Personal stories belong to the person who inhabits that story and is their’s alone to tell. At this time in history, it seems stories that are deemed inconvenient or unpopular by the status quo are being rewritten by those in power who hold the microphone, stealing the narrative and thereby controlling it. A dangerous, shocking and maddening set of circumstances to find oneself living through.
Artisti Joanne Filletti &
friends
As fluid and seemingly changing the status quo appears to be, it still exists and is difficult for some to live outside these prescribed norms.
This is the environment that has inspired me to tell my own story, taking a page from the long history of female artists who have turned to the art of self portraiture to tell their stories and lay claim to their own narrative.
Despite settings that were at times discouraging and often dangerous, these courageous artists authored their own stories through painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and performance art.
I am encouraged by these women, forever grateful that are part of the canon of art history. Their determination and perseverance, as they found a way to make their art and to live a life created on their own terms (some more successful than others), is nothing short of heroic. I am forever indebted and they remain a guiding light as I continue to forge ahead in my own way and continue to write my own story.
For this project I found particular inspiration in the loves/ work of the following artists: Sofonisba Anguissola, 1532- 1625; Artemisia Gentileschi, 1593- 1653; Ann Dorothea Therbush, 1721- 1782; Kathe Kollwitz, 1867-1945; Camille Claudel, 1864- 1943; Paula Modersohn-Becker, 1876- 1907; Frida Kahlo, 1907-1954; Marisol, 1930- 2016; Hannah Wilde, 1940-1993 & Cindy Sherman, 1954.
The garden setting was inspired by the back courtyard here at 1475 Gerrard, the creation of which has been a great source of joy for me and a constant reminder that fertility and creation materializes in many shapes and forms.
