Am I a Feminist?

Alice Neel

I'm in a quandary again.  The local community art center is sponsoring a show: "Women's Art."  A number of us are trying to define this and have been incapable of settling on even a large view:  Is it art by women?  about women?  with women as subject?  The art center has not offered up a definition to the community, so it's upon us to decide...

Alice Neel

Anne Harris. Alexandre Gallery

Of course, the problem complicates further in our middle class philosophical minds.  Is or should this be a feminist agenda?  Is this a tribute to women, or women artists?  As there appears to be no lucid agenda, what do we as artists want it to be?  Or what do I want MY art to be?  And ultimately, I rassle with  the off chance that I'm over-thinking this in all my retired time?  Most likely.

Anne Harris. Alexandre Gallery

But then I sit with my sketchbook and stop, regroup, and circle the same dang jam again.  The fact that I was a champion for "girl power" when teaching forbids me to make "art by women."  Hmmm.

I'm too young to be a first wave feminist, was raised and voraciously read about the second wave feminists, and probably don't quite identify with this third wave.  Maybe I'm just an old girl. My articulate nature says Crap.

That all being unnecessarily said, Alice Neel and contemporary Anne Harris are brilliant and today rock my boat.  Love, love, LOVE being inspired by such great artists.  Now to jive my clear-as-mud thoughts with my inspiration. This is such hard work.