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"black and white: a man ray redux" v1
This is a redux of "White and Black" (variation) 1929 by Man Ray. Took this photo in August of 2020 during a nature retreat in New Hampshire while recovering from breast cancer surgery and radiation. This was the pre-vaccine time during the early days of the pandemic. It was a time of long hikes in the forest, hunting mushrooms, watching stars, cooking, making music, reading, reflecting and writing; an inward introspective time of healing and creativity. It is only recently, two years later that the time and focus has arisen to support the finishing of the work on this photo series. It needed time to stew. With recent events that have revealed the ongoing struggle for women's rights, the time has come for this work to speak. A long time love affair with Dali and surrealism fell apart in my 40's upon the realization that artists' work's held examples and philosophies of extreme violence towards women. Finding the book "Exquisite Corpse Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder" by Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss opened my eyes to the surrealists and their toxicity towards women in both behavior and artwork. It became essential for me to comment back, by working with a photographed portrait of the male nude body as a canvas upon in order to have a conversation with dead men that once so inspired me, and have now repulsed me into action. It is something of an epiphany to age and come into wisdom of womanhood. Things that once were magical loose their luster, truths are revealed, stories that one has chased for their entire life, fall apart, the world shifts, and new magic emerges. How often do we get a chance to re-see, to have the skins peeled off our eyes, and to understand the impact of the male gaze upon the female body? Let this be an offering to that. NFTs have allowed me and all of us here a communal space and a accessible and monetizable container to put our work, thoughts, energy and passions into, and that is a beautiful and powerful thing. Here's hoping this is a beautiful and powerful thing as well; one that creates conversation around male gaze, the use of the female body in art, and the mimicry by some females of the male gaze that perpetuate these behaviors upon themselves. And further more, to ask humbly, with curiosity, what and where is the female gaze? Let us make space for these questions, conversations, and ideas to push us towards a better world for all.
2022
black and white: a man ray redux" v1
This is a redux of "White and Black" (variation) 1929 by Man Ray.
Took this photo in August of 2020 during a nature retreat in New Hampshire while recovering from breast cancer surgery and radiation. This was the prevaccine time during the early days of the pandemic. It was a time of long hikes in the forest, hunting mushrooms, watching stars, cooking, making music, reading, reflecting and writing; an inward introspective time of healing and creativity.
It is only recently, two years later that the time and focus has arisen to support the finishing of the work on this photo series. It needed time to stew. With recent events that have revealed the ongoing struggle for women's rights, the time has come for this work to speak.
A long time love affair with Dali and surrealism fell apart in my 40's upon the realization that surrealist artists' work's held examples and philosophies of extreme violence towards women. Finding the book "Exquisite Corpse Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder" by Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss opened my eyes to the surrealists and their toxicity towards women in both behavior and artwork. It became essential for me to comment back, by working with a photographed portrait of the male nude body as a canvas in order to have a conversation with dead men that once so inspired me, and have now repulsed me into action.
It is something of an epiphany to age and come into wisdom of womanhood. Things that once were magical lose their luster, truths are revealed, stories that one has chased for their entire life, fall apart, the world shifts, and new magic emerges. How often do we get a chance to re-see, to have the skins peeled off our eyes, and to understand the impact of the male gaze upon the female body?
Let this be an offering to that.
NFTs have allowed me and all of us here a communal space and a accessible and monetizable container to put our work, thoughts, energy and passions into, and that is a beautiful and powerful thing. Here's hoping this is a beautiful and power thing as well; one that creates conversation around male gaze, the use of the female body in art, and the mimicry by some females of the male gaze that perpetuate these behaviors upon themselves.
And further more, to ask humbly, with curiosity, what and where is the female gaze?
Let us make space for these questions, conversations, and ideas to push us towards a better world for all.
https://objkt.com/asset/KT198TLexWmSRVstMtVZ779jz5iJ98vcSUUF/2
Kingsborough Art Museum "Hello Brooklyn!" / Techspressionism exhibition
cari ann next to a print of her "back and white: a man ray redux" v1, at the opening party for "Hello Brooklyn!" / Techspressionism, Aug 9th, 2024
Kingsborough Art Museum "Hello Brooklyn!" / Techspressionism exhibition
print of "back and white: a man ray redux" v1, at the "Hello Brooklyn!" / Techspressionism, Aug 7th - Sept 25th, 2024