topical

When I decided on the topic for the self-negotiated unit, I hadn't anticipated or noticed the revival of interest in feminism.  The whole of Woman's Hour, Radio BBC4 was about feminism today.  I sense a real change of direction.  Woman are happy to say they are feminists now - which wasn't always the case.

My 'off the cuff' survey to women asked 'Are you a feminist'.  Forty responses, of which 31 said Yes, only 5 said No, and 4 categorised themselves differently.  

Current discussions include the anniversary of Emily Davison's death at Epsom, the discontinuance of Page 3 model in The Sun, Caitlin Moran's funny and youthful books and blog and disproportionate representation of female images on banknotes.

I've been drawing images - suffragettes, a little doll in a rag dress with what looks like a black eye and a little teddy bear with a spanner.

and another thing

Simon Kirk, Exhibit U, 2013

I have been trying to define 'collage'.  In my Learning Agreement I used the word 'intriguing' to described what I am trying to produce.  I have just found this definition which perfectly describes what collage means to me. 


"Contextually the work of Robert Rauschenberg is important.  Rauschenberg took images out of context and juxtaposed them with other similarly displaced images.  Presented in this way the images generate complex interlockings of meaning and the work remains multidirectional and open ended.  Meaning is inherent but impossible to pin down precisely."  

Kirk, Simon, 2011, Green Pebble's ART East Anglia, Green Pebble Publications, Suffolk. p165 

keeping busy - lots of research

eco prints

After soaking some cotton fabric in wood ash solution as a mordant I sprinkled peony petals, forget-me-nots and leaves over the surface, rolled it up tight and steamed it for an hour.  The resulting print will form the background to a collaged screenprint.

text work

Feedback from my last unit - I must do more preparation, more drawing, more planning and that I should develop a range of motifs.  I like to use text in my work, Nick suggested I challenge myself by creating 20 images using text.   I chose the suffragettes' motto 'Deeds not words' and set about creating 20 images. 

Dear Sirs

The Subversive Stitch

I am reading a fascinating book - I describes how men and woman were employed as embroiderers in  Medieval times.  However,  by the reign of Queen Victoria embroidery was ascribed to women only and men's role was conveniently forgotton.  For middle class Victorian women, embroidery is described both as a creative outlet and also as a constraint on their lives.  Whilst second wave feminism rejected embroidery along with other traditional roles, embroidery gained favour with the hippy and the peace movement.  It seems embroidery and  femininity, creativity and self expressionism are inextricably mixed.