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#10 | GFEST Interview
1. What are you doing right now?
I am designing plates for a trade show in New York – I and my work partner sell our designs to large tableware firms in the USA.
2. How do you see your art or artwork? / How would you describe your own practice?
I am drawn to looking at women’s issues in my art – in the piece I have submitted I am exploring the words used for the vagina and wanting to reclaim our words back. I would like to pursue this theme – and I have already done some artwork which follows on from this. Of course I have to say that this piece was greatly influenced by Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues.
3. How is your work or practice relevant today to be a part of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) or queer art work?
I feel that being a lesbian does inform some of my ideas and I think it is important to be open – to show that there are strong role models who are not afraid of public perception and that we are just human beings like everyone else.
4. Tell us more about the process? / Your reasons for presenting your work as part of GFEST 2010?
I own and run an online gift store which sells primarily to the Gay & Lesbian market and I am always amazed at the reaction the mugs get at Gay Prides – the most common comment is “My mother would go mad if she saw that.” What I find interesting is that they never say – “My dad would go mad.” – in fact when asked they usually say that their dad would love it. I have never had that reaction at a heterosexual venue. It feels odd that there we all are at a Pride event celebrating difference, diversity and acceptance of who we are but at home it is not like that for a lot of people – there are still high levels of secrecy, shame, embarrassment and fear of being found out. My mugs and artwork are about bringing the political into the home and confronting attitudes around sexuality, feminism and acceptance.
5. Do you see yourself as ‘gay/queer artist’? / Do you see your work as gay or queer art? / Please write a few words on the art Vs. sexuality debate?
I suppose I don’t see myself primarily as a gay/queer artist – I see myself as a female artist who is also a lesbian. I think who I am does come out in my work so there is always going to be some gay element in what I do. I don’t think that anybody who has gone through the coming out process can have exactly the same view of the world as a straight person.
6. How do you resource your practice? (how do you fund it?)
I haven’t really got a practice – this is really the first time I have submitted anything - I did have an exhibition of some of my work at Sh! in London last year but that’s all. It took a lot of courage to send in my submissions and it has been extremely validating to have my work accepted and seen as proper ART!
Anything I do is funded by myself – the whole Liberty Bodies venture has been financed by myself.
7. How well do you publicise or market your work? / Where or how would you require specific support in terms of getting your work out there?
I would love to do more artwork – I have lots of ideas. I market Liberty Bodies myself using social networking but I would also love to do artwork under my own banner – not having to be commercial, just following my creative instinct. I would love to receive a grant or actually have people buying my artwork so that I could do more of it.
8. How would you like yourself or your work to be known?
I would love it if my work empowered other women to love and embrace their bodies and their strength.
9. How do you see tomorrow’s ‘gay or queer art’ scene? / What are the future needs for the 'gay or queer art' sector?
To be accepted as mainstream art – I think it is good to have gay art festivals as it strengthens us and makes us visible and able to then go out into the bigger world and make our mark.
10. Any single wish?
That somebody buys the art!
GFEST - Gaywise Festival
http://www.gaywisefestival.org.uk/artsexhibition
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