Eugene Weekly : Arts Shorts : 10.6.11

 

Redefining Her-Story 

It’s said that history is a fragile thing, clinging to the most obvious evidence of the past. The film !Women Art Revolution (W.A.R.), directed by Lynn Hershman Lesson, is the evidence that history and an often male-dominated art world has been waiting for.   

A virtual crash course in feminist art, W.A.R. guides the viewer through the feminist art movement’s struggles and successes. Highlighting the work of artists such as Howardena Pindell, Adriane Piper and many more, W.A.R. juxtaposes film clips of the feminist art movement’s protests, confrontations and performances with candid interviews of art world heavyweights like Judy Chicago. 

W.A.R. is a didactic piece of film, educating while it entertains. The movie’s portrayal of Chicago’s most well-known and controversial piece The Dinner Party, as it was berated by U.S. congressmen, is perhaps one of the most intense displays of art vs. politics out today. Interviews with feminist art activists the Guerrilla Girls and a soundtrack of original music by Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney) make W.A.R. an 83-minute crescendo of trans-generational hauntings and happenings. 

Most importantly, W.A.R. poses questions that the ‘70s feminist art movement offered to the world years ago, without presenting a diatribe of answers. Instead, W.A.R. catalogs, celebrates and punctuates the legacy of feminist art — a legacy that has been hushed and misrepresented throughout the course of history.

!Women Art Revolution plays 7 pm Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art; free. — Dante Zuñiga-West     

 

 

Slimy Salon and Piano Songs

First Friday ArtWalk will be in full swing with gastropod royalty and host Holly GoSlugly. The new SLUG Queen is particularly excited about the “SLUG Queen Art Salon” that will be on display at the Eugene Storefront Art Project.

“It’s going to be great,” GoSlugly says. “Artwork made by and inspired by SLUG Queens of the past will be up for everyone to see.”

But it’s not just the artistic contributions of Queen Marie Slugtoinette, Queen Scarlet O’Slimera and more that will make this art show so exceptional and so Eugene. In addition, the costumes of former SLUG Queens such as Queen Inspira Gastropodium, Queen Accordionna and Queen Slugasana will be exhibited. 

“I always love what you can discover walking from location to location at ArtWalk. I’m really thrilled to host,” says GoSlugly.

Another event not to be missed on your walk is at the newly founded Eugene Piano Academy, where audiences will be treated to live piano performances by Julia Lin, Svetlana Kotova and Gabriel Coelho, whose music will be complemented by the acrylics of artist Amy Hartsfield.

First Friday ArtWalk starts 5:30 pm Friday, Oct. 7, at NEST and concludes at The Woodpecker’s Muse; ArtWalk is always free. — Dante Zuñiga-West