Curaters, Ann Coxan and Valentina Ravaglia, achieved an open spaced layout thus avoiding a cluttered room which Annette Messager's busy piece 'The Pikes' doesn't get lost in. Messager's use of violent imagery beside children's toys hints to the cruelty of adults' own version of child's play and the pikes being seen as weaponry for women to tear apart it's traditions of sexism.
Opposite is Tracy Emin's 'Hate and Power Can Be A Terrible Thing'.
A collection of hateful messages in response to Margaret Thatcher's role in the Falkland's War appliquéd together on a hanging quilt like fabric. The stereotypically soft, feminine imagery surrounding quotes such as 'YOU CRUEL HEARTLESS BITCH' I feel arguably presents the sickly sweet and neat appearance of Thatcher and yet her debateably cruel and inhumane role as prime minister in relation to issues such as the sinking of the Belgrano which the words 'PERMISSION TO FIRE' situated at the top are powerful in targeting the issue Emin is trying to push forward. That this female prime minister was so privileged to gain the leading position in the work place, as a woman of a still developing society, and yet gained quite a tattered reputation due to her controversial decisions. Because of this it is believed by many of the feminist movement that 'she is an icon of individualism, not of feminism' (Brand, 2013, http://www.russellbrand.tv/tag/blog/)
Alongside from Emin's piece hangs a knitted pattern spread across canvas by Rosemerie Trockel. It portrays the shift from women's craft starting on a small scale of knitting jumpers for sons and daughters to the mass production of wearables and patterns appreciated by the fashion industry that became able to serve more than to just the middle and upper class and thus taken more seriously.
This flows well on to 'Homeworkers' by Margaret Harrison whose mixed media composition of written messages and clothing advertisements explains the dreadful experiences of working class women in Britain before the Equal Pay Act of 1970. We'd usually associate these stories with sweat shops of 3rd world countries but the truth was that not only were women not being payed equal to men, but were underpaid for their work in general. Annotations surrounding a couple of brooches from Debenhams explain them being sold for less than they were made. This rather depressing information under many of the clothing advertisements, Harrison lines up in the middle, pictures the luxury of wearing these garments in conflict with the labour gone in to making them.
My immediate reaction to these pieces was one of extreme positivity and interest. Being a feminist myself, my interest in political issues concerning women's rights enabled me to understand the messages and historical links of these collection of works. I also felt connected to the artist's arguments due to being a woman and yet disconnected from them due to being a privileged one, lucky enough to not have to experience these situations. The works inspire me to not necessarily create artwork in the same style but to work with a strong message that speaks to the audience about what is affecting the world we live in. The combination of textiles and installation I feel is successful in enabling the audience connection to the artwork therefore bringing them closer to the fact that they are indeed on the same planet as they are happening.
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