September 27, 2007
Austinist Preview: Fairytales for Adults in Femme Fantastique
Once upon a time, in a gallery just up the road, 14 female artists gathered their works together to be viewed by all in the land.
There were paintings, and photographs, moving images and performances. There were Indian princesses, people with bunny rabbit faces, and clowns riding rocket ships.
Ok, enough cutesy talk, but you get our drift.
Fairytales, myths, legends, and fantasies are celebrated in the new exhibit, Femme Fantastique, at Volitant Gallery. The group show captures the colorful and sometimes downright disturbing visions of female artists who hail from New York, Austin, Argentina and Japan.
Through this concept of fantasy, explained Volitant Gallery's Xochi Solis, the artists examine issues of gender, heritage and environment. But the exhibit isn't so much a loud, feminist statement as it is a quieter, softer revolution in feminism — “It’s one more rooted in the past,” said Solis.
Daphane Park, a New York-based artist credited with organizing this exhibit, was found Thursday inside the gallery carefully gluing rooster feathers to her installation, titled guess who the fuck is coming to town. The piece interprets the myth of the Mayan god, Quetzalcoatl, feathered serpent.
“I don’t see this as a feminist show at all,” she said. “It’s more about women and their imaginations, and how we are connected with fantasy.”
In conjunction with Femme Fantastique, Volitant Gallery will be hosting weekly viewings of films inspired by the exhibit. The first two films, shown on Tuesday, Oct. 2nd, will include Experimental Films by American avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren, and a film by French New Wave director Agnès Varda.
Check the Volitant website for updates on film showings.
Femme Fantastique runs through Nov. 10
[Volitant Gallery exhibit site]
Femme Fantastique
Volitant Gallery, 320 Congress Ave. Ste. 100
Opening reception Friday, Sept. 28th
6 to 9 p.m.
Special performance by Amelia Winger-Bearskin at 7:30 p.m.
Femme Fantastique Film Festival
Oct. 2nd – Nov. 6th, every Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
Image, Drippy Flowers by Nancy Baker, courtesy of Volitant Gallery
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Did you notice that Daphane Park is the only one with descriptions on her images on the Volitant site?
Methinks the lady doth love herself too much.
Those are not descriptions. They are actually part of the works. That's not clear on the website, but if you saw her show last year you would know.
Of course you could always ask the gallery for clarification.