DAMage Report Art Topic - Women Artists and Science & Technology

Under the Artistic Microscope

Where The Girls Are: Women Artists, Science, Technology at UC Berkley will be a discussion on the way in which women artists engage the topic of science and technology through feminist critique.

More interesting than the feminist spin used to promote the exhibit are the artists themselves and the way they have utilized the sciences as inspiration and vehicle for their art. I think pretty much everyone agrees that women artists have gotten the short straw in history... when they got a straw at all. Science and technology are still perceived as predominantly male domains, fair or unfairly. Changes are ocurring though and they are fascinating changes.

As much as I hate gender-based classifications, there is undeniably a feminine feel to many of the science and technology inspired works of art. I found that both startling and somewhat gratifying. I consider myself a modern feminist, one who celebrates in being female but also will bitchslap silly any idiot foolish enough to try and deny me equal rights. The question of whether there are sexual differences in the approach to the sciences... I would say definitely, just as there are varied approaches dependent on the individual and what they bring to the study. The humor and vision of these artists is quite fascinating and worth examining under the artistic microscope.

http://www.examiner.com/x-533-SF-Art-Examiner~y2009m3d30-Free-Lecture--UC-Berkeley--Where-The-Girls-Are-Women-Artists-Science-Technology

RE: "While feminist examination of the phallocentric practices, trends, and biases in societal institutions go way back, for this lecture, Marcia Tanner concentrates on new media, more specifically the interactive and witty work of contemporary artists."

"They consider for example male-gendered terminology in descriptions of scientific processes and whether there are sexual differences in approaches to the study of living organisms and systems. Tanner focuses on contemporary female artists who employ digital technology to explore scientific themes and issues.

...morphing of traditional feminist concerns into often subtle yet powerful critiques of patriarchal structures, gender politics, and established assumptions in technology, science, and biology."

Featured Artists links:

This one is fascinating by Sabrina Raaf because while it is obviously technology focused, it also is very sexual in feel:
http://www.raaf.org/projects.php?pcat=2&proj=12&sec=images

http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/terminals/t1/ucsc/wight/wight.html

http://www.vdb.org/smackn.acgi$tapedetail?ANIMALATTR

http://www.ninakatchadourian.com/confusinganimals/carla.php

http://www.soft-science.org/stories.html

http://www.patriciapiccinini.net/

http://www.danforthmuseum.org/diane_willow.html