Pink — Libby Rowe

My artistic interests reside in defining and redefining women’s issues in ways that are both informational and confrontational, and yet accessible to a diverse audience. In pink, I bring together anatomy lessons with intentionally charged imagery and text to produce a new forum of discussion on what it is to be a woman- physically, socially, and psychologically. I am intrigued by taboo subjects and the general avoidance of their mention. Individual pieces in this series are inspired by stories from women and men relating common misconceptions of the physical mechanics of their body parts, as well as my own experiences in learning how my body and my mind truly work. Other pieces encourage reflection on and reconstruction of accepted social definitions of “feminine”, “womanhood”, and “equality,” and a questioning of who is, and who should be, in control of these definitions.

The most recent work included in pink stems from my experience of regularly being addressed as “Sir” since moving to the South. I have always been a tall woman with short hair, a relatively low voice, and a confident presence. This constant questioning of my femininity leads me to explore the standards of femaleness and the gendered indoctrination systems in place during my childhood. My mother was a product of the fifties. Her mother trained her well. I see the ideals of the fifties feminine identity as an alter ego of sorts to my own feminist existence. Something went awry during my training. Where did she go wrong?

I am interested in engaging my viewer physically as well as visually with interactive installations and public performances. Through the performance of a physical act of repeated ritual, as in practicing perfect posture or styling the perfect hairstyle, the viewer engages more deeply in the work as well as the ideas behind the work. Each piece changes as the number of participants grows, with the addition of comments, reactions, impressions, or artifacts. Their interaction completes each piece.