I chose this image not because I know much about the piece, but because as soon as I came upon it I imagined a beautiful ball skirt. Feminine and ethereal. And then I saw something hidden beneath the skirt. Something not readable at first glance (at least not in a photograph) and I wondered what is hiding or being hid. Interestingly, this already draws on a lot of Messager's themes in her work. As the Moma website puts it Messager "fragments images and language to explore the concept of fiction, the dialogue between individual and collective identity, and the social issues of normalcy, morality, and the role of women. In her work she forcefully illustrates the idea that all things -- a child's beloved toy, a photograph, a piece of embroidery, a word with seemingly unambiguous meaning -- can be transformed into objects of potent expression."
This morning I knelt infront of my book shelves rearranging. There wasn't enough room for my December and January issues of Martha Stewart Living (I kid you not) on their designated shelf. In my shuffling I came upon my senior thesis for the english department of Bates. My thesis was titled "Multiplicities: Image, Text, Woman As found in Virginia Woolf, Barbara Kruger and Annette Messager. It reminded me of how much I used to enjoy looking at these artists, and any new ones that came my way via class. I wish I still had a classroom to bring these things to my attention, and I kick myself that I dont use New York City as my own self motivated classroom more. So I thought today I would share an artist with you whose work I find incredibly interesting which you might not have heard of. I think if you check her out you will agree that there is a lot to think about in these pieces.
