Artist Interview Assignment. Visual & Performing Arts Essay

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Artist Interview: Carolee Schneemann
Carolee Schneemann is of the most crucial feminist expressionists who shaped the mainstream view of the female body and sexuality through the vast collection of her work in a male-dominated art world. She is well known for her sensual depictions and participation in mainstream issues like the 9/11 attacks and the Vietnam war (Cotter, 2019). Her indulgence in various artistic mediums like painting, performance, and the film embraces her abstract expressionism in various topics including self-identity, gender equality, and women objectification as well as social taboos creating a well-rounded activist artist. The controversy surrounding her most renowned works like the Meat joy, Fuses, and the interior scroll shows her resilience as an artist across platforms despite the numerous critics of her artistic expressions. Her prowess and talent as a painter and performer are indicated by her working with Allan Kaprow and Robert Morris while her input to feminism equates her with Judy Chicago and Rachel Rosenthal. This interview is a sit-in with the revolutionary and 2017 winner of the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement award highlighting the messages behind her works, her views on the numerous critics and reaction to them, her books and the relation to the films as well as her advice to young feminist artists in the 21st century.
Interviewer: First I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with me about your input in the art industry and congratulate you on winning the 2017 Golden Lion Award for lifetime achievement. First let’s talk about the Award, your reaction to winning, and the specific work or works that you think led to it.
Carolee: Thank you for inviting me. The event at Venice was a great recognition that was long overdue but I am glad at last that my contribution to gender politics and identity finally attained an international status. To be honest, after decades of criticism and lack of support from audiences the award came as a shock because I was used to public ridicule. The award is an indication that the entertainment industry is progressing towards embracing sensualism and female sexuality without objectification. As for which specific work, I think the title speaks for itself, the award was a consideration of the collective value of my work and not a specific item.
Interviewer: Talking about specific art, what was the main element in the production of ‘Meat Joy’ and is it related to the book “More than Meat Joy: Performance Works and Selected Writings”, because it sounds like an extension on elaborating the meaning of the 1964 visual performance?
Carolee: As you know it is one of the most criticized performances especially in France. Meat Joy was infused from preliminary drawings as the source of the choreography on stage. The book contains more illustrations on embracing sensuality and how people mistake such expression as pornography thus discriminating against its expression. Meat joy is just an illustration of the liberationist paintings, installations, sketches, and photographs and the inspiration for writing the book.
Interviewer: The anatomical and physical nature at your home as farmer...