“Wonder Women” Local Treasures – thinking of 12 Kalis, feminine energy

Went to the panel discussion for the art show “Wonder Women: Local Treasures” at the Berkeley art center . . . and thought about the 12 Kalis, feminine energy!

From their brochure:

Curated by George Krevsky featuring artists: Helen Berggruen, Kay Bradner, Stacey Carter, Dana DeKalb, Lisa Esherick, Robbin Henderson, Naomie Kremer, Diana Krevsky, Tabitha Soren, and Jan Wurm. Using paint, pastel, photography, sculpture, drawing, and technology, these talented women artists have created wondrous work that tells a story as exciting as the times we live in.

Artists from the Wonder Women: Local Treasures exhibition will discuss their practice and progress in the art world. Helen Berggruen, Stacey Carter, Dana DeKalb, Lisa Esherick and Diana Krevsky will present on June 28, 2018. 

We are honored to have Robert Flynn Johnson moderate our second panel for Wonder Women: Local Treasures. Robert Flynn Johnson was Curator in Charge of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for 32 years until his retirement in 2007. Mr. Johnson has curated a wealth of exhibitions and is the author of many books and exhibition catalogues. His publications include: Lucian Freud: Works on Paper; Plant Kingdoms: The Photographs of Charles Jones; Leonard Baskin: Monumental Woodcuts, 1952-1963; and The Face in the Lens – Anonymous Photographs, among others.

There were 5 of 10 artists of the show talking, introduced by a man on one side and another man on the other side facilitating the talk with their questions. The first questions was pertaining to them being from California and how that has influenced their art, the other question was them being women and how that had influenced their art. The whole time I was wondering if this were the same questions asked if there would have been five male artists interviewed by two women. I doubt their questions would focus on the fact that they were from California or them being men.

Towards the end, the discussion came around to online marketing and making a living. And before they could say much, the interviewer said how it has eroded the viewing of art and less and fewer people even go to galleries, nowadays not even art students go to a gallery or museum and instead look up art on the internet. The ladies had similar feelings and mostly sold in galleries. Talking about making a living, most reported having other jobs. One of the more successful artists said she used to be able to live off her art but now needs two jobs to be able to pay her rent. Wow! How sad. She said its especially hard as a woman in the middle of her career, not beginner artist and not yet well known. Some women from the audience commented that they do sell work online, just not from their website.

While they were talking I kept on thinking about my project of the 12 Kalis, feminine energy and how to express that. One of the artist was mentioning that she tried intentionally to add more masculine symbolism into her art. I was wondering what that meant and so was another who asked that questions, without getting much of an answer. I was thinking of the weapons that are in Kali’s hands traditionally, certainly not the typical feminine symbols, and what if she had kitchen utensils, or a brush and pen in her hands? Would she still be powerful?

Powerful paintings in the background…