Vandalog

Tutto Vero de Collettivo FX (@CollettivoFX)

Why Aren’t “Women Street Artists” Just “Street Artists”?

As a young woman and an emerging artist with a connection to street art, I am trying to understand my identity within the artsphere. Lately, the onslaught of the “10 Best Women Street Artists”-type articles has made the difference between being an “artist” and being a “woman artist” a potent source of inner-conflict. I feel like I’m supposed to like those articles and feel empowered or something. Maybe it’s because I attend one of those progressive, crunchy-granola liberal arts schools that recognizes gender as a spectrum (which, for the most part, just means removing the “male” “female” indications from bathrooms). But … I don’t want to read another article that says “women can do this too!” but lacks an understanding of the larger social issues connected to the gender imbalance in street art. Clearly the drive to see women succeed is there, and this press is well-intended. But what we need is broader systemic change for women on the whole before we start seeing the effects of that in street art.

An excerpt from an article I just had published on Hyperallergic. 

RJ and I interviewed the host of Street Art Throwdown (a ridiculous reality show premiering in an hour on Oxygen). Definitely my favorite interview we’ve done this year. We saw this as an interesting opportunity. On the one hand, we didn’t want to give airtime to a mainstream, commercial network to push their product, especially when that product is the sugar coated commercialization of an art form that we respected for challenging the consumer industry. On the other hand, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to engage in a critical discussion, and maybe have a laugh along the way. At the end of the day, we respect Justin Bua (the show’s host) for being serious and engaging us, even if we disagree.

Last leaves of the year!

Borf and Snowden in Philly on Flickr.

Edward Snowden by unknown artist in Philadelphia, PA.

Check out Whistleblower Art, a tumblr archive of art celebrating whistleblowers like Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning.