Peter Tomaz Dobrila on Wed, 18 Jun 1997 22:32:24 +0200 (MET DST)


[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: <nettime> bossy cunts online


Hi Kathy,

> I am really surprised that you had such a negative reaction to the FACE
> SETTINGS brunch that was held in Liverpool during the VideoPositive
I'm misunderstood. I don't have negative reaction on 'women-only'/feminist
art or anything else on that topic, I just can say for myself I don't
agree (this is not negative) with this concept. You can't fight sexism
with other sexism (it's like figting fascism with another fascism) or even
spread this to whole world and implant it into all societies or even
cultures. Especialy in new media and Internet, where I could represent
myself in any sex I want. And sure in arts. I know a bit of history, and
it didn't start with American feminist art in 60's and 70's, that's
ridiculous as much as Columbus discovered America. Don't look
on all things from Western perspecitve. I know Sofonisba Anguisola,
Italian woman artist in late reinassance, I know Slovenian impressionist
painter Ivana Kobilica on the beginning of the 20th century, I read a lot
of essays from Lucy Lippard on women art, I read Camille Paglia, etc. (if
I stay just on fine arts) I know there are sexists among men and sexists
among women, so it's wrong to me if you then transplant this idea to whole
men or women population, it leads to a fascism, on this occasion on sex
fascism. I think we - on the net - should not continue this and we should
try to make another concept.
We are not in 60's, 70's, 80's or in the middle age or whenever, we are in
the ninties, in 1997. And using NEW media. We should (at least try to)
overcome this stiff concepts.   
Maybe it's a linguistic problem as well (English lamguage doesn't include 
sex in e.g. artist). 
So the thing is on both sides, male and female. But staying on one border
can't do the connection. Of course there are differences, but deepening
them is making all the happening worse. Art is - to my point of view -
overcoming and connecting. That's why we have brains, and everyone (!)
has got a different one, the same is with our bodies and even sex organs.
So when you make it average, you are in very dangerous zone
(whites-blacks, rich-poor, sane-insane (Foucault), etc.). I hope I was
clear (and short) enough. 
As I can't really be a woman you can't be a man. I know there are
ontologic discrepances, but a little tolerance is good approach for the
start.

Love,
Peter   

---
#  distributed via nettime-l : no commercial use without permission
#  <nettime> is a closed moderated mailinglist for net criticism,
#  collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets
#  more info: majordomo@icf.de and "info nettime" in the msg body
#  URL: http://www.desk.nl/~nettime/  contact: nettime-owner@icf.de