To:dforsyth@fidm.com
Subject: re: your work

Dawn- Thank you for agreeing to talk about your work, I am writing a paper about women artists and how they express/critique their gendered identities, I think your work has a lot to do with this subject. I want to ask you questions specifically about the pieces you have on display in the Stillwell.

Do you consider yourself to be a feminist,or influenced by feminist artists? The dress you present in "My Skin" does not look like a traditional wedding dress, it is constrictive, it is unraveling in places/unfinished edges, but it has the words "I Do" printed on it, giving the impression that it is related to the image of woman as bride, what are some of you feelings about the role of women as brides/wives that you are presenting in this garment?

The title "My Skin" is very personal, also you appear in the accompanying video installation, "My Skin II" why do you choose to be so personal with your work? "My Skin II" presents a maddening scene of constriction, frustration and repetition, what ideas led you to create this accompanying video installation?

In your third piece, the viewer looks through a mirror at the work and finds a web of bandage like fabrics and thorns leading to an open hole or void, I read this piece as an expression of a loss of identity especially when paired with the text that appears "betrayal, deceit, secret" these words to me signal a betrayal of the authentic self bringing with it a sense of loss and sacrifice. What are your feelings about the feminine identity as reflected in your work? Do you think that women run the risk of "betraying" their identity by taking on societal roles like "the bride"?

Thank you Dawn, I really enjoy and appreciate your work, it is truly moving and important in the discussion of feminine identities.

Clare Szydlowski clareszyd@yahoo.com

 

Most of my work is focused on feminine issues and social issues in general.

Struggle and triumph of the spirit are more specifically what I am interested in and it just so happens that I am a woman looking at the world through my female experience, this is my experience , which we can not run or hide from. I just think that it is important to point this out.

Feminism - because I experience the world as a woman. I think it is important to point to these experiences, unveil them, reveal them show what lies beneath the woman's experience of the world , many times the things we do not talk about openly or show to the world.

I want to make a difference for future young woman, the way they think and the way they treated.

 

DawnMarie Forsyth
(415) 601-1637
dmf@mixedmediartist.com

 

 

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