ART OF THE PROTEST: ARTIST VOICES Part I

By Flora Rosefsky

WCAGA ART+ACTIVISM’s  three day pop up show  held at Sycamore Place Gallery & Studios in Decatur over Labor Day Weekend-2017, brought together artists, unafraid to put into art, what they were saying to each other, to family, friends, colleagues at work, and perhaps in letters to elected officials in government.  After the show came down, I asked artists to send me their thoughts about their work. 

Sandrine Arons: “Enough is Enough”  (the entire work, its reference painting, and longer version of Aron's statement will be posted in a future blog, Part III of this series.)

I chose the quotes that are printed on my piece to express how devastating and dangerous the laws against women can be. For decades, these laws have existed but have been generally considered absurd and not acted upon.  However, with our current conservative and evangelical leaders, the possibility of recreating the same reality my mother lived is ever-increasing. And this is what prompted “Enough is Enough”. As a woman, I feel that my existence and my right to live freely is being threatened every day. I believe for months I have been in a fog of disbelief (though not denial) that many of the rights I was born into are being reconsidered and up for debate. Instead of moving forward, this administration is hoping to move the clock backwards. The backdrop for my photograph is Tintoretto’s 1555 masterpiece “Susanna end the elders”.  The story of Susanna is copied … but exemplifies so much of the hateful, demeaning rhetoric and physical violence that women experience still today.  I see Trump and Pence now as symbols of the frustration those men in my life alluded to; their dissatisfaction and fear of women demanding rights to their own bodies, to equal pay, to full equality.  I’m not sure this is the result they wanted, but I believe the current administration echoes their fears. 

"Enough is Enough" (detail)  by Sandrine Arons  

Pat Borow: “The Trump Fan”

The concept for my piece, “The Trump Fan,” came to me in an, er, flash. The idea is that of immolation by flame. The shape is that of a funeral fan, an object that has a strong history in this region, particularly during the days before churches were air-conditioned. For months now, we’ve watched Donald Trump go down in flames. I have thought more than once that it is either going to be his funeral or ours. Hence the funeral fan.

"Trump Fan" by Pat Borow

Vickie Martin-Conison: “Complicity”

It is done on traditional poster board. I began with collaging the entire US Constitution on the board, then applied thin paint over it. I spelled out the word "STOP" with gunpowder and burned it. The quote is done with pages from the dictionary that were dyed- as I believe in the importance of the First Amendment and therefore words. I continued with burning the edges - to show the fight we must fight and the battle we need to wage. The quote is by Einstein - his signature is collaged into the piece.

"Comlicity" by Vickie Martin-Conison

Helen DeRamus: “No Refuge”

This image was created over a period of time as I have been thinking about the generation of children who suffer the ravages of war all over the world. And now those young people who are no longer welcome even here in the US. How can that be? The image also contains the little image of one of my father's paintings on the lower left side. As a mentor and one who strongly supported peace and conservation he remains an inspiration and guide for me in my life. 

"No Refuge" by Helen DeRamus

Jodi Doughty:   “Social Justice-Human Rights”

It was a pleasure being a part of this important show that allowed artists to express and reflect the current chaos that people in our society find themselves in. My name is Jodi Doughty; I’m an artist because art provides you with a voice, an individual expression of hopes, dreams and fears. Art is your interpretation of the world and how you see yourself in it. Social Justice-Human Rights is an urban mural / marvel inspired piece that reminds us to be vigilant in our efforts to impact change in the world. We must be our own heroic figure while standing strong in our convictions and helping others find their strength.

"Social Justice - Human Rights" by Jodi Doughty

Marti Forkner-Vernon : “Women to Rule”

Wanting a world ruled by only women is not realistic, and that is my desire, that each woman will be free of society's guidelines and stand as individual and strong without inhibition. That the patriarchy will end. But it would take a complete metamorphic mindset change, and that won't happen. A genderless world would be perfect where no one asked, "what sex?" Just people

"Women to Rule" by Marti Forkner-Vernon

Lucy Julia Hale: “In Honor of Margaret Sanger”

On the table in the exhibition gallery I found a page with dialogue from the Handmaid'sTale : "...there is hope... like blood in a wound ". I feel that in crises artists are often called to ensure that wounds stay open and bleeding long enough for cleansing of contaminants and examination to determine and expose the true sources of injury. I am so grateful for this opportunity to join our women artists in this calling. My piece, which includes images of Faith Ringgold and Floria Steinem is also a way to honor them and all the artists in our exhibit.

"In Honor of Margaret Sanger" by Lucy Julia Hale

NOTE: There will be a Part II and Part III

Interview with Artist Sandrine Arons

Sandrine Arons, Life(time), 2011

1.Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

My name is Sandrine Arons and I’m a photographer based in Atlanta. I was born and raised in Georgia but I’m a dual citizen of France and the US. I am as comfortable in the country as I am in a big city. I’ve found that both have their appeal and I can’t seem to live without either. Thanks to my French mother, I grew up bilingual and spent all my summers in France with family. 

I spent the majority of my adult life in academics. I have graduate degrees in Humanistic Psychology and French Literature and taught both French and English at the university level.  In 2004 I moved to Paris to teach at the University of Paris while doing dissertation research and that is where I met my husband and had my son. After my father died in 2008, I wanted to move back to the States to be closer to my mother and my friends. So I convinced my French/Moroccan husband to move back with me in 2009 at which point I decided to make a serious career change and pursue my passion of photography. I was very disillusioned with what academia had become and recognized that my escape has always been photography. I recently completed my MFA at SCAD and I feel like it is just the beginning of this great journey. I don’t think I actually missed the boat, I think I was just waiting on the right one.

2. What's integral to your art and or art career?

Time. Time is very important and I have to be able to find enough time for my project ideas.

Light. Without it I can produce nothing.

Travel. Travel opens my eyes and allows me to turn the page to a new vision of the world.

Observation. I think this is one of the most important ones for me. This is why I became a photographer.

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?

Sandrine Arons, Myself as Madame Roland, 2015  

Whether in my art or in my academic writings, I have always focused on the theme of autobiography.  My psychology thesis was about the personal journal and self-growth and my dissertation in French literature was about self-reconstruction through personal writing.  When I began my studies in photography I had no intention of continuing with the autobiographical theme, but apparently it is what feeds my creativity.  For my thesis work I developed a project around my own life and multicultural background entitled “Frontiers”.  In many ways this series is an autobiography and I’m sure that the years I spent absorbed in that subject are at the origin of the work.

I use a camera (all sorts), lights (strobes or sun), people, places, things and I use the computer ALOT! I spend a pretty good amount of time on Photoshop.  That’s about the closest I get to painting or drawing because when I use the pen and tablet I am painting onto my image, through my image and around my image. For me that’s my favorite time…that’s the canvas where I create.

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?

I think that what makes me the most angry is injustice. I have a strong sense of fairness. Whether it be social, political or within my own home I need things to be just and fair and even. I become very passionate and angry when I see or feel that something is not balanced and I’ll be the first to point it out. I do not like it when I feel someone is being taken advantage of.

Sandrine Arons, Through the Wall, 2011

What makes me most happy is definitely being with people I love. I cherish the times I am surrounded by friends and family.  I will always try to find any reason to celebrate something as an excuse to have the people I love around me.  Celebration, for me, can mean anything from a big party to lunch with a good friend. 

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?

I wouldn’t say that any one person inspires me.  I am inspired by a certain way of thinking or creating that is exemplified in certain artists, writers or philosophers. Although there are many, my biggest influences are especially women who have inspired me to create and feel comfortable in my own skin. Any time I read works by Anais Nin, Helene Cixous or Simone de Beauvoir all my senses seem to wake up. If I feel like I’m in a creative, psychological or intellectual rut, I know I can pick up any one of their texts and feel inspired again. They are like a breath of fresh air for me. In fact, I would say that literature in general is my biggest inspiration.  More so than visual art interestingly. I think that is why much of my work is multilayered and symbolic. I like each piece to tell a story or else be a starting point for someone else’s story. 

Sandrine Arons. The Painter's Hand, 2012

Outside of that, I am inspired by details. By that, I mean that when I get the chance to block out all the excess (noise, thoughts, stress, etc…) and be present with the details that surround me such as the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the way light hits a certain object, the creaking sound of trees in the woods, my dogs little footsteps on the hardwood floor, the way my son’s breath sounds when he sleeps or the way a line curves on someone’s face…the list is endless. These things inspire me by giving me a sense of calm and peace. Removing all the excess helps clear my head.

6. What superpower would you want?

This is actually a more difficult question to answer than I had anticipated! My first thought was a superpower that would allow me to eat everything I want and stay thin. But, seriously I think that the superpower I really wish I had would be to have limitless energy. There is so much I want to do but often energy fades and I find myself frustrated because I can’t manage to get it all done. 

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

Spending all my summers in Europe as a child meant that I was lucky enough to visit all the greatest museums and contemplate great works of art from a very young age. Living in Paris also gave me the opportunity to visit the Louvre as much as I wanted and one thing I realized is that no matter how often I would return to the Louvre, I always went back to the same hall to see the great Dutch and Flemish works. I guess it isn’t that surprising that these would be my favorites since photography, in some ways, borrows from them. The source and presence of light is so important in some of these paintings that it makes sense that a photographer would be moved by the artist’s ability to reproduce light with such brilliance.  Works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Borch and Rubens probably explain my love of portraiture and definitely influence my way of making portraits. In fact, my most recent series is directly linked to my fascination with those portraits in that I have appropriated portraits throughout history and turned them into self-portraits (back to my autobiographical influences). After spending hours upon hours staring at those paintings, I decided to become part of them. But even beyond the portraits, I love Bruegels landscapes and Mignon’s strange still life paintings. They are all very photographic to me. 

I also have an affinity for some surrealists such as Magritte, Dali and Man Ray. My “Frontiers” series has a surreal quality that was certainly influenced by their work. 

I also love the paintings of Frida Khalo and the conceptual projects by Sophie Calle. In terms of writers, I mentioned them in my influences, but I forgot to mention one of my favorite writers and artists, Antonin Artaud. There are so many others, but these are the ones at the top!

8. What advice would you give to other artists?

Because it is not until recently that I have finally called myself an artist, it is hard to give advice to others on the matter. I suppose I would tell emerging artists to meet other artists.  I have found that connecting with other creative people really motivates me. 

9. Contact details:

email: sandrinemonique@gmail.com

web: www.sandrinearons.com

Dodho Magazine: http://www.dodho.com/frontiers-by-sandrine-arons/