title: Meaningful Mischiefs: Feminist Craftivism and Performance
Creators: name: Eddy, Deborah J
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: older women
subject: feminist
subject: craft
subject: artist
subject: Humour
subject: invisibility

description: This arts-based practice lead research project investigates the invisibility of older women in the media, in research, in galleries and in feminist enquiry. As an older woman and a feminist activist artist I am in an ideal position to make work that highlights the unnerving realisation that with invisibility (a phenomenon that occurs around the time of menopause) comes a silencing of older women’s voices. This results in the representation of older women in advertising and the movies as a homogenous collection rather than a diverse and interesting cohort. My research illuminated older women are even missing in feminist discourse. This was acknowledged by Toni Calasanti and Cherry Russell who both write of the absence of women in feminist theory. Additionally, I cite feminist gerontologists who provide valuable insights about ageing women. Gerontologists confirm the damaging effect of society rendering older women invisible, stating that a side effect is poor mental health. My project acknowledges that older women have an important role as activists to protest societal ills and this informed my methodology of craftivism which combines craft and activism. I make costumes (in which I perform), kitchenalia and other domestic objects. My materials are taken from the building and safety industries. These materials are predominately used by men, and I have subverted this by employing women’s crafting techniques—such as sewing, embroidery and weaving—to make costumes and domestic objects. I am influenced by feminist artists of the 1970s who railed against women’s inequality in a patriarchal society. I have found inspiration in Judy Chicago and her use of craft and Martha Rosler’s performance in Semiotics of the Kitchen. Craftivism had its beginnings in the 1970s although feminist artists at that time did not have this word in their lexicon. These artists subverted craft to make artworks that protested their stultifying domesticity, and their inability to gain higher education and jobs outside of the home. Today, feminist artists have continued to use craft as a methodology to speak about women and societal issues. I am particularly influenced by Australian artists Raquel Ormella and Kate Just, two Australian artists who use sewing, embroidery and knitting to make activist artworks that speak of women’s issues as well as the environment. Additionally, American performance artist, Martha Wilson, whose current works speak of the invisibility and ageist treatment of women has also inspired this research. When researching performance art, I also turned to the 1970s and the feminist artists who used live performance as a powerful way to take their message to a wider audience. My past performances have not been performed for an audience, but it has become increasingly obvious to me that the immediacy of a live performance is more powerful in relaying my desired messages. My inspiration has been the performances of American feminist artist Suzanne Lacy, in the 1970s and today. Her performances have taken place in public spaces, garnering large audiences, which ensured her work has been a catalyst for change. My performances engage humour as a strategy which has enabled me to broach difficult subjects. Humour has played a significant role in feminist art as it is seen to soften what many consider to be strident feminist voices. While humour is important in my work, as I moved through this project, I realised that I needed to use my position as an older woman and a feminist activist artist to speak out about other issues, such as domestic violence and climate change. These topics have engendered a less humorous side to my work. This is evidenced in my final work for this project, a performance piece which is titled We are old women hear us roar (2021). With a cohort of older women, I perform in costume to my adaptation of Helen Reddy’s feminist anthem I am woman (1971). My reworking of Reddy’s lyrics encapsulates my research and findings. It is a call to action to end ageism and domestic violence against women. Older women joined young women for the March4Justice (2021) rallies to fight for a better outcome for all women. I predict this is the beginning of our renewed activism and I intend to turn up and be counted. The results of my project have illuminated that my research is a work in progress. There is much to be done to ensure older women are seen and heard. As an older feminist activist artist, I will continue to seek out audiences so that older women will be recognised as equally valuable as our younger sisters.