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Around Town
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Cathy Wilkes’ 2008 Modern Institute installation, Prices, which looked at the constrcution of contemporary femininity
Process of liberation Lizzie Mitchell finds out about an upcoming day of film, music and vigorous discussion on feminism and art
T he 1971 documentary Town Bloody Hall is a seminal document of 1970s feminism. A packed-out New York City Town Hall roars with approval as Germaine Greer, glamorous and sharp as hell, rips into Norman Mailer in what remains one of the most stimulating debates on women’s lib on record.
As a starting point for Subject In Process, an upcoming symposium on feminism and art run by the CCA, Town Bloody Hall is a powerful reminder that, 38 years down the line, many of the big questions which drive 21st-century feminist discourse are still broadly the same as those which drove Greer and her peers in the 70s.
But in 2009, the word ‘feminism’ also carries a very different set of associations, and as the name suggests, this symposium will be an exploration of a “subject in process” as well as a celebration of long- running ideals. In recent years, a series of new exhibitions, publications and projects have suggested that feminism is discovering new impetus, but at the same time, the f-word has become harder and harder to categorise as interpretations, applications, and criticism of ‘feminism’ have multiplied. In this spirit, a whole range of backgrounds, interests and media will be represented at the symposium. A morning of talks will be followed by more films, an afternoon of open discussion, and a performance by rising art pop group Muscles of Joy. Sarah Lowndes, one of the organisers, stresses that the day will be open and relevant to comers of all ages, ‘from 15-year-olds to grandmothers. And grandfathers as well.’
To give an idea of the diversity which the
symposium will embrace, Lowndes quotes Julia Kristeva, ‘I favour an understanding of femininity that would have as many “feminines” as there are women’, and promises a lively assortment of feminines and femininities for the morning’s talks and the afternoon’s discussions.
The issues at stake will be live ones. One of the speakers, Kathryn Elkin, recently sparked controversy by tabling a motion (on behalf of the Yes! Association) that the Glasgow gallery Transmission should make a commitment such that 50 per cent of the work on display would be by women artists. Meanwhile, The Fruitmarket Gallery’s Fiona Bradley will be talking about her ongoing exhibition of Eva Hesse’s studio models, a project which brings up a very different set of issues: what does it mean to use feminist terminology and ideas to talk about an artist who would never herself have thought about her work in feminist terms? Is it a valid art historical method? Would it be valid, or possible, to think about Hesse’s work without bringing the language of feminism into play? Apart from anything else, Town Bloody Hall is a reminder of the rich history of activism and debate which has always been so central to the feminist movement(s). By opening Subject In Process with this classic documentary, one hopes that the symposiasts will spark off a day of lively discussion and disagreement to keep a vitally important set of issues alive and squirming.
Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Sat 5 Sep, 10am- 10pm, free (ticketed).
✽✽ Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Try not to get your pencils in a twist at the peek-a- boo burlesque life drawing classes. There are prizes for the best picture, and your charming hosts Lucille Burn and the splendidly-named Rufus T Farenheit will keep things running smoothly. The Arches, Sun 23 Aug. ✽✽ Late Summer Yard Sale and Cafe Aww. Lovely little jumble sale and local craft artist fair with an indoor cafe and the equally lovely Half My Heart Beats club DJs providing sweetly twee tuneage. Organised by The Littlest Birds, which is also a lovely name. Loveliness all round, really. Albany Centre, Ashley Street, Sun 23 Aug. ✽✽ Philippa Gregory The Other Boleyn Girl author talks about her newest novel, The White Queen, which charts the life of an ambitious woman in space in 2525. Only joking. It’s set during the War of the Roses. Mitchell Theatre, Fri 21 Aug. ✽✽ The Peat Cutter’s Ball Traditional ceilidh (you can kind of tell by the name, really) in aid of Leukaemia Research. St Andrew’s in the Square, Mon 24 Aug. ✽✽ Liam McIlvanney Novelist McIlvanney The Younger (yes, he’s William’s son) launches his debut novel, The Colours of the Town, a thriller set in the political worlds of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Mitchell Theatre, Thu 27 Aug. 20–27 Aug 2009 THE LIST 15