowell (original T. Gates photo by Nahtan Keavy @ MCA Chicago

A society, in turn, depends on certain things which everyone within that society takes for granted. Now the crucial paradox which confronts us here is that the whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society…The paradox of education is precisely this – that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity. But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society. If a society succeeds in this, that society is about to perish. The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it – at no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change.”

Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet and social critic who explored palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, class and sexual distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th-century America.

On Saturday, February 15, 2014, I enjoyed all of the presenters in the Creative Capital session: Nike Cave, Theaster Gates and Christine Tarkowski, but I felt the spirit of Baldwin permeating through Theaster Gates in the full Marquette room at the Hilton Hotel. Gates is a multidisciplinary artist, working with performance, sculpture, installation, and large-scale urban interventions. He received a degree in urban planning, but also studied ceramic. This combination of fields informs the multifaceted approach to his artistic practices. His works are not just objects. He manipulates, reconstructs, and activates them in order to breathe further life into the end result.

During the session, Gates presented a chilling picture of a crumbled photograph of Martin Luther King, Jr. inside of a locked glass case. The relic was left at one of the many closing schools in Chicago. Understanding the multifaceted meaning, Gates used the imagery as a provocative art installation and as a compelling symbol of educational inequality. Immediately I felt a reverberation of Baldwin’s position and thought about my responsibility as an artist. I, too, must observe our world and try to change it no matter the obstacle.

Thank you James. Thank you Theaster.

(Creative Capital has awarded $29 million to 530 groundbreaking artists nationwide through funding, counsel and career development services)

Thank you James. Thank you Theaster.

In 1963, James Baldwin published The Negro Child – His Self-Image; originally published in The Saturday Review, December 21, 1963 and reprinted in The Price of the Ticket, Collected …

InterArts Janelle Dowell, janelle.dowell@loop.colum.edu

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Samantha Hill: On RISK, Artist As Archivist and Arts Education

The much awaited opening of RISK: Art, Empathy, and Social Practice curated by Amy Mooney and Neysa Page-Lieberman, with curatorial assistance from Marcela Andrade happened last night at the Glass Curtain Gallery! I was able to snag artist and activist Samantha Hill to talk about her participation. It is also of note to mention that for those of you who will be out and about tomorrow, Samantha’s satellite exhibition Topographical Depictions of the Bronzeville Renaissance is on view at the Hyde Park Art Center.

Samantha Hill. Image Credit: SAIC Spotlights

La Keisha Leek: Who is Samantha Hill?

Samantha Hill: Samantha Hill is a transdisciplinary artist from Chicago, IL with an emphasis on archives, oral story collecting, social projects & art facilitations. The focus of my art is to investigate how memory, location and history intersect within society by collecting oral narratives & personal historic ephemera. Public participation is an important component of my artistic process. I invite individuals as well as communities to collaborate with me in developing new work by collecting personal story and/or photography donations. By assuming the role of artist as archivist/Socio-Cultural Anthropologist, I apply my research to construct multi-media installations & performances within landmark buildings and community spaces for public interaction. The location is transformed into an immersive environment, which act as a conductor between the viewer, the narratives/ephemera and location. I foster collaboration with artists from diverse practices as a part of my creative process.

LL: Tell me about your presence in RISK: Empathy, Art and Social Practice and how the work for you ties in to the ideas of empathy and socially engaged art?

SH: My project for RISK is to investigate the current cultural renaissance occurring in Bronzeville. The basis of my work is to collect untold histories of a community to represent to the public in a poetic way. I begin this process by collecting interviews about significant events in a person’s life. I usually ask general questions during my interviews that allow the participant to share details about their life which they believe are important to the project’s theme. I usually discover important details about historic moments by using this interview technique.

A Jeli's Tale: An Anthology of Kinship. Photo credit: Meredith Jones/McColl Center for Visual Art

Great Migration (installation with Faheem Majeed’s How to Build A Shack). Image Credit: Tony Smith.

I also ask community members to allow me to access their personal photography archives to build conceptual self-portraits of the interview participant. This process allows me to connect with the interviewee to share their stories, memories and philosophies in a multi-media artwork.

LL: I believe it is significant to note the artists in RISK all have Chicago-based practices. What is your Chicago and how has that part of you affected or influenced your work as an artist?

SH: I am originally from Philadelphia, which is a city of neighborhoods. Chicago is also a city of neighborhoods and I have explored several communities since I moved here. Each neighborhood has it’s own culture. I love to interact with people from these communities to discover what engages their interests. These conversations inspire new visual concepts as well as public engagement processes for my work.

A Jeli’s Tale: An Anthology of Kinship. Photo credit: Meredith Jones/McColl Center for Visual Art

LL: As a practicing artist, why do you feel it is important to work in arts education?

SH: As an artist/educator, I have an opportunity to conduct engaging discussions about the construction of visual culture with my students. This allows my students to evaluate the significance of how information is transmitted to the public and how the arts are an integral part of that system. My goal as an instructor is to inspire my students to add their creative concepts and philosophies to visual culture to contribute to the exchange of ideas.

LL: What exhibitions or programs going on during CAA would you recommend to conference attendees?

SH: Jan Tichy: aroundcenter, a site-specific exhibition composed of nine installations, each of which stands on its own, yet at the same time relate, deriving from and leading to the others. Through this exhibition, Tichy will lead visitors to a more integrated experience of the Chicago Cultural Center, including access to unrevealed areas and resources of the building. Using light as his primary expressive tool – through a variety of media including photography, sculpture, video and video projection – Tichy illuminates and makes accessible the history and current mission of the landmark building.

Samantha Hill: On RISK, Artist As Archivist and Arts Education

The much awaited opening of RISK: Art, Empathy, and Social Practice curated by Amy Mooney and Neysa Page-Lieberman, with curatorial assistance from Marcela Andrade happened last night at the Glass Curtain …

BA Art History '14 La Keisha Leek, La.Leek@loop.colum.edu

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

OPEN ACCESS OR BUST: A LIGHTNING POST

For Day 2 of my CAA experience, I’m working at the Columbia College Graduate Admissions booth at the book fair. I’m stoked and totally prepared for questions like, “Are the kids in grad school cool?” “Do you learn a lot?” “Does grad school prepare you for the real world?” “Will you be rich, famous, or both after you finish?” But for the first hour, only two folks come by. “Can I have this pen?” a woman asks. The second is a tweed-vested middle-age dude with a goatee who walks up and is all, “let me fire this one at you.” (Okay.) “Is Columbia College Chicago related to Columbia University?” I look at him for a second. “I know two guys named Mike,” I tell him. “Do you think they’re related?” Well, I wish I’d actually thought of that, but I haven’t had my third cup of coffee yet. And also I have to say, they are pretty cool pens.

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OPEN ACCESS OR BUST: A LIGHTNING POST

For Day 2 of my CAA experience, I’m working at the Columbia College Graduate Admissions booth at the book fair. I’m stoked and totally prepared for questions like, “Are …

Daniel Scott Parker MFA Poetry Daniel Scott Parker, http://danielsparker.tumblr.com danielsparker@gmail.com

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

The future is so bright, we gotta design better shades for everyone

What is the role of artists, creative thinkers and innovators in navigating the rapidly approaching and sometimes dismal looking future? I chatted with Mat Rappaport who is co-chairing the panel “Designing a Better Future: A Participatory Platform for Exchange.”

Co-chair Mat Rappaport. Image Courtesy of Columbia College Chicago.

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The future is so bright, we gotta design better shades for everyone

Interdisciplinary Arts and Media First Year MFA Julynn Wilderson, http://julynnwilderson.virb.com wilderpedia@gmail.com

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Diana Nawi: On Regionalism in Art

Image Credit: Art21

Moving to Chicago from Tampa, FL in 2010 had a lot to do with my arts education and everything to do with place- looking forward to present day, this idea of place has been a valuable part of my arts education. The architectural landscape and feel of Chicago was significant in many ways. It was charming. It was steep in a particular type of cultural integrity and commitment to that. It had something to say in a language descriptive of ambitious and hustler.

What I didn’t imagine even more specific to all of these things would be becoming a part of an artistic community who’s way of thinking and modes of artistic production would translate outside of this place as a Chicago way of making a way.

I spoke with Diana Nawi on regionalism in art- after her presentation at CAA earlier this week- which for her also began as a way of thinking about contemporary art, place and site while living here in Chicago.

La Keisha Leek: Who is Diana Nawi?

Diana Nawi: I am many things, but most officially, I am an Associate Curator at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.

Perez Art Museum. Image Courtesy of Diana Nawi

LL: Tell me about your curatorial practice.

DN: My curatorial practice is varied and responds to my institution and my context. I gravitate towards work that has a strong engagement with history and socio-politcal issues, opening up a space to re-envision what’s possible in the world, but I also find a lot of interest in the intimacies of language and the handmade. Right now I am really enjoying working with mid-career artists on producing ambitious new works–it’s great to be able to allow an artist the space and resources to expand and challenge their practice, or bring something long-term to fruition.

Perez Art Museum interior. Image Credit: Designboom

LL: What brings you to CAA?

DN: I presented a paper, “Strategic Regionalism: A Proposal,” in a session on Wednesday morning, “Regionalism in Art: New Perceptions of Here” organized by Claire E. Schneider and Xandra Eden.

LL: When did Regionalism enter the discourse for you and how has that continued to inform the ways in which you approach exhibition making and thinking about contemporary art?

DN: Regionalism is something I started thinking about here in Chicago when I was working at the MCA, looking at the movements and moments that were really tied to this place. But I especially became interested in regionalism while working on the Guggenheim’s Abu Dhabi Project, where fundamental questions of what constitutes the global/local/regional fields were being addressed and assessed through curatorial work and the idea of “the region” was being continually thought through.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Image Credit: The Guardian

More recently, my time in Miami has lead me to think that a notion of regionalism, not strictly as a geography, but as a lens of interests and affinities, could be very useful in developing a broad intellectual and curatorial platform.

LL: As a curator and writer whose work extends far beyond an institution, how important do feel the role of arts education to be?

DN: Arts education is so vital to the individual and to culture and society as a whole. It’s invaluable; it helps make us creative, thoughtful, engaged citizens.

LL: In what ways does CAA’s annual conference assist in this effort for emerging art historians, curators and artists?

DN: The conference is a great moment to come together as different practitioners and exchange ideas and scholarship. I really value the opportunity to see what my peers and colleagues all over the country are working on and what conversations are happening elsewhere.

LL: What exhibitions or programs going on during CAA are you looking forward to attending while in Chicago?

DN: I’m excited to see exhibitions at the MCA, the Art Institute, and the Renaissance Society. And, there are a lot of great sessions happening here at CAA which I look forward to checking out.

Diana Nawi: On Regionalism in Art

Moving to Chicago from Tampa, FL in 2010 had a lot to do with my arts education and everything to do with place- looking forward to present day, this idea …

BA Art History '14 La Keisha Leek, La.Leek@loop.colum.edu

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Jessica Cochran: On Curating, Feminism and Supporting Chicago-based Artists

I first met Jessica Cochran when I organizing a conversation series this past summer with Rebuild Foundation on non-traditional archives. Although she has been in my own backyard working at Columbia College Chicago, our paths had never crossed before then. It was through what always seems to be a circular grapevine of mentors and friends here in Chicago- Amy Mooney and Tempestt Hazel– I was introduced to her practice.

Jessica’s exhibition Social Paper, co-curated with Melissa Potter opens this evening along with tons of other exhibitions at Columbia. Jessica will be presenting during Friday’s panel From Paper to Practice: Tactics and Publics in Socially Engaged Art and is the organizer of a panel within The Feminist Art Project’s day long presentations on Saturday titled Motherhood and the Exhibitionary Platform: Considering the Implications of Maternity through the Curatorial Lens.

La Keisha Leek: Who is Jessica Cochran?

Jessica Cochran: I am a curator and arts administrator, and I am currently the curator and acting Assistant Director at the Center for Book and Paper Arts. Besides that I teach courses in contemporary art and arts administration at local colleges, and do various freelance projects that range from writing catalog essays to art collection management.

LL: Tell me about your curatorial practice?

JC: Through my curatorial work at CBPA I have developed an interest in interdisciplinary artist publications, paper and craft, and the role of text and activity of reading in relation to contemporary art. In my broader curatorial practice, I am really interest in generative projects—those that facilitate the production of new work—and creating opportunities to show Chicago-based artists in relation to artists from elsewhere. That doesn’t happen enough in this city, and its important that curators are constantly creating new contexts for artists.

Jessica Cochran presenting artist books from the Center for Book and Paper Arts and Dorchester Projects. Summer 2013.

LL: When did feminism enter the discourse for you and how has that continued to inform the ways in which you approach exhibition making and thinking about contemporary art?

JC: For me feminism runs pretty deep. I didn’t really grow up in a place where concepts of feminism were articulated with sophisticated language, however the importance of gender equity was constantly reinforced by my mother and father. As a child, I knew there was nothing I couldn’t do! Through college and into my career I have really developed in terms of my own approach to feminism—and I am both energized by the opportunities that exist for women today, but also a bit disappointed with the way that women are still fighting for equity in so many ways, while constantly dealing with a lot of problematic essentializing and stereotyping from the media and institutions. Today I am so fortunate to work with a group of individuals—women and men—who are committed to serious conversations about feminism in the workplace and in the arts in general—you wouldn’t believe the conversations I get to have on a daily basis with artists Miriam Schaer, Melissa Potter and April Sheridan.

Feminism enters my curatorial practice in several ways. First, I try my best to make sure that my exhibitions are diverse and expansive, and that whatever the topic they represent myriad ways of looking at and being in the world. The gallery is a place to be unmoored from your own subjectivity—gently and sometimes not so gently. Truly, I find myself working with so many women in exhibitions, Chicago has some of the smartest most interesting women creating just totally remarkable work.

LL: Having a curatorial practice that began outside of and continues to extends beyond your role at Columbia why do you feel it was important to work within arts education?

JS: I cannot even begin to articulate how incredible it is working in an academic gallery. The Center for Book and Paper Arts is embedded in an interdisciplinary arts department—meaning I get to work with and create programming for students and faculty interested in artists’ books, paper, media, performance, etc—and it is totally fantastic. The number one best part of my job is the relationships I build with students as they work by my side in the gallery and center. Through course opportunities in the gallery, student employment and their thesis exhibitions, I get to help students learn about the “white cube” from the point of view of an exhibition-maker and as an artist. From designing exhibitions to writing wall text to marketing, our students are part of it all. And of course, I learn as much from them as they do from me!

LL: What exhibition or program going on during CAA would you recommend to conference attendees?

JS: I have to promote Social Paper, an exhibition I co-curated with Melissa Potter. We look at hand papermaking in relation to socially engaged art. We have worked so hard on this how and want everyone to see it!

Jessica Cochran: On Curating, Feminism and Supporting Chicago-based Artists

BA Art History '14 La Keisha Leek, La.Leek@loop.colum.edu

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Look What I Had for Breakfast This Morning

I’ve never been a morning person. But, I love my job as CAA blogger, and it requires waking up REALLY early with a sense of humor along with a camera and pen in hand. I’ve come to embrace an early wake-up as a key to success. I didn’t eat breakfast before heading to the Chicago Hilton before my first session which was Contemporary Black Art and the Problem of Racial Fetishism.

Jillian Hernandez was the first presenter who addressed Racial Fetish as Racial Pleasure? Reading Race-Positive Counter Pornographies in Wangechi Mutu’s The Ark Collection. Mutu’s practice involves the collaging of the gorgeous and the grotesque, distorted beauty ideals and sexual fantasies.

Represented in presentation by Jillian Hernandez

This image was presented during a presentation by Jillian Hernandez

Mutu speaks about her work in an interview on her “You Call This Civilization” exhibition:

Either the super-traditional African woman with the big earrings or scarification…or this other woman which kind of is a pin-up, a very vile erotic sexualized pinup. These two objectifications are placed together and there’s this kind of dialogue going on between them … They’re very interesting to look at but ultimately I remove the most titillating parts. The central part of the shot is removed and what you have is this synergy between the two. And I think it’s a fantastic kind of harmony that happens and it makes people reflect on both things without replicating the objectification of either one of them.

Hernandez’s transdisciplinary scholarship synthesizes methods from anthropology, art history, and cultural studies, drawn from her experiences as a girls’ educator and curator of contemporary art. Her research investigates questions regarding processes of racialization, sexualities, embodiment, girlhood, and the politics of cultural production ranging from underground and mainstream hip hop to visual and performance art.

Objectification of black women’s bodies, what an intense morning discourse. My stomach loudly communicated that I needed to leave to go get some breakfast, but each presenter offered a rousing perspective that I didn’t want to miss. Tomorrow I think I’ll have breakfast before I get to the Hilton.

Look What I Had for Breakfast This Morning

I’ve never been a morning person. But, I love my job as CAA blogger, and it requires waking up REALLY early with a sense of humor along with a camera and pen in …

InterArts Janelle Dowell, janelle.dowell@loop.colum.edu

600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Columbia
at CAA

Blog Topics: Education

To Talk About What I Didn’t Talk About

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM DIRECTOR CHRIS ROBINSON TALKS ABOUT ART, ITALY, AND CAA

Thank you James. Thank you Theaster.

OPEN ACCESS OR BUST: A LIGHTNING POST

Diana Nawi: On Regionalism in Art

Look What I Had for Breakfast This Morning

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