Women's art documentary

Fashion and beauty are favored subjects of women; not only to finalize thoughts with a shopping process. Artists, social researchers, philosophers... are traditionally involved as professionals into fashion and beauty. Especially women began in the 1960/70s to throw an eye on the industries' activities when labels started to utilize a new form of advertising combined with lifestyle marketing where role models of women and men were created to sell products.

fig. original: 'External Transformations: Roberta's Construction Chart, No. 1' by Lynn Hershman (1975); dye Transfer print, 40" x 30"; from Lynn Hershman's series 'Roberta Breitmore' (1974-78). Courtesy of Lynn Hershman Leeson.

"Constructing Roberta Breitmore" is the headline of the legend on the photo which shows the artist herself with blonde wig and makeup in the style of a medic construction plan of a cosmetic surgeon. The face colors are numbered and reference - like in an editorial beauty article, the labels which contribute the products.

"The Breitmore persona was very fully developed: she had her own mannerisms, handwriting, clothing, wig, makeup, apartment, psychiatrist, credit cards, acquaintances, life story, and adventures." explains US (computer) artist, writer, researcher and Professor of Digital Media (Dept. of Studio Art, UC Irvine) Antoinette LaFarge (main themes constructed realities, including computer-mediated performance...) on fictive.arts.uci.edu/roberta_breitmore the 1970s art figure with a sense for 'trends' Roberta Breitmore by Lynn Hershman Leeson.

Now, new media artist Lynn Hershman Leeson's documentary '!Women Art Revolution' (made of interviews, film material, artworks which had been collected by the artist over 40 years) is on tour: recently it stopped at the Walker Art Center/University of Minnesota (18 - 20 November 2011). One day before on 17 November, Lynn Hershman Leeson introduced into her work with a public lecture about her investigation in new technologies and our society such as the relationship between real and virtual worlds.

In December, January it will be screened at the MOMA New York. The MOMA has selected it as one of the 3 best documentaries in 2011.

Video: Scenes from the documentary '!Women Art Revolution' where curator, museum director and arts writer Marcia Tucker (founded the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York) tells about women's situation in late 1960s with an exemplary situation where she was asked questions (if she doesn't want to find a boyfriend, marry and have children) which are illegal nowadays.

Source: Original article with image and video on https://www.fashion.at/culture/2011/womenartrevolution11-2011.htm.

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