CONTROL exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center

Copyright 2009 by the South Bay Area and Peninsula Women’s Caucus for Art. The book author and each artist here, retains sole copyright to her contributions to this book.

Book designed by Arabella Decker and Karen Gutfreund Cover Design by Rebecca Lambing

CONTROL An Exhibition of California Women Artists

Presented by The South Bay Area & Peninsula Chapters of The Women’s Caucus for Art

at SOMArts Cultural Center 934 Brannan Street San Francisco, CA Curator: Karen Gutfreund Juried by The Guerrilla Girls West August 6 – August 29, 2009

CON·TROL - [kuhn-trohl] -trolled, -trol·ling, noun –verb “Control” is a loaded word, evoking both positive and negative images: in control, out of control, controlled, controllable, control freak, social control (etiquette), political control (censorship), and on and on. When “Control” as an exhibition theme was presented to the members of the Peninsula and South Bay chapters of the Women’s Caucus for Art, nearly all of the women reacted and responded negatively. In discussion, members were able to find some positive connotations, but it took effort.

Clearly women, and women artists in particular, respond to the concept of control as victims and feel vulnerable. This reaction is understandable.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “control” as 1. To exercise authority or dominating influence over, direct, regulate; 2. To hold in restraint; to check. Roget’s Thesaurus chimes in with “get control of, have control of, in control, under control, rule, sway, command, govern, boss, be master”, and on and on. It seems fair to conclude that, by and large, “control” is masculine and “controlled” is feminine. This is clarified to some extent by quotations from GenderBabble by David Olive (Perigee Books, The Putnam Publishing Group, 1993) that were quoted in a poster titled “How Long Has This Been Going On?” produced by the Guerrilla Girls West, to wit:     

Pythagoras, ca 500 BC: There is a good principle which created order, light, and man, and an evil principle which created chaos, darkness, and woman.

Confucius: Such is the stupidity of woman’s character that it is incumbent upon her, in every particular, to distrust herself and obey her husband.

Talmud, Sotah 3:4, ca AD 1501: The words of the Torah should be burned rather than taught to women.

Leo Tolstoy: Clearly all disasters, or an enormous proportion of them, are due to the dissoluteness of women.

Jean Jacques Rousseau: Women have, in general, no love of any art; they have no proper knowledge of any, and they have no genius.

We re-examined the theme and its “baggage” and concluded that the issue of control well merited exploration and representation by women artists, including the positive aspects: internal, external, involving people, space, process, materials, high tech, low tech, politically correct - or not. Control is central to the human experience, especially in urban environments. Artists are capable of presenting these issues in visual form, creating a public forum for action, reaction, and informed discussion.

by Ruth Waters

About SOMArts Cultural Center: The mission of SOMArts Cultural Center is to promote and nurture art on the community level and foster an appreciation of and respect for all cultures. Established as a nonprofit in 1979, SOMArts was born from the passionate activism of the Neighborhood Arts Movement—a trailblazing initiative in San Francisco that demanded art for and by the people, outside the circles of high culture, and supported financially by the city.

In the early years of Neighborhood Arts, the city’s program provided performance space and muchneeded technical support such as sound, lighting and poster printing to arts and cultural groups who did not have access elsewhere.

For more information visit: www.somarts.org

About Women’s Caucus for the Arts: Founded in 1972 in connection with the College Art Association (CAA), WCA is a national member organization unique in its multi-disciplinary, multicultural membership of artists, art historians, students /educators, and museum professionals. The mission of the Women's Caucus for Art is to expand opportunities and recognition for women in the arts.

WCA is committed to education about the contributions of women, opportunities for the exhibition of women's work, publication of women's writing about art, inclusion of women in the history of art, professional equity for all, and respect for all individuals without discrimination and support for legislation relevant to our goals.

For more information visit: www.nationalwca.org

An art exhibit that’s 100% female!

Guerrilla Girls West had the pleasure of jurying a plethora of challenging works by contemporary women artists and were exhilarated – if exhausted – by the two-day job. As we are all artists or art specialists such as historians or critics, we didn’t expect it to take so long; however, the job entailed not only evaluating the quality of the art but understanding the demands of the theme: “Control.”

We pored over the complex statements sent with each work, needing to absorb the nature of the “control” dealt with. Was it time-based: pressures from childhood? Was it cultural: what country did the artist grow up in? Family: position in the family? From a parent or from siblings? Political: was the woman considered a terrorist, a worker, or a slave?

Is “control” a euphemism for the role of women? We wondered if the issues would have differed greatly if the work had been from men.

Other questions arose: was the image symbolic or descriptive? Or even poetic, such as a broken-off rose? Was the repeated bound-up hand a weapon, a protest, or a literal depiction? Or all of the above?

If confronted by an abstract painting, is the “control” of or by the medium? And did the artist wish for “control” as stability or resent it? A major complication was the jurying format: an 8” X 10” photograph saved time and money for all, but required us to hold in our minds an image of the true size of the art set in the space of a large gallery.

Often we wished for a simpler task- especially a limitation on the torrent of words in each explanation.

Ultimately, I believe, we each felt that these words framed and enriched the process and left us with an experience as new as the work is unique.

THE GUERRILLA GIRLS WEST 2009

Guerrilla Girls West and Ruth J. Waters shown with some of the many entries for the Control exhibit.

Curatorial Committee Karen Gutfreund – Curator Alejandra Chaverri Arabella Decker Dana Eaton Kim McCool Nelson Ruth Waters The Control exhibition is the culmination of two years of collaboration between the South Bay Area and Peninsula Women’s Caucus for Art. The mission of WCA is to expand exhibition opportunities and recognition for women in the arts. These are causes we believe in deeply and hope to further with Control.

Curator’s Notes: The curatorial committee endeavored to create a pertinent and timely exhibition for California women artists with a theme that would stimulate the artists and viewers alike into meaningful dialogue. Control indicates power and strength for some and alternatively a sense of vulnerability and helplessness for others. The work in this exhibition reflects a myriad of interpretations on aspects of control and its significance to the artist.

What does one control? What controls the individual in life, body, temperament, destiny, society, religion, family and addictions/desires? What does a sense of power over ones environment look like and what comes to mind if that power or control is stripped away? How have political, social or economic controls shaped ones life and the lives of others? In what ways does the media and popular culture dictate and control? And how much control does one have to exert or to yield in order to survive?

The artists examine the juxtaposition of internal and external controls placed on our bodies, our minds, our lives and thus how we react and manifest these controls into our psyche and ultimately our art.

“Control” talks about these crucial issues in the world and mirrors each artist’s individual experience. In this context, the message matters as much as the medium.

The response to the call for art was extraordinary! We received entries from 171 artists with up to three works each. The work and statements were well thought out, personal and very moving; to me each was a gift that alternatively made me laugh and made me cry. The emotional honesty and strength of the works on themes of gender roles, consumerism, war, ethnicity, religion, body image, political and cultural power, motherhood, domestic abuse and family life, sexual identity and mind control are a testimony to the creative spirit of these artists.

We have 92 works by 79 artists for this exhibition. The Guerrilla Girls West chose the work for this exhibition based not only on the quality of the work and the statements, but the relevance to the theme and as it would be seen as relevant by exhibition visitors.

I want to sincerely thank the Guerrilla Girls West for their time on this exhibition and their continued efforts to support women artists, Rebecca Lambing for design work, and my curatorial team: Arabella Decker, Alejandra Chaverri, Dana Eaton, Kim McCool Nelson and especially Ruth Waters who with wise advice, helped my control my control of “CONTROL”.

Karen Gutfreund Curator

Phoebe Ackley

Out of Control Mixed Media 29 x 15 inches 2009 No longer held by the chains. No longer willing to live hidden, behind glass doors, in a fog, eyes closed.

Whatever the self-imposed limitations, dictated from without and within, their hold is weakening, the mask is discarded, the shell is cracked open.

Michelle Ary

Fight or Flight Mixed Media 36 x 23 inches 2005 “Fight or Flight� is an emotional response to life or death situations. The mind attempts to control emotions. Insomnia is this constant readiness--trapped between wanting to flee to safety or fight to the death.

Deborah Bertola

Control Oil on Canvas 24 x 30 inches 2009 Alpha Dog works hard to control his balls. But it’s getting harder and they are getting bigger. He is getting tired and bored. They are getting weird and scary even - it’s no fun any more.

Fabienne Bismuth

Alone Bronze 8 x 12 x 8 inches 2004

Be a good spouse, a caring mother. Be smart. Look sexy. Be strong. Don’t forget to smile. You can control your life. You can succeed. You are so wonderful. Please, leave me Alone!

Nancy Calef

Still Wading Oil on Canvas 36 x 48 inches 2008

Betty Friedan leads womankind to its destiny across the bridge of control. The Triple Goddess, symbol of female lifecycles, announces powerhouses Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, slaughtered Benizir Bhutto and a pregnant girl in a Pope’s folds before the world stage.

M.C.Carolyn

Yes, He Did Pink Alabaster/Steatite 21 x 16 x 14 inches 2004

“Yes, he did� is the loss of Control by a woman. This pregnant woman lies atop a grinning male mask/face, restrained or contained by a large male hand. The twosome is hoisted on a large stone petard.

Martha Castillo

Boxed In Clay print 18 x 14 inches 2009 The ambiguous box; are we captured / incarcerated, or wrapped in a protective enclosure. That ambiguity is designed to make us think, and to question, who, or what is in control?

Arabella Decker

Remnant Mixed Media 48 x 96 inches 2008

How dare you, roofer, Burn my work of forty years!

It's now goo, sticky goo, four, no five feet high.

Rain enters the hole where fire roared Nothing can be salvaged.

I will lift my head!

You will not beat me!

Eleanor Dickinson

Abu Graib: The Crucifixion of Manadel-Al-Jamadi Pastel on Velvet 73 x 52 2005 Wires were clamped on fingers and penis, the prisoner was told if he moved he would be electrocuted.

He stood for hours on a small box trying to control any movement, by order of Brig. Gen. Karpinski.

Eleanor Dickinson

Artist-Victim?

Ink on Paper 46 x 35 1985 Artists complain that they are victims – of a mate who cares only for money, of controlling galleries who don’t appreciate talent, who say “paint something that will sell.” She can get loose if she chooses.

Rozanne Hermelyn DiSilvestro

Not Heard, Not Seen, Not Spoken Of Monotype, Oils 18 x 24 inches each, 2008 My images speak of the loss of control of the unchosen path. The fortunate living side by side with the unfortunate in collaboration and in conflict with a growing gap between them.

Cosette Dudley

War, III; Control: The Occupation (Poems from Guantanamo) Mixed Media on Paper 55 x 28 inches 2009 “Control” depicts the final stage of war, The Occupation. The population is controlled. There appears to be no hope. But sometimes Art, in the form of music, poetry and other forms, can be the detainees’ salvation.

Yvonne Escalante

Baby’s Rattle Silver, Barbie Torso, 6 x 3 inches, 2005

Spoon Fed Silver, Barbie Arm, 6 x 2 inches, 2005

Sucker Silver, Barbie Arm, 3 x 2 inches, 2005 From the day we are born, our behavior and tastes are controlled by the social status quo. Little girls are fed an idealized image. Here, BarbieÂŽ has been deconstructed and reassembled for even easier consumption.

Nicole Ferrara

Bound Oil on Canvas 20 x10 inches 2009 "Bound� explores the sexual side of control. Through letting go of control, one obtains a higher level of consciousness. This parallels meditation; it involves letting go of one's ego, psychological self, and psychological structure.

Angela Fortain

Bodice Cast Bronze 48 x 36 x 24 inches 2008 The bodice, corset, and bra can be instruments of control. Separating the sensual object that once transformed the wearer into an object of sexuality allows us to examine the object, and our own desire.

Elizabeth Gomez

Between Worlds Acrylic, Glitter and Embroidery on Paper 30 x 22 inches 2009 In “Between Worlds”, a migrant woman is floating in the sky between two lands. She is “not here”, “not there”. She is out of control, floating without the pull of gravity. She does not belong.

Sarah Beth Goncarova

Pipeline Oil on Canvas 39 x 55 inches 2009 Depicting aftermaths of man-made eco-disasters, I paint what happens when man tries to control what will not be controlled.

Alison Green

Reticule Cast Bronze, Brass Wire 12 x 4.5 inches 2009 We learn self-control to fit in, to appear sane and rational at all times, to hide the violence of our emotions. Yet it also gives us a place to hide from the chaos surrounding us.

Sargam Griffin

Every Month Oil on Canvas 36 x 36 inches 2009 “Once a Month” represents the uncontrollable aspect of a woman’s nature. The dynamic color cools only slightly from its intense heat, demonstrating that there is great joy in letting go of control!

Cynthia Grilli

Fall Out Oil, Tixogel, Wax on Panel 58 x 36 inches 2007 “Fall Out” was inspired by my belief that control is an illusion. Releasing expectations of how the future should unfold can be exhilarating and frightening, like falling without a net. “Fall Out” represents the experience of letting go.

Karen Gutfreund

I Will Not Be Shorn Mixed Media, Hair on Canvas 37 x 37 inches 2009 With hair donated from 27 women I am refuting the biblical teachings I grew up with. Women were made to be the glory of men? Men were the rulers and we should cover our heads? Why does hair have so much power over men?

Karen Gutfreund

I’m Learning to Say No in 520 Languages Mixed Media on Canvas 36 x 96 inches 2009 How often do I hear my brain screaming NO as I smile and say yes? These random words are all “NO” in different languages. So I am learning to say no in 520 languages, most importantly mine, NO.

Crisanta de Guzman

Overhang Fake USD Bills, Stainless Steel 55 x 36 x 36 inches 2009 “Overhang” comes from the financial term “debt overhang”, a condition where growth is stifled by an overwhelming amount of debt. The cranes fly inward in a perfect storm of money which has lost its value.

Fran Halperin

Angels & Monsters Collage 30 x 20 inches 2009 Jacqueline Novograzt said that we all have angels and monsters inside of us. It is about controlling those monsters and encouraging those angels. I don’t necessarily think all monsters are bad. Women have been taught to always be angels and suppress the monsters inside themselves.

Karen Jaime

Stripped Digital Photo Manipulation 11 x 14 inches 2008

“Stripped� evokes a disturbing and helpless feeling as the viewer witnesses the fragile fairy's wings being stripped away by an ominous and assuming male figure, leaving her weak and no longer threatening.

Elaine Jason

Never/Always Mixed Media Wall Sculpture w/Neon 49 x 23 inches 2008 A stain - like a drop of blood that spreads into the fabric of your soul A parent / a spouse / a partner ... imprisons your mind ...

(They) promise they will never hit you again (They) always do.

Judy Johnson-Williams

Knit Carved Cardboard 34 x 44 inches 2007

“Knit� is about our particularly tangled relationship as daughter/mothers. All of us are daughters with complicated relationships with our mothers and our daughters; we both create them and hobble them.

Judy Johnson-Williams

Shooting Ravens Carved Cardboard 25 x 33 inches 2008

“Shooting Ravens� pictures the parts of ourselves that we create but then pick off as they achieve independence and move out of our sphere of influence.

Judith Juncker

Threshold III Oil stick on Canvas 48 x 36 inches 2008-09 This figure is at a border, a boundary, a threshold. She is poised between the controllable and knowable moment and the uncontrollable and unknown moment of the future. It is the space of potential. This is the space that leads to change.

Kay Kang

It’s a Girl!!

Mixed Media 82 x 55 inches 2001 “It’s A Girl!!” is a celebration of the birth of a girl, which has been neglected too often in Korean customs. When a female is born, charcoal is attached to a hemp rope and hung outside of the front door, signaling disappointment; but when a boy is born, red chili peppers, signaling joy, are hung on the rope.

Ellen Kieffer

Outside Our Control Monoprint 27 x 23 inches 2009 My image symbolizes the anguish and torment we all feel when we allow people and conditions to restrain us. We reclaim our power when we take control of our response and exercise dominion.

Cynthia Lait

Sheer Comfort Acrylic on Canvas 48 x 48 inches 2007 Comfortable control . . . an oxymoron? Control is only fun when you're making the rules. Control in the hands of others can be very uncomfortable. Control at the hands of a girdle is a fight between my ego and myself.

Rebecca Lambing

Requisite Love Mixed Media 28 x 23 inches 2009 A happy marriage is built upon mutual and unconditional love.

When she gives more than he, it leaves her vulnerable and wanting.

Till death do us part; please love me along the way.

Anita Lappi

Daddy Loves Me Monotype 15 x 22 inches 1998 The little girl in the monotype “Daddy Loves Me” has little or no control over her circumstances. The second part of the title, “I Can Tell”, imagines a good outcome and is a nod to her resiliency.

Noreen Larinde

Oaxaca Oil on Canvas 36 x 26 inches 2008 OAXACA expresses an extreme rebellion against the control of traditional cultures. The figure violently turns away from a church in Oaxaca, one of the most traditional areas of Mexico. The intense colors intensify the extreme rejection, while the flowers allude to sexuality.

Lynn Elliot Letterman

Bible-Babble, The Story of Eve Oil on Canvas 7 x 5.11 feet 2008 Women have been controlled by men since the beginning of Genesis. With abusive words & phases, Bible Babble – The Story of Eve, describes the humiliation of Eve and of all women. Let’s blame it all on Eve!

Joanne Licsko

Nipped in the Bud Oil on Canvas 36 x 12 inches 2009 Female genital mutilation, this cruel and barbaric method of control, prevents the full blossoming of womanhood. The term “Nipped in the bud” first appears in 1607 in the comedy “Woman Hater” by Beaumont and Fletcher: "Yet I can frowne and nip a passion even in the bud".

Lucy Liew

The Core Mixed Media on Canvas 30 x 24 inches 2006 When things spiral out of control and we are torn between our emotions and thoughts, we reconnect with the deeply held beliefs that make up our “core” values, where our “heart” and “head” are in balance.

Caren Lorber

Nothing Like a Dame Assemblage 19 x 16 inches 2001 A young girl flirts while learning about her sexual power with the opposite sex. In doing so, she establishes her feminine identity with cultural messaging of attraction, independence, and expectations about her sexuality.

Louis Maloof

Daedalus Mixed Media Sculpture 5’10� x 20 inches 2002 Throughout our history, including today, cruelties have etched a heartbreaking line of blood and suffering. I have chosen to portray some results in parables from our mythologies.

Monica Rickler Marks

Weight Control Mixed/Assemblage 12 x 12 inches 2009 "Weight Control" explores the messages we, as women, get from media and people in our lives, how that affects our images of ourselves, and how we try to control those images.

Monica Rickler Marks

Control Over My Daily Life?

Mixed/Assemblage 12 x 12 inches 2009 "Control Over My Daily Life?" questions whether or not we control the structure of our lives, or if that structure controls us. Does it hold us back, or is it what gives our lives meaning?

Monica Rickler Marks

Control VS. Letting Go Mixed/Assemblage 12 x 12 inches 2009 "Letting Go" explores the struggle between attempting to control every detail in life, and the process of letting go of the results, thus allowing for greater peace and serenity.

Yoko Mazza

Goddess Protocol Acrylic 36 x 60 inches 2007 Let us celebrate our freedom and the strength of control of our blessed consciousness to hear the sound of the wind through the dark with small holes for light under the mask. (Noh-mask: Masugami )

Cheryl McDonald

Free Will Graphite Pencil 31 x 26 inches 2002 Free Will God and His Mother have set us free.

Pre-destination is a cop-out.

We have the power to decide.

We can dance with Source or dance alone.

Erika Meriaux

The Wedding of Hippodamia Oil on Canvas 58 x 48 inches 2009 This painting is an illustration of an episode of the Mythology, it depicts how during a wedding ceremony everything get out of control when centaurs who were invited drank too much wine and tried to rape the bride and female guests.

Trina Merry

Imperial Wartime Jellyfish Acrylic, Ink, Glitter and Spray on Birch 48 x 48 inches 2009 All roads lead to Rome. False promises, the exportation of the American Dream through Hollywood’s pseudo-culture and faith in security through military might. Cultivation of domestic apathy, Paxil daydreams. Global polarization. Behold, the American Empire.

Debra Montgomery

Screaming Ovaries Copper/Steel 13 x 13 x 6 2009

“Screaming Ovaries� celebrates the recent reversal of the global "gag" rule. Globally, women need to keep their voice and CONTROL over their own bodies and reproductive rights. Shout it out - YOU make the choices!

Biff Moshe

Doubt Oil on Canvas 20 x 24 inches 2004 Is feminine control a thing to be defeated, does male aggression mean feminine marginalization and isolation? These are central themes within Film Noir. Addressing these issues I began my Noir painting series.

Myrrh

Catastrophe: An Essential Mystery Acrylic on Plexiglas 45 x 45 inches 2006-08 Most Myrrh paintings require an extreme amount of control. “Catastrophe” began by partially destroying a painting, submitting to loss of control. Myrrh’s theme, a “perfect storm”, shows sometimes everything goes wrong.

Kim McCool Nelson

The Burning Mixed Media 36 x 48 inches 2008 I am in control. My studio burned to the ground. I wasn’t controlled by the culprit, the legal system, or the emotions I experienced. I continue to create art. I am strong.

Kim Newell

Letting Go Oil on Wood 36 x 28 inches 2009 Letting go involves detachment of people and things that have had a negative impact on our lives. Even if we could control these "emotional hooks" we would still have to face ourselves.

Priscilla Otani

We Spread Our Legs for All Possibilities Mixed Media Assemblage 24 x 19 inches 2009 Birth control, abortion, in-vitro, egg-freezing, soon cloning . . . we spread our legs for all possibilities.

And forget that there will be blood. Messy, messy blood. Plenty of it.

Priscilla Otani

28 Day Regimen Mixed Media Assemblage 8 x 10 inches 2009

The Pill promises sex without regrets. Control so free and easy! Except inside each cute dispenser is a baby impossibility. In tiny print are side effects: the decay of youth and health.

Lisa Petrides

I Don’t Get Out of Bed for Less than $20,000 Found Objects/Assemblage 24 x 20 inches 2008 “I Don’t Get Out Of Bed For Less Than $20,000” is a quote by a famous model, which was later recanted under pressure. A woman in control of the men in control. She defines her own self-worth.

Cindy Betzer Pharis

Sweep It Under the Rug Mixed Media 72 x 48 inches 2002

This piece is about social mores that create abusers and victims, relationships, and social responsibility from the viewpoint of a woman and how we communicate, accept, constrain or reject connections to form relationships.

Meggi Raeder

Fenced In C Print, Photo-collage 20 x 16 inches 2008 Control evokes a diverse response, most often negative. In many cultures, women are not allowed to pursue their dreams. They are fenced in into roles often involving servitude with no voice of their own.

Heightening awareness of their plight is one small step towards bettering their lives.

Nora Raggio

Fell Video Installation 8 x 7 feet 2008 “Fell” is an outcry from within an industrial-looking-video-box, documenting how a decades-old tree was felled to make way for a sprawling housing development. The work explores humanity’s constant attempt to control, dominate nature.

Nora Raggio

Temiramos Video Installation 7 x 4 x 4 feet 2008 “Temiramos” explores the controlled environment of “packaged screens” (as with the video-surveillance eye embedded within the totem-like structure). This installation mimics the control issues associated with the panopticon.

Valerie Raps

Mind Steel and Wood 6 x 2.6 feet 2007 Mind is a "thought construct" that depicts how our mind controls our perception of reality. Though there are no doors one can slip between the bars if their mind is flexible to see beyond the thought.

Ehren Reed

Ideal Marriage Book Pages, Fabric, Thread 30 x 18 x14 inches 2009

The corset has historically signified women’s submission to male desire and conformity to beauty standards. The construction of this corset from the book Ideal Marriage re-contextualizes the book’s content to examine this power dynamic.

Joanne Beaule Ruggles

Implorante IV

Silent Scream VIII Acrylic on Canvas 12 x 12 inches 2004

I have no patience for those who attempt to dictate appropriate subject matter - declaring as "off-limits" anything but the most trivialized portrayal of the human condition. The dark side of the human psyche exists.

Valerie Runningwolf

She Broke Free the Chains One by One Mixed Media Sculpture 35 x 47 inches 2009 For women, control is multifaceted and complex.

Breaking the chains one by one the shackles are shattered, the chains are cracked.

She is no longer bound by intolerance and repression.

Jonnie Russell

Swallowed Ceramic 27 x 18 x 15 inches 2006

My piece “Swallowed� is about swallowing a part of my personality to remain in control. It never seems to work.

Janelle Schneider

Gluttony Mixed Acrylic Digital 18 x 24 inches 2008

"Gluttony" is about corporate control - corporate and advertising entities exploit their position by manufacturing a need, transforming a "citizen" into a "consumer." Exploitation prevails in advertising and the gluttony of consumerism.

Centa Schumacher

None But My Own (1) Silver Gelatin Print 24 x 20 inches 2008 There are times when self-control, the medium of the level-headed, can be destructive. The binds we place upon ourselves can become so tight that our very existence is painful.

Caroline Seckinger

The Bridal Bridle Dress 84 x 13 inches 2008 Constructed from the fabric of a wedding dress, this piece brings into question who/what is served by constraining the innate/animal instincts of attraction, mating, and desire to fit into the structures of monogamy and marriage.

Shizue Seigel

Veils Digital Print 16 x 20 inches 2009 Are we seen for ourselves or how we are packaged? Dare we walk around with naked faces and look people in the eye? Is the feminine so powerful it must be controlled, commodified, dissected, denied?

Shizue Seigel

SRO Digital Print 16 x 20 inches 2009 Single room occupancy hotel (SRO). Rooms by the day, week, month. Threadbare carpet, long halls, thin walls, a bed, a chair, a sink. A chain across the door. I am in control.

Judy Shintani

In Vitro Purse Mixed Media 8 x 5 inches 2008 When I finally decided to have kids, my body didn’t cooperate. I gave the infertility clinic control of my sex life, my body, my hopes, and legacy. 1 in 20 will never have a child despite all that medicine can offer.

Vered Shomron

Controlling My Wars/Controlling my Peaces Mixed Media on Sewn Papers 75 x 48 inches 2006-2009 Drawing from my personal history, the Cross, Crescent, and Star of David are symbols of conflict and struggle for control, which I bring together to comprehend and reconcile – control ‘my wars’ and turn them into ‘peaces’.

Diana Shore

Breaking Free Mixed Media Sculpture 5 x 5 feet 2008 In “Breaking Free” the creative person finds ways to loosen the controls of the “right” way to make art or live life and develops the confidence to find her own way forward.

Jessi Stern

Untitled Digital Projection - stitched cloth, 18.5 x 50 inches, 2009 Imperfect as is and still imperfect once changed: women face an endless process of reaching toward an “ideal� self, a self that was not created by the person striving for it.

Lise Swensen

Mr. Gary on the Feedback Show HD/Installation Flora, an elderly shut-in, is the victim of her malevolent TV and radio when she prepares to tune in to her favorite talk show, but in a surprising turn of events she wins the upper hand.

Yuriko Takata

Accessories for the All-American Alpha Girl Paper Doll Wax Crayon and Paper on Archival Foam Core 68 x 50 inches 2009 There are positive ways for women to take control of their own lives, from education, voting, and the legal protection of contracts to the physical maintenance of health through vitamins, exercise, sunscreen and birth control.

Dawn Thomas

Tug of War Charcoal on Glued Paper 36 x 60 inches 2008

I drew “Tug Of War� last summer when I was going back and forth with my husband about where our relationship would go. We struggle over things that are beyond our control, including one another.

Carolyn Tillie

Over Which We Have No Control Mixed Media 2 x 8 inches 2009 Fighting temptation, we are subjected to many consumer manipulations. Anticipating a gift (the classic Tiffany Blue box), jewelry is expected. Here, 14k gold rings are set with plastic desserts and the juxtaposition of gold with plastic food.

Lynne Todaro

Control Mixed Media 72 x 60 inches 1994 “Control� is a triptych altarpiece. The front has various buttons, knobs and switches. In back, the wires are loose and cut off, the knobs are disconnected. It symbolizes powerlessness, and the illusion of control.

Leigh Toldi

View From Above Acrylic on Board 18 x 24 inches 2009 We must learn to go with the flow yet guide our ship with a strong hand, understanding that gifts are found in shadow as well in light. “View from Above� explores the concept of controlling thought in order to overcome obstacles.

Lucy Traeger

African School Girl Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 84 inches 2009 "African Schoolgirl" was inspired by a photo of a girl in Mali in 2006. African parents are now demanding schooling for their daughters, enabling them to take control of their lives.

Cristina Velazquez

La Mujer Tiene que Ser Curandera/Women Must Be a Healer Dress and Herbs 48 x 22 inches 2008 The dress represents me as a good follower of a tradition that ultimately makes me feel controlled. As a female I’m asked to model certain behaviors; being a healer is one reserved to women.

Ruth Waters

Home, $weet Home Mixed Media, Sculpture 95 x 97 inches 1963 Home is the most dangerous place for women, and it's not much safer for children. Violence and the implicit or explicit threat of violence are commonly used to "keep them in line".

Corinne Whitaker

Traffic Unique Digital Painting on Canvas 36 x 36 inches 2009 Circulation Navigation Population Stimulation All gone wild All out of control.

Tamara White

Suffrage Mixed Media 36 x 36 2009 This piece focuses on the remarkable women who took control of their destiny by refusing to accept the terms that were placed upon them while commanding a change over their future and those of generations to come.

Sheila Winner

Complaisant Oil 20 x 16 inches 2009 Motherhood, as eternal as stretch marks, is deemed woman's work, complete with long hours, no time off and no pay. "Complaisant" means cheerfully obliging, and “oblige� means to constrain by moral, legal, or physical force.

Nancy Worthington

The Police State – Part I Interactive Construction 4 x 2 x 5.10 feet 1992

Control: by Force, Domination and Violence Goal: Fear, Repression, Social Control Issues Raised: abuse of power and misuse of authority.

Whom do the police really serve? Protect? Control?

Are the police a form of institutionalized violence?

Barbara Wurden

Wonder Woman Oil on canvas 80 x 50 inches 2008 My painting represents a woman who understands we all embody a superhero. Putting politics aside, the only difference between Hillary and most of us is that she chooses to control verses being controlled by circumstances.

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ARTIST

WEBSITE/EMAIL

Phoebe Ackley queen-of-arts@sbcglobal.net Michelle Ary aryart@earthlink.net Joanne Beaule Ruggles http://beaulerugglesgraphics.com/screamseries/ Deborah Bertola www.dbertola.com Cindy Betzer Pharis www.cindybetzerpharis.com Fabienne Bismuth www.sculpturebyfab.com Nancy Calef www.nancycalefgallery.com M.C.Carolyn www.mccarolyn.com Martha Castillo www.marthacastillo.net Crisanta de Guzman www.crisantadeguzman.com Arabella Decker www.arabelladecker.com Eleanor Dickinson www.eleanordickinson.wordpress.com Cosette Dudley mhdudley@pacbell.net Lynn Elliott Letterman studio1@earthlink.net Yvonne Escalante yvonneescalante@yahoo.com Nicole Ferrara nikkidear@yahoo.com Angela Fortain www.infernoartworks.com Elizabeth Gomez www.elizabethgomezart.com Sarah Beth Goncarova www.goncarova.com Alison Green aligreen@pacbell.net Sargam Griffin www.SargamGriffin.com Cynthia Grilli www.cynthiagrilli.com Karen Gutfreund www.karengutfreund.com Fran Halperin fh@halperinandchrist.com Rozanne Hermelyn DiSilvestro www.hermelyn.com Karen Jaime kcjaime@msn.com Elaine Jason www.elainejason.com Judy Johnson-Williams www.judyjohnson-williams.com Judith Juncker judyjuncker@comcast.net Kay Kang www.artgroove.com/kaykang/ Ellen Kieffer purple@netgate.net Cynthia Lait www.cynthialait.com Rebecca Lambing www.rebeccalambing.com Anita Lappi twocatsintheyard@comcast.net Noreen Larinde www.noreenlarinde.30art.com Joanne Licsko www.licsko.com/joanne.html Lucy Liew www.lucyliewart.com Caren Lorber www.carenlorber.com Louise Maloof www.louisemaloof.com Yoko Mazza www.yokomazza.com Kim McCool Nelson kimikazi@sbcglobal.net Cheryl McDonald www.passionsatplay.com

ARTIST Erika Meriaux Trina Merry Debra Montgomery Biff Moshe Kim Newell Priscilla Otani Lisa Petrides Meggi Raeder Nora Raggio Valerie Raps Myrrh Ehren Reed Monica Rickler Marks Valerie Runningwolf Jonnie Russell Janelle Schneider Centa Schumacher Caroline Seckinger Shizue Seigel Judy Shintani Vered Shomron DianaShore Jessi Stern Lise Swenson Yuriko Takata Dawn Thomas Carolyn Tillie Lynne Todaro Leigh Toldi Lucy Traeger Cristina Velazquez Ruth Waters Corinne Whitaker Tamara White Sheila Winner Nancy Worthington Barbara Wurden

WEBSITE/EMAIL www.erikameriauxart.com www.zhibit.org/quitecontrary www.acopperrose.com www.biffmoshe.com www.knewellstudio.com www.mrpotani.com www.lisapetrides.com www.pbase.com/mraeder nora_gen@yahoo.com valraps@gmail.com www.myrrh-art.com www.ehrenreed.com www.artbymonicamarks.com www.runningwolfstudio.net jonniedianerussell@sbcglobal.net www.paintbetty.com/mixedmedia.html www.centaschumacher.com www.carolineseckinger.com www.shizueseigel.com www.judyshintani.com www.veredshomron.com shorehouse@aol.com rstern@lesley.edu www.saltwaterthemovie.com rikotakata@sbcglobal.net www.dawnthomas.net www.carolyntillie.com http://salsa.missioncollege.org/todaro/ www.peninsulaartscouncil.org/LeighToldi.htm www.lucytraeger.com www.cristinavelazquez.com www.rjwaters.com www.giraffe.com www.tamarawhite.com www.sheilawinner.com www.domjoy.com www.wurden.com

Workshop at the Muriel Right Residential Center Fall 2009, a team of four artists from SBAWCA, Cheryl Battiato, Martha Castillo, Alejandra Chaverri, Dana Eaton, developed and facilitated six workshops for the twelve teenage, female inmates at the Muriel Wright Residential Center, located in San Jose, California.

The Program Director, Gabriela Manzanares, approved the curriculum and scheduled the workshops.

Working with donated materials, paper, paints, and markers, the girls completed four projects in six weeks. Each project was designed to accommodate all levels of skills and enthusiasm. Each girl worked as simple or complex as her imagination, interest, and ability ventured. Every week the confidence and creativity of the girls increased and they were eager to complete the ongoing project and to start work on a new assignment. The workshops were successful for the girls, the center, and the SBAWCA team. A selection of seventeen works by the girls was exhibited March, 2009 in the Main Lobby, Santa Clara County Government Building, San Jose. Four of these pieces are included in the exhibit CONTROL, at SOMArts Main Gallery, San Francisco, August 2009. A new four-week workshop series started April 24, 2009. This time six SBAWCA artists returned to the Muriel Wright Center to teach simple printmaking and book art with a new group of teenage girls. In addition to the original team Marsha Shaw and Conni Rizzuto joined the group. The seed of these workshops and more to come was planted during the planning of this exhibition.

Beatrice

Dream Acrylic on paper 28 x 34 inches 2008

Jessica

Out of My Reach Acrylic on paper 20 x 20 inches 2008

Kimberly

Untitled Acrylic on paper 20 x 20 inches 2008

Suzie

Reaching for the Stars Acrylic on paper 20 x 20 inches 2008

Dream Beyond A Book of Block Prints by Thirteen Girls @ Muriel Wright Center The Muriel Wright Printmakers: Christina, Daniella, Dasi, Jennifer, Joanna, Michelle, Patricia, Rosa, Tatiana, Tracy, Vicki, Victoria, Yesenia.

May, 2009 SBAWCA artists Cheryl Battiato, Alejandra Chevarri, Dana Eaton, returned to the Muriel Wright joined by new team members Conni Rizzuto, and Marsha Shaw for a series of four printmaking workshops with a new group of thirteen girls. Each two hour workshop three SBAWCA artists supported the work of the girls. Marsha designed the lessons and led the printmaking workshops.

The first night the girls were introduced to the basic concepts of designing a black and white image, transferring the image in reverse onto a block, and cutting the design into linoleum block. Each girl received a credit card size block and used linoleum-cutting tools. Weeks #2 and #3 the girls finished cutting their designs into the small blocks and printed them with black ink on 3 x 5 inch white index cards. Old swipe credit card machines were used as printing presses. Week #4 Marsh brought preassembled accordion books for the girls. Each printmaker signed and numbered her edition of prints and shared her prints with the group. The girls received one print from each other and glued the prints into their books. The finished books of shared prints were objects of pride for the girls and each print reflected a story of artistic process, discovery, and accomplishment for each student artist. We celebrated the completion of the books and the end of the workshops with homemade chocolate chip cookies, cheese crackers, and strawberries.

Dream Beyond Block Prints by 13 Girls @ Muriel Wright Center Accordion Book 3.5 x 5.5 x 27 inches, May 2009

Detail of Dream Beyond

Peninsula WCA Youth Project: “We’re not painting paintings. We are painting feelings.”

So began a series of workshops, led by Naomi Rifkin of Brush Fire Painting Workshops and Each One Reach One on WCA’s theme of “Control”, for a group of teen-age girls in San Mateo County’s Youth Services Center (juvenile hall).

Each One Reach One is a non-profit organization “transforming kids behind bars” in San Mateo and San Francisco counties. Each series of workshops asks the youths to give visual expression to their innermost feelings – not an easy assignment for anyone.

At the conclusion of each series of workshops, finished paintings are presented to the staff and a few visitors during a ceremony, and the young artists are encouraged to talk about their work and what the experience has meant to them. In addition, each artist writes about the painting, often explaining the symbolism of shapes and colors used.

Sierra

Acrylic on paper 16 x 24 inches 2009

This painting says I am tired of being told what to do and how to do it. It shows all my feelings and all of it fading away except for the madness, sadness, and anxiousness.

Sophie

Acrylic on paper 16 x 24 inches 2009 It is irritating when someone tries to tell me what to do and tries to control me. The flames are important because I feel angry when someone thinks they can control me.

Tangerine

Acrylic on paper 16 x 24 inches 2009 Control gives me freedom. I need control to keep my life together. The green is opportunities, the yellow lines are happiness, pink polka dots show security, and contentment is light blue.

Tangerine

Acrylic on paper 16 x 24 inches 2009

This painting is about confusion. The colors, the uncertainty, and the scattered paint remind me of my feelings. This painting represents the confusion of my situation. I feel thrown around.

We want to thank SOMArts Cultural Center and the San Francisco Arts Commission for making this exhibition possible.