I’ve read a handful of books over the last 2 months and here are my reviews!
“Why have there been no great women artists?” by Linda Nochlin is a reprinted essay from a 1971 issue in ARTNews addressing a question often asked, “why have there been no great woman artists?”
This book was a challenging read and one I’d like to read again (I’ve read a few challenging reads worth going back to lately). What I enjoyed about this book is how, ultimately, the absurdity of the question becomes more obvious as Nochlin spells out how oppression through colonialism, white supremacy, and misogyny are to blame for the lack of “great women artists.” Some examples of this are the fact that non-men are refused education and training and that white men are writing history.
A detail that blew my mind, is how there are no women equivalents to Da Vinci…well…that is because she was refused a life beyond the kitchen. She never had a chance. It isn’t because women are lesser artists, it is accessibility.
I recommend this essay for anyone interested in art history.
“Acts of Resistance” by Amber Massie-Blomfiend was an inspirational and exhilarating read. In a time where art is being stolen by tech-bro-billionaires and our society has been socialized to undervalue the contributions of creatives to our everyday lives, this book explores the power of creativity and how it can shape our society for positive change.
I’ve always been fierce in my stance that art is not a luxury, and in fact is a necessity to human survival. In this book you are presented with example after example of how people/creatives have been using their creativity to survive the most atrocious of times and to fight against the powers intent on silencing and destroying humanity. A must read for all.
“The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” Toni Cade Bambara. Fucking hell, that hits hard.
“Full of Myself: A Graphic Memoir About Body Image” by Siobhan Gallagher. I’ve never read a book that spelled out my experience to the most smallest of details. This book tells the story of growing up in the 90’s in a woman’s body (or in my case, socialized as a woman – not a woman). Every page I read validated what I was brainwashed into believing about what it means to have a body like mine. Of course all of it is false and based in…you guessed it, misogyny, colonialism, and white supremcy.
Gallagher takes us on a journey of how she was taught through overt and subliminal messages to hate her body and self. I felt validated in my experience of body dysmorphia, dysphoria, and self hatred. Gallagher writes with awareness of her privileges, which was very refreshing. Interested in the socialization of women’s bodies in the 90s? This book is for you.
“Why Art” by Eleanor Davis is a graphic novel that folds in on its self when exploring artists and art. This was an interesting read after “Art of Resistance” because it beautifully illustrated the artists continuing to create worlds during and beyond devastation. It gave me so many ideas of new works and mediums I’d like to explore, including book writing and dioramas.
Have you read a graphic novel before? If not, get in the fucking car and go to your local bookstore and get one that interests you. Reading with illustrations is peak reading. That is how we started folks! Picture books! They aren’t just for little kids, they are for us big kids, too!
What are you reading? I’d love to hear about it 🙂
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