Interviews
You use blood often in your work. Can you talk about the significance of this motif?
I use red liquid as a signifier for violence against women, and spit it as a rejection of standards and stereotypes of women. The first time I ever used it was in response to catcalling, to being told to smile. I thought my ideal response would be that I would smile, and my mouth would be full of blood and it would just run down my face and body. I like my work to be somewhat sarcastic and snarky. I became interested in using blood as a medium while studying the work of Ana Mendieta, who also carried this motif throughout her practice.
There is power in humor. After researching the work of The Waitresses, I spoke to Jerri Allyn. She explained that humor is important because sometimes when dealing with really heavy, serious issues, humor helps people digest the message. It stops people from turning away. I thought this was a really important point. I think about that with my interview parodies. Yes, they are funny, but it is also a really clear metaphor for gender inequity. The male genius myth has been perpetuated for far too long. The whole construction- the white, straight, brooding, tortured male artist as “genius” is absurd. As a woman, can I not possess this genius?
Do you identify with any particular period in art history?
I am specifically interested in the 1970s. The Feminist Art Program, Womanhouse, and the history of feminist art resonaate with me. Women artists were tired of being shunned and rejected by traditional art institutions, so they created their own spaces. It was all completely DIY, and they learned to support one another and carve out space for themselves. I really gravitate toward performance work of the seventies for these reasons.
There are so many. Ana Mendieta, Carolee Schneemann, Yoko Ono, Suzanne Lacy, Martha Rosler, Susan Mogul, Jerri Allyn, and Adrian Piper. My professor Micol Hebron has been a mentor to me, introducing me to performance, video, and the history of feminist art. Cindy Rehm’s teachings and performances also really inspire me, and I have been introduced to so many incredible women artists in Denise Johnson’s art history classes. I am also influenced by writers such as Julia Kristeva, Linda Nochlin, and Iris Marion Young.
Interview Parodies question the construction of the male genius myth, an idea central to the patriarchal structure of the art world.