"When women use their own bodies in their art work, they are using themselves: asignificant psychological factor converts these bodies or faces from object to subject."
--Lucy Lippard
(Weil, 1).
Kate Gilmore is a video performance
artist who known for her extreme expressions of defiance, and exploring the
themes of feminism, artistic struggle, and desperation is her work. In the
words of Harry Weil, “Kate Gilmore revitalizes and critiques the complex
relationship of women and their
reception within the art establishment”
(Weil, 1). In her piece “Standing Here” performed in
2010, Kate wiggles her way in to the bottom of a 12-foot column. In order to
get out of the tight claustrophobic space, she is forced to kick and punch
holes in the wall to create places to put her hands and feet in order to climb
out of the column. In this and all of her performances, her body is used to
represent the way women defeat the conflict and struggles of every day life.
According to Richard, There is
always some level of physical risk involved (1), and this is what makes her
work so intriguing. Also, the small twist that she adds to these risky and
sometimes messy performances is the fact that she always dressed as stylish as
possible. What woman fights her battles without high heels on? Space is a large factor as well. In Kate’s
performances, especially “Standing Here”, the space is used to constrict her.
While making Kate feel trapped, the space forces her to find a way to escape,
and also makes the viewer very uncomfortable and anxious. Kate Gilmore is a
daring and intriguing performance artist who always represents women in a
powerful but still feminine way.
Works Cited
Weil, Harry J. "Old
Themes, New Variations: The Work of Kate Gilmore." Afterimage39.3
(2011): n. pag. Print.
Richard, Frances. "Kate
Gilmore: Smith-Stewart." Artforum International 1 Feb.
2009: n. pag. Print.
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