Sappho Magazine - Issue 1 (December 2020) by sapphomagazine

SAP PHO F E M I N I S T

G U I D E

Art as a means of information:

The Vagina Museum

The Artist’s guide to self love: meet CoolBeenArt

Pictures gallery: The best street art to see in London

T O

T H E

W O R L D

O F

A R T S

Hilma af Klint Discussing the new documentary Beyond the Visible with director Halina Dyrschka, collector Valeria Napoleone, art journalist Julia Voss and visual artist Penny Slinger. Featuring NY photographer Alexandria Riesberg

Meet the ceramic artist Yanire Sylva Delgado

UK £4 EU €5 US $5.50

C O N T E N T S

P A G E

DECEMBER 2020

Live Event: Art as information in Camden’s Vagina Museum by Shaelyn Stout

Feature: Art as Therapy by Moneh OrontoVidal

Feature: How to be social from a distance by Moneh Oronto-Vidal

Rediscovering 32 Panel: Helma af Klint by Claudia Schergna

Sappho in The Parnassus by Raphael, 1511 - Rome, Vatican Museums

Yanire Sylva Delgado 39 Profile: by Thaddeus O’Connor-Dunphie

One of London’s 46 Feature: Hidden Art Treasures by Thaddeus O’Connor-Dunphie

C O N T E N T S

P A G E

DECEMBER 2020

Profile: An emerging artist’s guide to self-love By Shaelyn Stout

Statistic: The end of a glorious year for women in the film industry by Claudia Schergna

Great Street 69 Galley: Art in London

by Thaddeus O’Connor-Dunphie

Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene by Simeon Solomon, 1864 - Tate Modern

How much do 76 Quiz: you know about women artists?

Upcoming 80 Agenda: exhibitions you can’t miss!

CONTRIBUTORS PAGE EDITOR Shaelyn Stout is a photographer, editor and journalist from Philadelphia with a passion for creating and curating engaging written and visual media.

SUB EDITOR Moneh Oronto-Vidal is a journalist and film addict from the outskirts of London with a passion for shining a light on the world of art.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Claudia Schergna is a journalist based in London with a passion for art, photography, film and graphic design.

PRODUCTION EDITOR Thaddeus O’Connor-Dunphie is a multimedia journalist living and working in London. He is a prolific film maker and photographer as well as a writer. He is passionate about arts, sports and technology.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR EDITOR Words by Shaelyn Stout

Welcome to Sappho, your one and only women’s guide to the world of art. A publication born of unanimous passion for female divinity, artistic creation and aesthetic tradition, Sappho offers a platform to explore art by, for and about women free from sexist and xenophobic narratives often portrayed within the industry. As intersectional feminists, we consider Sappho our and our readers’ safe space to learn more about women in the arts and to reimagine one’s own creative potential. Though focused on women, our publication is not limited to readers of a particular gender, sex or sexual orientation. We cater not only to those identifying as women, but also to our intersectional feminist allies. From film and sculpture to classic pen-and-paper drawings, Sappho works to represent every medium imaginable. Our experienced staff of editors, journalists and designers have written and collected a range of striking features, profiles, live events and more dedicated to the world’s finest emerging and distinguished women artists. Arranged meticulously within our simple, yet aesthetically appealing zine, these stories (and the art that accompanies them) provide a creative outlet equally as inspiring for the budding artist as for the experienced curator. We hope you enjoy. Sincerely,

Shaelyn Stout Editor

Claudia Schergna Creative Director

Thaddeus O’Connor-Dunphie Production Editor

Moneh Oronto-Vidal Chief Sub-Editor

Nimra Shaikh Features Editor

Events in London

Art as information in Camden’s Vagina Museum By Shaelyn Stout

Left: The Vagina M;useum London Unit 17 & 18 Stables Market Chalk Farm Road. Facing Page: Illustration by Charlotte Willcox for the Muff Busters exhibition.

Top: Sam Dawood’s “Femina” installation at Camden’s Vagina Museum. Image: Shaelyn Stout Bottom right: Learning the facts about vaginal discharge. Image: Shaelyn Stout

Glittery menstrual blood and empowering artwork, anyone? A visit to the Vagina Museum may grant you your fix. This permanent exhibition located in the heart of Camden Lock Market has definitely raised brows, but for good reason. Brimming with pro-choice merch, clitoral infographics and yes—sparkly tampons, the Vagina Museum is every feminist’s dream. Despite its size (the entire premises is made up of two compact rooms), the museum is rich in art and information. Currently on show is the Muff Busters exhibition, which “highlights just a handful of the myths that circulate in popular culture, the internet and many other platforms about gynaecological anatomy.” Take a quick look at eyecatching installations or fall in line to read more about menstrual cycle myths, vaginal pH or why you still can’t find the clit. Straight cis-men, this may be your saving grace. The Vagina Museum’s goals are simple: inform and encourage conversations about gynecological health and anatomy

so as to erase stigma surrounding these topics. The museum also acts as a “forum of feminism”, a challenger of hetero- and cisnormative behaviours and a promoter of intersectional feminist values (i.e. trans-inclusion). If you’ve forgotten your reading glasses do not fret; the museum relies heavily on visuals to reach these learning objectives. At the Vagina Museum, drawings, sculptures and installations act as visual aids to the written information within the exhibition. As you read through brightly coloured poster

boards, you can simultaneously refer to art depicting what you’ve learned. Recently, the exhibition’s drawings range from anatomical depictions of the clit to doodles of sanitary pads spotted with blood. Installations include hanging pairs of underwear bleached by naturally acidic vaginal discharge and of course, the oversized period products sporting glittery menstrual blood. These visuals are artistic expressions of feminism designed to remind audiences of the challenges and realities of life with a vulva. Director of the Vagina Museum, Florence Schechter (pronouns she/her), explains that art and visuals used in the museum “have a greater impact than writing because [they are] eye-catching and make meaning more obvious”. The museum’s use of art as information works to normalise discussions about not only the vulva, but sex and sexuality as well. Duty Manager and Front of House, Jay DeBlue (pronouns she/ her), explains “[the Vagina Museum] is a really wonderful space for soliciting conversation that you might otherwise feel awkward about”. Who could feel awkward talking about sex while standing in front of a crocheted clit? Working with a plethora of artists across their exhibitions and gift shop, the Vagina Museum is a mecca for feminists and creatives alike. The work of UK based illustrators Nadia Akingbule and

Charlotte Willcox (to name a few) line the walls of the premises, their bright colours, feminist slogans and vulvic depictions paying homage to the museum’s central dogma. Of the many empowered artists working with the Vagina Museum, there is Eve Delaney, 24, of London. Currently the museum’s featured artist, Delaney also works as an actress, writer and comedian. Her journey into the art world began after a period of bad health during which she was housebound and in dire need of a creative outlet. Using collage-making as her tool, Delaney’s art focuses on female empowerment, chronic illness and the plethora of obstacles women face in a

world catered to men. The Vagina Museum has spotlighted her Jus de Cranberry collage, which “depicts a woman on holiday in Paris, struck down by the pain of a million daggers to the bladder – the dreaded urinary tract infection”. Delaney’s goal within the piece was to visualise the realities of life with a vagina and inform non-vagina owners that the experience is not all butterflies and rainbows. Like the many artists whose work is featured in the Vagina Museum, Delaney is using art as an educational tool. And she believes in its power. “Art is an amazing way of educating people. It doesn’t have to be preachy or alienating, and it can be open to interpretation. When

I was a teenager or younger, if I’d come across [the Vagina Museum], I would have been absolutely delighted.”

POP QUIZ

As Delaney notes, “The Vagina Museum is about fact, science and information.” Their use of art as information is a functional way to educate audiences and keep them engaged in the museum’s broader themes of intersectional feminism and empowerment.

A. the entirety of the gynecological anatomy B. the exterior parts of the gynecological anatomy C.the canal that connects the uterus to the labia minora D. the tube that urine flows out of Correct answer: C

Coming soon to the Vagina Museum is Periods: A Brief History, an exhibition sponsored by The Body Shop. The exhibition “highlights the ongoing issues that surround periods, how they are perceived, and how a lack of understanding and provision for them has impacted people’s lives to this day”.

The word “vagina” technically refers to _____ ?

One of the gadgets available at the Vagina Museum. Image: Shaelyn Stout

Visit the Vagina Museum online for more information: https://www. vaginamuseum.co.uk/. To see more of Eve Delaney’s work, visit her website at https://www.evedelaney.com/.

S t a t i s t i c s

Art

Therapy by Monéh Oronto-Vidal

Would you pay someone to draw a picture with you, do a sketch of a vase of flowers, or make a clay pot? What if the activity was designed to make you feel better about yourself and your relationships, and/or help you overcome crippling anxiety? Art therapy could be the answer, as Monéh Oronto-Vidal investigates…

The blessing of doing art. Image by Valerie Titova

21 21

When people think of therapy, many imagine lying on a brown leather couch facing an older lady in crooked glasses, who is holding a notebook and pen and threatening to over-analyse everything they think and say. Though this is not entirely untrue, there are many newer, more creative types of therapy practices that are starting to enter the mainstream. One of these is art therapy, a method of “utilising materials as a way to express yourself (and) deal with your issues”, according to artist Leah Guzman, 40, who has been an art therapist in Miami, Florida for the past 17 years.

Woman In Yellow ~ Sara Roizen~ 2010

Leah describes art as her superpower, and she makes sure to mention how therapeutic it can be to the people In the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s she helps. not surprising if many people feel they need a therapist. People’s lives have been turned Inspired to do good upside down and it’s no shock that some of us are struggling with our mental health. Leah found her calling to be an art therapist when she heard a story in high With the coronavirus putting more of a school of a therapist helping a young strain on everybody’s lives than we are boy with cancer overcome his fears used to, stress levels have risen since the using art; the boy eventually went into pandemic causing depression and anxiety remission. to increase in the UK by 50%, according to the BBC. Leah says this inspired her to put goodness into the world and help as The pandemic has caused the loss of loved many people as she could as an art ones, job instability and increased the therapist. “Therapy has a stigma on feeling of loneliness, this in addition to other its own but art therapy is getting more problems, has caused a dark cloud to settle well-known which is great” she says. over some people’s heads.

Image by Jonathan Sanchez

Art therapist Leah Guzman. @arttherapyonline on Instagram Right and facing page: Painting realised in theraphy sessions with Art Therapist Liz Derbishire.

Powering through Although the British attitude of powering through - not acknowledging or talking about our problems - is admirable, it’s also not entirely helpful when it comes to mental health, which is an important issue that should be spoken about and explored freely. Even though art therapy is found to be effective in 10 out of 15 studies, randomized controlled trial sizes are generally quite low and not enough studies are done to represent larger groups of people according to the National Health Service.

“A lot of people are ashamed that they have anxiety (and) it’s important to have these conversations and get help to reduce these symptoms.” says Leah. “I wish I tried art therapy but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything when my dad died.” said Esther Aboaba, 20, a psychology student at the University of Aston, Birmingham. She said a concern for her with art therapy was that she couldn’t draw. The brilliant part about art therapy is the fact that anyone can do it, “we are all artists within” says Leah and now art therapy is more accessible than ever and comes in many different forms from painting, to pottery, drawing, sketching and much more.

Art therapy in new light Therapists like Leah meet clients one to one online or in groups and produce weekly materials for clients to follow along with. After watching her sister and cousin use art as a way to cope with their loss, Esther says she now sees art therapy in a new light. “If art can be a way for people to express themselves other than talking then it must be a good thing.” Although art therapy sessions with a trained therapist can be highly affordable and highly effective, Leah appreciates that not everyone can afford it especially during this time when unemployment rates have risen with an estimated 1.52 million people to be out of work in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics, and 730,000 of these job losses are due to COVID-19, according to Sky News. Which is why she has written her book Essential art therapy exercises which gives techniques on how to manage anxiety, depression and PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Leah says the book is like “going to the ice cream shop and picking out samples before you buy it, it just scratches the surface.” But she strongly believes that using her book, similar books and free resources, is better than not doing anything. Esther said “As a young person, the best advice I can give is to do things that make you happy, that will get you through almost anything.”

L i f e s t y l e

How to be social from a distance Covid may have locked us out of our local pubs, forced us to move back in with our parents, and cut us off from any physical contact with the outside world, but it doesn’t have to turn us into anti-social cavemen. Join Monéh Oronto-Vidal as she investigates the best ways to stay social during this difficult time. Being stuck at home for almost a year and repeating the same things we do everyday with only sporadic trips to the grocery store may cause a sort of social block. Your friend asks what you’ve been up to and you don’t really want to say that you’ve re-watched the Harry Potter series for the sixth time in a row now. Well, there are things you can do to stay socially active from a distance.

Join online events With the closure of clubs, theatres, galleries and museums amidst the pandemic, some of these places have moved their events online. The National Gallery has been hosting exhibition films and Q&As with industry professionals and Eventbrite has been hosting highly interactive sessions, from “Gentle yoga for terrible times”, to “A feminists guide to botany” and a “Wizards virtual beer festival”. Ginger Billows, 21, a media studies student at Kent University, took part in online yoga classes during lockdown. “They’ve definitely helped and it’s really great to have access to them.”

Virtual connections

“It’s nice to have something to look forward to”

Streaming services like Disney plus and Netflix have created a ‘party’ or ‘group share’ option where groups of friends can watch a movie or television show together even if they are in different parts of the country. Juliana Okorie, 21, from Cardiff says “I like Netflix Party, it’s a great way to interact with people especially during this time, I guess it’s the next best thing to actually having people in the room with you.” These streaming services have given people the opportunity to be virtually in the same space whilst watching a favourite movie or television show. So now, no one has to watch The Crown alone. Focus on work When Chérie Bell, 20, a first year university student at Kingston University studying design marketing, was furloughed from her job at the National Gallery as a visitor engagement assistant in March, she began looking for ways to keep busy. She says one way she’s managed to stay in touch with people is by focusing on her career. “I’ve been networking with industry professionals.” With the help of the charity Beleve, a girl focused charity in London whose mission is to inspire and empower young women

between the ages of 8 and 21, Chérie has been put in touch with individuals working in the marketing industry she hopes to break into. “I didn’t have the confidence to put myself out there before and because of their (Beleve) mentorship programme I feel like I can now.” Game nights Another way people can bond is through the love of games. Traditional board games like monopoly and chess have also moved online allowing large groups of people to access them. Though most people are used to playing these games around the dining room table with extended family members during the holiday season, it seems that this online version may be just as good. Susana Bucerra, 20, a psychology student at the University of Kent says, “I’ve taken part in online quizzes and games with my family, I enjoyed it. It’s a nice way to connect with a lot of people without any health risks or rule breaking.” The transition into lockdown for many has been a difficult one, it’s understandable that one may feel themselves slipping further away from those they love but these activities and many others are designed to help this transition to be easier for people to stay connected. During this time, as Susana says, “It’s nice to have something to look forward to.”

“We don’t want to be dead women artists, we want to be known now!” The rediscovery of Hilma af Klint, a woman history forgot

The documentary Beyond the Visible directed by Halina Dyrschka, brought a pioneer artists’ works back to light. By Claudia Schergna

Hilma af Klint - The Swan N.17

Hilma af Klint - The Swan n.2

When the German philosopher Rudolf Steiner met Hilma af Klint for the first time, he was unable to decipher her paintings. He predicted no one would have been able to comprehend them for the next 50 years. It was 1907, and he was wrong. It would have taken much longer. Af Klint’s canvases were exceptionally innovative, visionary, something no one had ever seen before. Is it the birth of what would be labelled abstract art but neither Kandinsky, Mondrian, Malevich nor Mirò was yet painting.

After the exposition of some of her art works, historians started being interested in her. In 2013 the Moderna Museet in Stockholm held a large retrospective with more than 230 painting and in 2018 the Guggenheim Museum in New York dedicated her a solo exposition. In 2019 the German filmmaker Halina Dyrschka shot the first documentary about this incredible painter, to give her the historical recognition she deserves.

“I couldn’t figure out how so much talent could be wasted just because of gender”

Born in Stockholm in 1862, af Klint studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1887 and soon becoming a respected artist in the city. During those years she started exploring spiritual art and Theosophy, a religious movement which incorporates European philosophy with Asian religions. The memory of her didn’t last long after she died in 1944. Af Klint was the very first abstract painter, but you wouldn’t find her vibrant colours, bold lines and energetic gestural marks in art books and galleries – not until 1986, with the the art show The Spiritual in Art, 42 years after her death. There, at the Los Angeles County Museum, for the first time, an art curator acknowledged that af Klint was a pioneer, planting the seeds for a revolution.

Hilma af Klint, deatils from The Dove n.2

Hilma af Klint - The Swan n.23

was magic, there were the Guerriglia Girls, Cindy Sherman,” says Napoleone with a hint of nostalgia.

“When I started working on this film I received several rejections because she is unknown,” says Dyrschka during an event to present her work. “I found it ridiculous, if we’d never talk about what we don’t know already we would never move forward.” The panel is hosted by the London film distribution company Modern Films in collaboration with the Mayfair Gallery Richard Saltoun, to discuss the documentary Beyond the Visible. Besides Dyrschka, are also present Valeria

Napoleone, art collector and philanthropist, Julia Voss, author of the book Hilma Af Klint: Painting the Unseen and Penny Slinger, American spiritual artist. “The rejection she received from society didn’t make her give up,” says Slinger. “Hilma af Klint’s work is a gift and this film is a gift.” At the heart of the discussion are the disadvantages women encounter in the art world and the lack of recognition for their work. “I started in 1997 in New York. At the time the city

“After two years of my Master’s I started collecting art and I became aware of women artists not being supported by commercial galleries and museums. I couldn’t figure out how so much talent could be wasted just because of gender.” Af Klint’s spiritual work is what many artists find inspiring but also the aspect of her art which is most mysterious and hard to understand. “The spiritual aspect of her art in the film arrives later because we didn’t want to frighten our audience,” says Dyrschka. Penny Slinger, whose work is deeply inspired by af Klint, agrees with the film director: “Spiritual art freaks people out and is difficult to sell. I was often asked to take the spiritual part off my works.”

Not greatly encouraging for Alexandria Riesberg, a young New York-based spiritual artist who was attending the panel: “I use Thero symbolism to describe this archetypal journey of the feminine artist. Those symbols help me recreate this narrative I’m seeing in my own life.” “Hilma af Klint is one of my biggest inspirations of anything ever,” she adds. “I saw her exhibition at the Guggenheim and it blew my mind. The thing that impressed me more is how her journey as an artist has become this archetypical mythology of the feminine explorer. “She fought her way in because the world was not ready of her work. She had the courage

to step outside of the domestic roles and addressing the imbalance of the feminine as an embodied spiritual energy in an art world that is so patriarchally shaped.” “How do we re-write history?” urges Napoleone. “What is the most powerful way to make those women fit in?” For Dyschka, the only way is to talk about them, as she is doing through her film. For the historian and art journalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Julia Voss, museums are also responsible: “We need the institutions’ contribution. If we look at the Guggenheim exhibition 31 women, back in 1943, that was the most successful art show of the Guggenheim’s history.”

Thesis project on archetypal tarot imagery by Alexandria Riesberg. From left to right: The Fool, The Magician, Selfpreservation.

Richard Saltoun, who partnered with Modern Film to organise the event, is a proudly feminist gallery. “In 2019 we launched 100% women, a whole year in which we only exhibited women artists. Even before our focus was on women artists: we first started with Feminist, Conceptual and Performance artists from the 1960s,” says the gallery assistant Giulia Antoniolli. “Our biggest aim is to exhibit those artists who are yet underrecognised. They don’t have to be women but, unfortunately, most of the times they are.” “There is the risk that museums just tick the

box and go back to their old way of doing things,” points out Napoleone visibly worried. “Still, we have many men who are gallery directors who don’t care about this. Why does it always have to be women?” Hilma af Klint has undoubtedly become a symbol of the underrepresentation of women artists, especially for the younger generation: “It is funny thinking about how much she impacted the young women artists’ community around me,” says Riesberg. “She was unknown and now I know quite a few people who have tattoos of her work.”

In Black and White 2/12/2020

Portrait of an artist

YA N I R E S Y LVA D E L G A D O by Thad O’Connor-Dunphie

A ceramic artist living and working in Walthamstow, Yanire Sylva Delgado (55), was born and raised in Ecuador. After studying printmaking at university in Madrid she returned to Ecuador to teach. At her best friend’s wedding, she met her future husband and in 2003, love brought Yanire from a country famous for its passion, vivid scenery and wildlife to London. “What keeps me in London is the diversity; my very good friends; my son who has a British soul; the sense of community and security; the need for balance and stability,” says Yanire. Yanire’s husband, Ilia Mouline, is an architect, working as an IT Manager at Studio Egret West. Yanire’s father had been an architect and she studied architecture before moving to Spain.

Her 16-year-old son studies at the London Screen Academy, who she describes as, “A caring, responsible, thoughtful, and strong-minded person.” Yanire describes herself as being a mixture made from the juices of her ancestors, the Native Americans and the Spanish. Her work in ceramics is partly based on the ceremonial and domestic pots of her Native American forbears. “I’m reinterpreting the iconography of my ancestors in pottery and sculpture, which often mixes animal and human forms. I don’t want to copy my ancestors, I take inspiration from it, adding my own thoughts.”

Facing page: ceramic masks which Degrado dscribes as “for me they are portraits of human imagination” Right pgae: cercamic decorations and tableware by Yanire Sylva Delgrado

with, organised, supportive and curious to learn new things related to video and photography. It was a fun adventure, some days were stressful, but it was gratifying to see the result.” Yanire believes the E17 Art Trail has played a big part in supporting women artists in Waltham Forest.

The E17 Art Trail is Waltham Forest’s unique festival of local artists and is a wellestablished feature of life in the borough. It was on the way out of the 2018 kickstarter meeting that Yanire met up with Laura Martinez, a fellow South American from Venezuela. In this chance meeting, both artists planned to make a documentary about the first ever E17 Art Trail, which took place in 2005. Yanire produced the film and Laura, a photographer and filmmaker, shot it.

“A lot of women artists were able to find a door to their audiences through the E17 Art Trail, because it makes very little demands. You don’t have to be a famous or recognised artist to take part in it. You don’t need a studio – you can do it from your home. The fee to take part is low and it’s free to the public. So, if you are a woman and you have a family and you are an artist, you often don’t have time for anything else.

The film, ‘Artists Around the Corner’ features interviews with women artists such as Sharon Drew, Anna Alcock and Penny Fielding. Laura says of the collaboration, “Yanire was one of the best partners to work

The Art Trail is a great way for unknown artists to promote themselves.” From handmade books – Yanire has an MA in Book Design from the University of Essex - to film production, ceramics remain her overriding passion. “Sometimes I think you need space from your work, it gives you a chance to breathe. I continue to create handmade books, and I plan to make more films one day, but fundamentally I am a ceramic artist,” says Yanire. Another long-time collaborator of Yanire’s, Mhairi McGhee from Blackhorse Workshop praised the creative classes Yanire holds there, sharing her love of ceramics and the importance of self- expression. Mhairi says, “Yanire’s approach to her artistic practice mirrors her approach to everything else she does - mindful, caring and passionate, and fearless of taking on new challenges within making, design and art.” Asked if she supports herself entirely from her artworks, Yanire replies, “Well, as humans we are a bunch of things and most of us good at several skills, not just one.” Yanire learned classical ballet for ten years from ages eight to eighteen. She is a qualified aerobics instructor and while studying for her arts degree, she taught Aerobics to earn her living.

Yanire says, “Movement, dance and exercise have been part of my life since I was little.” She has just finished an intensive course to become a Yoga teacher and will shortly run classes of her own, adding to her income. Yanire says, “There is no rule of how you work as an artist or how many jobs you have to support yourself. Most artists have side jobs. It’s all good while your spirit is still intact, and you don’t stop creating.”

“I continue to create handmade books, and I plan to make more films one day, but fundamentally I am a ceramic artist”

Discover London

Walthamstow: One of London’s Hidden Art Treasures By Thad O’Connor-Dunphie 46

Get off at Walthamstow Central, enter The Mall shopping centre and just outside Sports Direct you’ll see a see a suspended neon sign that reads, ‘The Heart of Awesomestow’. If you’d got off one stop earlier at Blackhorse Road, you’d see another heart, emblazoned with the words ‘Welcome to the Home of People Who Make and Create’. Forest Road, a major road in Waltham Forest and Wood Street connected to it, display a dozen huge murals. Who painted them? Who are the creatives that the borough is so clearly proud of? Home to over 270,000 residents, 48 per cent of whom are from ethnic minority backgrounds, Waltham Forest and Art have a long history personified by William Morris, a designer, craftsman, writer, conservationist and socialist who lived from 1848 to 1856 in the house that is now the internationally renowned William Morris Gallery.

William Morris Gallery in Lloyd park, Walthamstow

Local councillor, Keith Rayner, says, “William Morris left a lasting legacy of respect for the importance of design and art amongst working class people, that these are not just privileges for the well off.” In 2012, Waltham Forest was one of the six Olympic boroughs, which brought improved regeneration and sports participation and community-based arts projects. 47

Outside Covid-19 times, Waltham Forest Council funds many community-based festivals, such as ‘Car Free Day’, ‘Festival of Theatre’ and many free music festival events in parks throughout the borough, especially Lloyd Park also home to William Morris Gallery. “Waltham Forest has always been groundbreaking when it comes to the culture and the Arts”

Apex Arts (formerly known as Waltham Forest Arts Council) was instrumental in developing the arts infrastructure of the borough. Martin O’Connor worked for Apex Arts from 1994 – 2018. He says, “Waltham Forest has always been ground-breaking when it comes to the culture and the Arts. It was the first council in the country to host The Gay Games.” In 2000, the council hosted the Gay Games and put on cultural events and sports as varied as chess and ballroom dancing as well as more conventional rugby and football to promote LGBQT+ issues and to use sport to bring people together. Martin continues, “Apex Arts was crucial in supporting small arts organisations with grants. It helped set up the Hitchcock Fund, which enabled many filmmakers to go on to bigger and better things.”

The Award is named in honour of renowned director Alfred Hitchcock

Facing Page: (Top) The Heart of Awesomestow, Walthamstow Mall. Bottom and second page: Murals along Forest Road, Walthamstow.

(1899-1980), famous son of Leytonstone, and a series of mosaics depict his films at Leytonstone Tube. “Apex Arts funded the E17 Arts Trail and subsequently the Leytonstone and Chingford Arts Trails,” says Martin.

Waltham Forest became the Mayor of London’s first Borough of Culture for 2019

The E17 Art Trail began in 2005. It is a unique festival of local artists and is a wellestablished feature of life in the borough. Each year there is an annual E17 Art Trail brainstorming meeting where local artists come together to see if there is anything they can work on collaboratively. While Covid-19 prevented the Trail from taking place in 2020, it is planned for 3 – 20 June 2021. For two weeks that summer art lovers will travel from far and wide to come and visit artists in studios, galleries, pubs, churches, parks, community centres - and in their homes. Other artistic landmarks in the Borough are The Blackhorse Workshop, Make and 49

Create, The William Morris Gallery and The Hornbeam Environmental Centre – all of which are directed by women. Waltham Forest became the Mayor of London’s first Borough of Culture for 2019. Winning Borough of Culture attracted £1million in funding to represent the culture of the borough through art and to involve as many local people as possible in the process. The borough selected twelve community arts groups to programme events for the year with a grant of £135,000 each and the schedule varied from performances as varied as converting a disused school into a ghost factory (Atomic 50) to Art Night which curated artworks from 12 major artists, including: Barbara Kruger, Christine Sun Kim, Julie Cunningham and Emma Talbot, exhibited in spaces from Walthamstow to 50

Selection of Mosaics Celebrating Alfred Hitchcock at Leytonstone Tube Station

King’s Cross along the Victoria Line. When the artists move in they say the gentrification begins. That is proved beyond doubt in Walthamstow where average house prices have increased more than 4% since August 2020, although it may be on a slow burn. Despite rising house prices and high rents, outside the environs of Walthamstow Village, much of the homes, streets, shops and people still resemble the working-class communities who have lived in the borough for decades, challenging the notion that an influx of hipsters forces the locals out. In Waltham Forest you will find, they live side by side.

Get to Know Art in Waltham Forest Online Blackhorse Workshop https://www.blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/ Make and Create https://www.makeandcreatee17.com/ William Morris Gallery https://www.wmgallery. org.uk/ E17 Art Trail http://e17arttrail.co.uk/ Leytonstone Arts Trail https://leytonstoneartstrail. org/about/ Chingford Arts Trail https://walthamforesthistoryandheritage.net/2019/01/01/chingford-art-heritage-trail-thur-24th-sun-27th-oct/ The Mill Community Centre https://themille17. org/ E17braveforest https://www.instagram.com/ e17braveforest/?hl=en wf_women instagram.com/wf_women/?hl=en

Portrait of an artist

CoolBeenArt

An emerging ar tist ’s guide to self-love By Shaelyn Stout

All images courtesy of the artist.

From divisive elections to deadly pandemics, 2020 has served chaos on a silver platter. Looking for an arts-related pick-me-up? Look no further. American fine artist Colleen Anderson is using the power of creation to reframe life’s hardships and help her followers find some inner peace. Don’t act like you don’t need that! Colleen, 22, from Milton in the U.S. state of Delaware, is a Fine Arts student at the University of Delaware with a passion for self-reflection. Libra sun, Aries moon and personality type ENFP on the MyersBriggs scale (a test indicating how people perceive the world and make decisions), Colleen and her colourful, doodle-y and digital designs have created a safe space for art lovers and self-care enthusiasts alike to discuss mental health and learn to love themselves. Arm open and ears ready to listen, Colleen prides herself in “[curating] an online community full of people who relate to [her] and [her] art”. No trolls to be found, this young artist’s Instagram page (@ CoolbeenArt) is brimming with friendly interactions and open conversations by and between her 35,000 plus followers. Feeling left out? Fear not. Colleen and her crew are happy to welcome newcomers. Who couldn’t use a few virtual friends these days?

Her digital gallery space, Colleen’s Instagram is also filled with paintings, doodles and digital drawings about self-

care, self-love and an array of social causes like Black Lives Matter and United States voter turnout. Colleen’s signatures however, are abstract portraits and one-line drawings that work to normalise mental health issues while simultaneously promoting acts of selfreflection and self-love. Her art is profoundly personal and focuses on such issues because she herself struggles to combat them. “I [cope] with depression and anxiety as well as attention and eating disorders. Creating art has given me the space and opportunity to understand myself and the world around me. My art is [like] a visual journal,” she says. Unsurprisingly, Colleen is not the first person to use art as a means of coping with mental health issues. According to the British Association of Art Therapists, art can be a powerful medium to “address emotional issues which may be confusing and distressing”. While her art is no replacement for therapy (nor does it try to be), Colleen does hope to connect followers and provide them with a space to freely discuss mental health and know that they are not alone. Judging by the constant stream of love hearts and ‘thank yous’ expelled into her comment sections, Colleen is exceeding even her own expectations. When asked about who she creates art for, Colleen says she doesn’t have an “ideal” target audience. “If I did it would change all the time because my art changes all the time.

“The main thing that my audiences have in common is their desire for connection. Everyone wants to feel seen and heard. I want anyone and everyone to be able to see themselves in my art. ” In line with her themes of self-love and reflection however, Colleen courageously admits, “I make art firstly for myself. I can always use friendly reminders [to love myself].” Response to Colleen’s work has been overwhelmingly positive and frankly, quite global. Australian native, graduate Psychology student and mental health advocate, Aleesha Sims, shares her opinion: “I feel like [Colleen’s] focus on shifting

Colleen Anderson masked up and ready to paint away your lockdown blues.

and amorphous figures within her drawings perfectly illustrates the tenuous sense of self and reality mental illness can bring on. I feel like fragility and vulnerability is a part of mental illness that is more commonly experienced but less commonly discussed. I’m really keen on her work.” In addition to countless messages of kindness and thanks from Instagrammers living across the world, Colleen has also received praise from her mentor and professor at the University of Delaware, Aaron Terry, who is a distinguished artist himself: “She has had a signature style since I’ve known her, but it’s grown exponentially from sketches and singular drawings

to much larger pieces and very extensive explorations of drawing, animation, colour and space,” he says. In regards to Colleen’s focus on mental health issues, self-love and reflection, Terry explains, “I think now more than ever [this work] is extremely important. Her illustrations make it ‘easier’ to admit to/ give in to/understand that we need more self-reflection and advocacy for positive mental health. She has hit the nail on the head by finding a balance between image and message.” Praise all around, this gal is going places. Moving forward, Colleen plans to “keep learning, collaborating, growing, connecting and creating”. She has hopes of landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to try her hand at murals and other kinds of public art, but is also in the process of earning an LLC accreditation for her art business (currently an online shop, link here). At only 22, not many people can say they’ve done the same. With a dedication to self-love and a passion for growth and connection through her art, Colleen Anderson (also known as CoolbeenArt) is an emerging and inspiring young artist to keep your eye on. Watch out Philadelphia!

Colleen’s RedBubble Shop: https://www.redbubble.com/people/colleenand/shop Colleen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolbeenart/ Mental Health Crisis Resources in the UK: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhsservices/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Frame from Nomadland, Venice best picture winner 2020, by Chloè Zhao 62

Statistics

The end of a glorious year for women in the film industry Tribeca and Sundance film Festival have reached gender parity for the second year in a row, Venice coming very close to a 50 - 50 figure. Claudia Schergna explores how female directors are getting ahead

Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always - Eliza Hittman’s feature, awarded at the Berlin Film Festival. Facing page: Listen by Ana Rocha de Sousa, winner of the De Laurentiis award at the Venice Film Festival

Glorious might not be the right adjective to describe 2020, but surprisingly enough, when it comes to female presence in the film industry, it sounds appropriate. Female filmmakers this year seem to be closer than ever to a complete freedom from the chains of patriarchy. Some of the most high-profile film festivals have in fact reached historic highs in the number of women who participated and have been awarded, as revealed by the Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film. Research conducted by Indie Wire, that looks at the major festivals in the US, has also found that women represent the 38 percent of directors of features and documentaries. This year’s Tribeca Film Festival reached gender parity. Also at Sundance, each one of the four Grand Jury Prizes was directed or co-directed by women. These figures are in constant escalation: last year female directors were 33 percent and the year before 29 percent. A similar growth was registered

for female scriptwriters. “This is certainly a great result,” says Alice Shindelar, who is a successful film director and coordinator at the advocacy group Film Fatales. “But we have to keep in mind that women direct less than 5 percent of top box office films, so we might see great results in niece or independent film festivals but we are still quite far from seeing those number at the Oscars. Well, we’ll soon see those results there but it will be an imposition.” The Oscars are in fact about to introduce new diversity criteria: from 2024 all Best Picture nominee crews will have to include a certain number of women, BAME people and members of the LGBTQ+ community. While the Academy declared they aim at long-term change inside Hollywood, this decision also provoked some infuriated reactions.

In Europe, Film Festivals are achieving great results: at the Venice film festival The Golden Lion went to Chloè Zhao for Nomadland and the Luigi De Laurentiis award to Ana Rocha for her first feature Listen. In Berlin Eliza Hittman won the Silver Bear for Never Rarely Sometimes Always. At the BFI Cathy Brady was awarded with the IWC Schaffhausen Award for Wildfire and in Locarno the winner was Lucrecia Martel with Chocobar.

At the Cannes Film Festival, which didn’t take place this year, the Palme d’Or was never given to a woman while the only female director to receive The Grand Prix was Alice Rohrwacher in 2014. Rohrwacher was also awarded for her feature Happy as Lazzaro at the Est Film Festival in Montefiascone, Italy. Fortunato Licandro, who has been organising the festival for 10 years, finds that the Italian industry is ready to change.

In 2020, 38 percent of directors and 35 percent of writers in US film festivals were women.

“It may sound naive, but we always keep the focus on the work and never on the director’s gender or background,” says Fortunato, looking at his wife, Agnese, who nods pleased. “And even though, we’ve seen more and more female directors entering the field, especially in the short-film category. This means that several talented young women are about to enter the Italian film Industry very soon.” Agnese Bertolotti, besides being on the East Film Festival’s board, and having a PhD in Film Studies, is currently collaborating with the Warwick University on a study about Women in early Film Productions: “Back in the days, there used to be jobs for women and jobs for men as they were educated differently,” explains Agnese. “Women were perfect secretaries as they studied accounting and shorthand in school, while men could do any other job. Unfortunately,” says Agnese disappointed, “some dull individuals still think so.” “One thing I’ve noticed,” says Agnese, “is that most women directors in the short-film category, tend to work in pairs. Maybe this helps them find the courage to enter a male-dominated industry.”

“It’s only part of the process,” says Fortunato. “Things are finally changing, and not only in the film industry, in society as a whole. But we need to crack on, to keep educating and informing ourselves and our children and everything else will come as a consequence.”

Top: Fortunato Licandro at the Esrt film festival Bottom: Alice Rohrwacher, awarded with the Platinum Arch for her feature Happy as Lazzaro

Pictures Gallery

GREAT STREET ART IN LONDON While some is commissioned, street art is often illegal, but it is so good it tends to be celebrated, more so in some parts of London rather than others. Brick Lane and Shoreditch are great areas to head to and just wander the streets and enjoy the art. In other areas of London, it can be harder to find and it changes rapidly so you may need to be quick so see it. Here are some suggestions.

By Thad O’Connor-Dunphie

French designer Camille Walala creates bright and colourful murals, such as this one for Rich Mix in Shoreditch. Photo courtesy Dezeen.com

2. Swedish artist Amara Por Dios created this amazing mural in Hanbury Street, London. Photo courtesy Hookedblog

See one of the many works of British artist, Banksy to adorn the walls of London. In this image, police officers stop and search a Basquiat-like character at the Barbican Centre. Courtesy Peter Nicholls/Reuters/NY Times

4. MadC, born Claudia Walde, 1980 is from Germany. This is her famous coloured walls can be found in Chance Street, Shoreditch, East London

5. Wall art by Belgian artist ROA (right) and Argentinian Martin Ron (left) on Hanbury Street. Photo courtesy Dutch Girl in London

Famous Women Artists

Left: The Child’s Bath by Mary Cassatt Right: Three Children with a Dog by Sofonisba Anguissola

1. Which country was painter Frida Kahlo born in? A. United States B. Venezuela C. Canada D. Mexico 2. Diane Arbus was known for her use of which medium? A. Photography B. Film C. Sculpture D. Collage 3. What patterns do Yayoi Kusama’s installations depict? A. Stripes B. Houndstooth C. Polka dots D. Paisley 4. Which medium does American artist Kara Walker work in? A. Painting B. Printmaking C. Film D. All of the above

Answers: 1.D, 2.A, 3.C, 4.D

A g e n d a

EXHIBITIONS YOU CAN’T MISS Ghada Amer: In Black and White Goodman Gallery London

Vivian Springford Almine Rech New York

Wed 2 Dec 2020 to Fri 8 Jan 2021 Tue-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm

Fri 13 Nov 2020 to Wed 13 Jan 2021 Tue-Sat noon-5pm & by appointment

“Thinned paint poured with a steady hand onto raw canvas produced the radiant works in this oasis of an exhibition, most of them made in the early nineteen-seventies. Springford, who died in 2003, is not a prominent name in the annals of mid-century American abstraction, and her stained compositions—bold amoeba-like forms Alison Wilding: Mesmer, Again with rippled edges in intoxicating Karsten Schubert Room 2 sunset and Easter-egg hues—arrive as “Alison Wilding is one of the UK’s something of a revelation.” foremost sculptors and has been - The NewYorker represented by Karsten Schubert London since 1987. Recent solo exhibitions include the De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill; Leeds Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. Her work can be found in the public collections of the Tate, British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Henry Moore Institute and many more. She was twice nominated for the Turner Prize (1988 and 1992)”. Left: Portrait of Vivian Springford Karsten Right: Vivan Springford - Untitled - Schubert London “Born in Egypt, raised in France, and a resident of New York since the mid1990s, Amer’s decisive commitment to difficult image- making is filled with an urgency to empower women whose sexuality is treated as taboo” – Jenni Sorkin, Art Historian

... More exhibitions from the comfort of you couch

Alexis Hunter: Money Art Sex Richard Saulton Viewing Room Online

Lydia Blakeley: Dog Show Steve Turner Viewing Room Online

“Her work was the most provoking at the almost all-female 1978 Hayward Annual. The combined influence of advertising storyboards, documentary, politics and feminism can be seen in the Object Series, 1974-75, portraying men as sex objects, in leather trousers and naked from the waist up. In one image, the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center are strategically sited as a phallic image. In the Sexual Rapport Series, 1972-76, she stamped her street photographs of men: “Yes”, “No” or “Maybe”” - Lynda Morris on The Guardian

“Part status symbol and part family member, the dogs symbolize prestige, loyalty and protection. According to Blakeley, “there is something captivating about the dogs’ expressions. They are endearing, and I like to think of these paintings as little scenes from one big performance.” - Steve Turner Gallery

Alexis Hunter, The Model’s revenge II