Warrior Women: Carolee Schneemann
Carolee Schneemann was an American Artist born in 1939 on October 8th. She is most well known for being one of, if not the first, to do body art. Her art career started humbly, studying poetry and painting at Columbia University and Bard College respectively, and being known for her more abstract painting style. (Encyclopedia Britannica)Aside from her paintings, Schneemann was also known for her plays, poetry, and performative works. She worked across many genres and experimented with each, carving herself a path in the art world that was predominantly ruled by men. As the times changed and new technology began to crop up she also began to make her own movies exploring the female body in its sexual form. She even received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for her work. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Schneemann has worked to challenge gender norms since as early as the 60s. Her most well-known work, Meat Joy, features men and women getting progressively underdressed as raw foods like chicken and fish are thrown around the room. Schneeman was also known for her performance pieces, the most famous of which is called Interior Scroll. In the performance, Schneemann herself stood on stage naked and covered in pain while reading a critique from a male film critic who refused to watch any of her films. (MoMA.org)
Carolee Schneemann later went on to lecture at many different universities before she died on March 6th at age 79 after struggling with breast cancer for 20 years. She is now immortalized in the art world as a trailblazer for women and a symbol of female empowerment. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
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I am not familiar with Carolee and was not aware of her work. I found that her performance Interior Scroll was very empowering. Standing in front of people naked is a very vulnerable state for many people. She challenged that and was unafraid while being covered in paint reading a critique written by a man.
ReplyDeleteI did not know who Carolee was prior to reading your blog, but it was very informative. When I read about the part where she stood naked I was very surprised. Not many people would be willing to go to that length to fight for what they believe is right.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about Carolee Schneemann and being introduced to all the work she has completed. It is really interesting to me that she is known as one of the first people to do body art, plus all the other things she is known for such as poetry and performative works. I appreciate all the work she has done to challenge gender norms and think she has been a major asset in the ongoing fight. I also think she is amazing for battling breast cancer for 20 years, and this is an emphasis on her strength as an individual. Overall, I am glad I got to learn about Carolee Schneemann and hear her story. This blog was done well!
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