Editors’ Letter | Women

When artcore journal decided on the theme of “women” for its third issue we speculated on what we would receive for submissions: essays on Feminist art, topics on women’s inclusion in the art world, and/or reviews of exhibitions that presented “women artists” as a prominent subject. The thoughtful contributions included in this issue of artcore journal brought a score of insightful texts on women artists, writers, and cultural thinkers. It is inspiring to engage with a group of writers, collaborators, artists, and curators who sprang beyond topics questioning why women still aren’t included in realms of the art world, or at least not nearly as much as men, and proved, through their practice and dedication to art, that women are, and continue to be, a force in the contemporary art world.

The limitations we imposed on the theme of this issue, for which our writers quickly exceeded, prompted us to consider ways in which to broaden discussions and develop further global perspectives. Inspired by the rich network of viewpoints on “women” initiated by the content in this issue we have opened up a DISCUSSION FORUM, an active space in artcore journal where we invite you to join us a dialog for the Women issue: add, proliferate, pontificate, generate, excavate, whisper, scream, or shout as these writers, artists, and cultural thinkers have done.[i]

In her essay Random Walk-Drawing: An Encounter with The Hyperreal curator Leonie Bradbury explores the collapsibility of object and image in a series of works by Sarah Sze (currently representing the U. S. in the 55^th Venice Biennale) to consider an experiential uncanny or hyperreal experience in their viewing capabilities. On the eve of the premier of Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens’ film Goodbye Gauley Mountain Corinne Van Houten talks with the artists about their practice and the intersections between sex, love, and nature in An Ecosexual Love Story: Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle Marry A Mountain.

Sophie Arkette provides insight into acoustic ecology’s implementation of Sonic Arts as a proponent for social and geographical change in sound-walk works by composer, radio artist, and sound ecologist Hildegard Westerkamp. Jovana Stokic’s text reflects on media and consumer focused critique of representations of women and Martha Rosler’s sef-representations in her pivotal work Body Beautiful, or Beauty Knows No Pain: Hot House, or Harem and others from the 1960s and 70s.

In two engaging In Conversations artists and authors reveal the impact of dialog in artistic practice. In Surrender to Something Dangerous artists Nene Humphrey and Nancy Davidson discuss their reactions to unexpected life-altering events and the impact these circumstances have made on their collective desire to communicate more directly with an audience through their work. On the occasion of Lynda Benglis’ exhibition Everything Flows (1980–2013) artist William Corwin interviews Benglis and author Susan Richmond whose recent book Beyond Process is an in-depth examination of Benglis’ work. Benglis discusses material and process in her new work and its continued relationship with her impactful oeuvre while Richmond lends insight into stylistic assumptions and the critical oversight of Benglis’ work.

Artist Projects in this issue highlights a dynamic group of women artists: Curator Melissa Messina reveals interesting perspectives on the long abandoned use of marquetry techniques and its enlivened use by artist Alison Elizabeth Taylor in a contemporary feminist context; Detroit-based writer and curator Rana Edgar discusses the literal and metaphorical blurring of lines between art and cinema in works by multi-media artist Victoria Fu; Kansas City-based writer Kayti Doolittle traces the characteristics of one woman’s lifestyle and its impact on her interpretation of works by Ann-Marie Manker; works by Joy Episalla and Susan Silas raise questions about entitlement and self-scrutiny as well as overlapping elements in their respective practices; and Erin Dziedzic hints at the possible transition from a linear to reverberated read in new work by artist Jane Fox Hipple.

For Curatorial Projects Erinn Roos-Brown offers her perspective on the shifting role of contemporary curators and in Reviews Rana Edgar responds to Chakaia Booker’s permanent public installations for the New York Avenue Sculpture Project.

Finally, artcore would like to thank our administrative assistant Kalin Allen, and welcomes artists Craig Drennen and Steve Locke to the team as Advisory Editors.

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